Car Hire Bishops Stortford

Bishop’s Stortford, home to approximately 41,000 residents, sits conveniently along the M11 corridor between London and Cambridge. You’ll find excellent access via the A120 and A1184, making it an ideal base for exploring Hertfordshire and Essex. The town experiences a temperate climate with mild winters and warm summers, though autumn brings particularly stunning colours to the surrounding countryside.

Bishop’s Stortford boasts a rich history dating back to Roman times, with the impressive remains of Waytemore Castle (12th century) and beautiful medieval St Michael’s Church anchoring the historic town centre.

Attractions In Bishops Stortford

Browse market town amenities and river heritage attractions, featuring historic maltings, small shops around the market square and scenic River Stort walks.

National Trust – Hatfield Forest

Earning an impressive 4.6-star rating from over 2,500 visitors, Hatfield Forest stands as Bishop’s Stortford’s crown jewel. This medieval woodland offers something truly special, opening Wednesday through Sunday throughout the day. Ancient trees provide natural air conditioning during summer months, while autumn transforms the landscape into a tapestry of golden and crimson hues. You’ll discover peaceful lakeside spots perfect for picnics and the abundance of sweet blackberries makes late summer visits particularly rewarding. Car parking costs £9 but entry to this remarkable forest remains free.

Southern Country Park

Southern Country Park is a Green Flag award-winning park which features diverse habitats including a fishing lake with reedbeds, wildflower meadows, woodland, chalk banks, streams and a natural pond. Facilities include an enclosed picnic area, large grassed recreation spaces, children’s play area with zip wire and a dog agility area. A boardwalk provides access to wetland wildlife including dragonflies, damselflies, water rails and herons. Between June and August, chalk banks display abundant wildflowers attracting pollinators. Free car parking is available off Thorley Lane East.

Mountfitchet Castle & Norman Village

With its 4.6-star rating from over 1,500 reviews, this captivating attraction in nearby Stansted Mountfitchet offers far more than typical castle visits. You’ll encounter a delightful chaos of interactive experiences, including a Norman village, dinosaur park, toy museum and even a haunted house. Hand-feeding the roaming animals adds an extra dimension to your visit and the combination of education and entertainment ensures everyone stays engaged throughout the day.

Castle Park

Castle Park in Bishop’s Stortford is a Green Flag award-winning riverside park featuring the remains of Waytemore Castle, a Norman motte-and-bailey fortification built around 1080 as a scheduled ancient monument. The park offers riverside walks along the globally rare chalk River Stort, three LTA-standard tennis courts, splash park, children’s play area, skate park and the Terrace Park Café & Kitchen. Notable features include the Grade II WWI War Memorial commemorating 207 local casualties, the Hockerill Fountain (1872) and deposits of Hertfordshire puddingstone.

Southmill Arts Centre

South Mill Arts (formerly Rhodes Arts Complex) is a multi-faceted community arts venue in Bishop’s Stortford, housed in Victorian buildings that were the birthplace of Cecil Rhodes. Since the early 1960s as the Rhodes Centre, the venue hosted legendary performers including David Bowie, The Who, Moody Blues, Fleetwood Mac and Elton John. Today it offers year-round programming including theatre, dance, live music, comedy, cinema with 4K projection and Dolby Surround Sound and exhibitions. The complex includes Bishop’s Stortford Museum (established 1938), the Thorleybourne Gallery, a state-of-the-art auditorium, two dance studios, meeting rooms and theatre lounge.

When exploring the broader region, consider these nearby destinations:

• Waltham Cross
• Stansted Airport
• Sawbridgeworth
• Buntingford
• Ware
• Hoddesdon
• Stapleford
• Broxbourne

Bishop’s Stortford Museum

Bishop’s Stortford Museum is housed within South Mill Arts, the birthplace of Victorian imperialist Cecil Rhodes. The current museum opened in 2005, combining collections from the former Rhodes Memorial Museum and Bishop’s Stortford Local History Museum. Exhibits include the Rhodes Collection featuring interactive displays, archives, artefacts and photographs documenting Rhodes’ life, 19th-century Southern African artefacts from his travels and a reconstructed middle-class Victorian drawing room with family memorabilia. The museum explores both the town’s rich local history and its unique connections to Rhodes, Empire and Africa. Admission is free with donations welcomed and family-friendly exhibits include holiday activities and themed walks and talks.

Town Park Sworder’s Field

Sworders Field is the recreational area of Castle Park in Bishop’s Stortford, featuring a children’s play area, splash park and skate park. A new accessible bridge connects it to Castle Gardens. The open grassland space provides informal recreation alongside the River Stort. Between 2016 and 2024, it was transformed as part of a £2.5 million Heritage Lottery Fund project managed by Bishop’s Stortford Town Council.

House On The Hill Museum

Nostalgia comes alive at this unique attraction on Lower Street in Stansted Mountfitchet. Children receive treasure hunt sheets upon arrival, searching for stamps throughout the various buildings to earn prizes. The toy museum evokes childhood memories and interactive games keep younger visitors thoroughly engaged. Roaming deer, geese and chickens create a farmyard atmosphere and the on-site café serves excellent coffee and cake combinations.

Waytemore Castle

Waytemore Castle is a Norman motte-and-bailey fortification in Bishop’s Stortford, built around 1080 following the Norman Conquest to control a key route between London and the Midlands. Now a scheduled ancient monument and Grade I listed landmark, only the castle mound and wall remains survive in Castle Park. The site has been central to recent archaeological investigations, with community digs by the Museum of London Archaeology and Friends of Castle Park uncovering its hidden history. The ancient mound offers views over the park and remains a focal point for heritage activities and interpretation within the town centre.

Haddam Park

This green space provides another peaceful retreat within Bishop’s Stortford’s boundaries. The park offers open areas for recreation and relaxation, serving as a valuable community resource. You’ll find it particularly pleasant during spring and summer months when the grass areas come alive with local wildlife and families enjoying outdoor activities.

Canadian Aircrew Memorial

Little Hallingbury houses this poignant tribute to wartime sacrifice and international cooperation. The memorial which reminds us of contributions made by Canadian airmen during the Second World War is dedicated to two officers, pilot Gerry Vautour and warrant Wally Mitchell, who lost their lives while returning in bad weather from combat patrol of the Normandy beachhead following the D-day invasion of the France.

Herts & Essex Mosque

Southmill Road hosts this important community centre that serves local Muslim residents and visitors. Located just a five-minute walk from Bishop’s Stortford railway station, it offers convenient access for travellers. The mosque provides five daily prayers and hosts two Friday afternoon sessions, welcoming both men and women. Train station parking is available at £1 per hour, making it accessible for those arriving by car.