I moved to Tring from London in 1980, and haven't seriously considered moving since. Maybe that says more about me than Tring but, at any rate, I rekon I've earned the right to a few views and opinions on the place. I hope you find them interesting. Useful then? Oh well, at least you found them.
30 odd miles up the A41 north-west of London, Tring has an identity crisis.
Not quite sure if it's a commuter town, a sleepy retirement village, or a market town at the centre of local commerce,
it somehow manages to combine all three with relaxed confidence.
The surrounding Chiltern Hills are certainly picturesque, rail links to both London and the North are
fast and (usually) frequent, access to the M1 is easy and - if all else fails - I suppose you could
chug down the canal by narrowboat right into the heart of London.
A click on any of the following images will show a larger picture.
Tring has been an established market town since 1315.
There have been massive changes in Tring over the past few years. Take a look at the following examples of how the character of the town has been completely altered!
Metcalfe is growing. What used to be an antique shop next door to the left was turned into a kitchen-ware / coffee shop. The kitchen-ware side has been integrated back into the main store leaving the "Anusia Cafe" as the new Metcalfe enterprise.
After 
Meanwhile Grace's shop seems to be shrinking. Their dedicated tool hire shop on the right has turned into a branch of Lloyds Pharmacy.
The Rose And Crown Hotel had been providing comfort for travelers since the 16th Centuary. Located on the high street, opposite the church, it was a terrific place to stay. The owners never did seem to realise its potential though. Now, sadly, it's been turned into a few more overpriced flats. Perhaps it was too close for comfort to it's sister hotel, Pendley Manor.
OK - just kidding!
In fact nothing much seems to have changed in Tring over the years, and what has changed
has usually kept the style and feel of the place. Look at the "New Market House" again for example. Built in 1900 with open
sides at the ground floor to facilitate trading, it is still in use today as a modern shop, but using walls of glass to keep
the open feel.
2015 
In the high street, to the left of the HSBC bank, is a narrow path. Follow it, and it will take you to Tring Park.
The Grand union canal runs to the east of Tring, dividing the town from its station. The canal rises 380 feet to get to Tring from its junction with the Thames in London, 36 miles away, using 56 locks to do so! There is then a nice flat stretch, known as the "Tring Summit" which lasts for 2½ miles before its starts its descent towards Braunston to the north.
Tring Reservoirs were built to supply the canal with water, but have become popular with both wildlife and visitors.
The last of the 3 images below is a pdf document.
Originally open at street level for market trade, mainly in straw and plait, the "New Market House" was later converted into
a Fire Station.
On the corner of Frogmore Street stands the former George Hotel, built in 1897 to the design of another prominent Tring architect Arthur
Macdonald Brown. It's now just another coffee shop, but the George was still in existance, as a pub at least, when I first came to Tring, and has also seen service as a
mail order outlet.
Further along Frogmore Street used to stand the house where John Washington, Great Grandfather of George Washington - first President of the United States - lived from
1631 to 1677.
For two weeks in June 2015, Tring celebrated 700s years heritage as a market town..
In 1315, King Edward II granted Tring a charter, giving it the right to hold a weekly market, and a 10-day fair to be held every
year starting 29th June.
Interestingly, it seems towns within a day's travel of Tring were prohibited from holding markets that might compete. I wonder if that was ever repealled!
Wiki has a lot of good stuff on Tring - worth looking at.
"The official site". What more can I say?
This outpost of the Natural History Museum honours Tring just by being here.
All about Tring's history. Visit the site; visit the museum.
Hic!
We don't see much of them . . .
Lots of news. Some of it concerns Tring.
A proper, traditional, hardware shop.
The other proper, traditional, hardware shop. Also older.
Follow the Tring Town Trail, published by Tring Town Council.
"Roads, And Those In Tring" Some interesting photographs and material here.
