Gilston

Gilston is a village and civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire, England. It is located a little over one mile north of the town of Harlow in the neighbouring county of Essex. Together with the nearby village of Eastwick, it forms the parish council of Eastwick and Gilston Parish Council. It is within the Hunsdon ward of East Hertfordshire District Council. At the 2001 Census, the population was 180, and 228 at the 2011 Census.

History
The name derives from Gedel or Gydel, an Old English personal name, and tun, meaning farm or settlement. A variation in spelling may be seen as "Gedeleston", in a legal record in 1424.

The Parish Church of St Mary dates from the 13th century, and is Grade I listed. The churchyard includes a listed memorial to the Johnston family, and there is a 17th century tomb of the Gore family of Netherhall and an 18th century tomb of the Turvin family of Terlings Park in the church chancel. The Gore family included a Lord Mayor of London and the Gore and Turvin families both included a High Sheriff of Hertfordshire.

The Plume of Feathers Inn dates from the 18th century.

Gilston Park is a 19th century country house, which is Grade II* listed. It was designed by Philip Charles Hardwick in 1852 and extended by Arthur Blomfield in 1887, with later work by Blomfield's son, A C Blomfield. It was later home to the Salvin Bowlby family, who founded the Gilston and Eastwick Working Men's Club, now the village hall, in 1908.