located_in_the_administrative_territorial_entity princess helena college
___MASK58___ ( often abbreviated Herts ) is a county in southern England , bordered by Bedfordshire to the north , Cambridgeshire to the north - east , Essex to the east , Buckinghamshire to the west and Greater London to the south . For government statistical purposes , it is placed in the East ___MASK49___ England region . Princess Helena College is an independent school for girls in the small village ___MASK49___ Preston near Hitchin in Hertfordshire , England with a staff ___MASK49___ 150 . It is housed in a Grade II * listed Queen Anne country house , formerly known as Temple Dinsley , which was redesigned by Edwin Lutyens , at the same time as the gardens were designed by his great friend , Gertrude Jekyll . ___MASK12___ is a local government district in Hertfordshire , England . Its council is based in Letchworth . An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance ; it is usually not dependent upon national or local government to finance its operations , nor reliant on taxpayer contributions , and is instead funded by a combination ___MASK49___ tuition charges , donations , and in some cases the investment yield ___MASK49___ an endowment . It is typically governed by a board ___MASK49___ governors that is elected independently ___MASK49___ government , and has a system ___MASK49___ governance that ensures its independent operation . ___MASK5___ ( or ), abbreviated Bucks , is a county in ___MASK6___ which borders Greater London to the south east , Berkshire to the south , ___MASK87___ to the west , Northamptonshire to the north , Bedfordshire to the north east and ___MASK58___ to the east . ___MASK57___ ( or / bdfd /; abbreviated Beds .) is a county in the ___MASK81___ ___MASK49___ England . It is a ceremonial county and a historic county , covered by three unitary authorities : Bedford , ___MASK65___ , and Luton . Local government is a form ___MASK49___ public administration which , in a majority ___MASK49___ contexts , exists as the lowest tier ___MASK49___ administration within a given state . The term is used to contrast with offices at state level , which are referred to as the central government , national government , or ( where appropriate ) federal government and also to supranational government which deals with governing institutions between states . Local governments generally act within powers delegated to them by legislation or directives ___MASK49___ the higher level ___MASK49___ government . In federal states , local government generally comprises the third ( or sometimes fourth ) tier ___MASK49___ government , whereas in unitary states , local government usually occupies the second or third tier ___MASK49___ government , often with greater powers than higher - level administrative divisions . The ___MASK81___ ___MASK49___ England is one ___MASK49___ nine official regions ___MASK49___ England at the first level ___MASK49___ NUTS for statistical purposes . It was created in 1994 and was adopted for statistics from 1999 . It includes the ceremonial counties ___MASK49___ Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire , Essex , Hertfordshire , Norfolk and Suffolk . Essex has the highest population in the region . ___MASK84___ is the county town ___MASK49___ Bedfordshire , England . It had a population ___MASK49___ 107 , 590 in 2011 together with Kempston but the urban area has a population ___MASK49___ about 122 , 943 . ___MASK26___ ( or ; abbreviated Cambs .), archaically known as the County ___MASK49___ Cambridge , is an East Anglian county in England , bordering Lincolnshire to the north , Norfolk to the north - east , Suffolk to the east , Essex and Hertfordshire to the south , and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west . The city ___MASK49___ Cambridge is the county town . Modern ___MASK26___ was formed in 1974 as an amalgamation ___MASK49___ the counties ___MASK49___ ___MASK26___ and Isle ___MASK49___ Ely and Huntingdon and Peterborough , which had been created in 1965 from the historic counties ___MASK49___ ___MASK26___ , Huntingdonshire , the Isle ___MASK49___ Ely and the Soke ___MASK49___ Peterborough . It contains most ___MASK49___ the region known as Silicon Fen . ___MASK76___ is a country that is part ___MASK49___ the United Kingdom . It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west . The Irish Sea lies northwest ___MASK49___ ___MASK76___ and the Celtic Sea lies to the southwest . ___MASK76___ is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south . The country covers five - eighths ___MASK49___ the island ___MASK49___ Great Britain ( which lies in the North Atlantic ) in its centre and south ; and includes over 100 smaller islands such as the Isles ___MASK49___ Scilly , and the Isle ___MASK49___ Wight . ___MASK95___ is the capital and ___MASK98___ populous city ___MASK49___ England and the United Kingdom , as well as the ___MASK98___ populous city proper in the European Union . Standing on the River Thames in the south east ___MASK49___ the island ___MASK49___ Great Britain , ___MASK95___ has been a major settlement for two millennia . It was founded by the Romans , who named it " Londinium ". ___MASK95___ ' s ancient core , the City ___MASK49___ ___MASK95___ , largely retains its medieval boundaries . Since at least the 19th century , " ___MASK95___ " has also referred to the metropolis around this core , historically split between Middlesex , Essex , ___MASK69___ , Kent , and Hertfordshire , which today largely makes up Greater ___MASK95___ , governed by the Mayor ___MASK49___ ___MASK95___ and the ___MASK95___ Assembly . Southern ___MASK76___ , or the ___MASK90___ ___MASK49___ ___MASK76___ , also known as the ___MASK90___ , refers roughly to the southern counties ___MASK49___ ___MASK76___ . The extent ___MASK49___ this area can take a number ___MASK49___ different interpretations depending on the context , including geographical , cultural , political and economic . Hertford is the county town ___MASK49___ Hertfordshire , England , and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district ___MASK49___ the county . Forming a civil parish , the 2011 census put the population ___MASK49___ Hertford at about 26 , 000 . Hitchin is a market town in the ___MASK12___ District in Hertfordshire , England , with an estimated population of 33 , 350 .