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Watford

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Watford
Town and Borough
Borough of Watford
Official logo of Watford
Coat of ARms of the Borough Council
CountryUnited Kingdom
Constituent areaEngland
RegionEast of England
CountyHertfordshire
BoroughWatford
Government
leadership=Mayor & Cabinet
 • TypeBorough
 • MayorDorothy Thornhill (Liberal Democrat
 • mpClaire Ward
Area
 • Borough55.5 km2 (21.43 sq mi)
Population
 • Borough80,000
 • Density3,714/km2 (9,620/sq mi)
 • ethnicity[1]
83.7% White
8.9% South Asian
3.4% Black
2.4% Mixed Race
1.6% Chinese or other
Time zoneGMT
 • Summer (DST)Summer Time (British)
ONS code26UK
WebsiteWatford

Watford (pronunciationⓘ) is a town and district in Hertfordshire, England, situated 21 miles (34 km) north-west of London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough lies just to the north of Greater London.

The parish of Watford Rural covers an area to the south of the borough of Watford (which is largely urbanised), in the Three Rivers District. The nearby areas of Bushey, Rickmansworth, Kings Langley, Abbots Langley and Oxhey, located in Three Rivers and Hertsmere districts, form part of the Watford postcode area.

The most recent official estimates put the population of Watford at 79,300 at mid-2005.[2] The borough had over 80,000 inhabitants at the time of the 2001 Census.[3] The Watford urban area, which includes much of neighbouring Three Rivers, has a total population of 120,960,[2] making it the 47th largest urban area in England.

Watford was created as an urban district under the Local Government Act 1894, and became a municipal borough by grant of a charter in 1922.

Two travel writers from guidebook publisher Lonely Planet - Watford natives Nick Ray and Mat Oakley - each single out their hometown for ridicule in the potted biographies that appear in their guidebooks. Ray describes Watford as "the sort of town that makes you want to travel". [4]

History

Origins

Watford owes its location to James Gourley as the point at which the River Colne was forded by travellers between London and the Midlands. This ford was close to the later site of the old gas works, now the car park of the Tesco Extra store. Its original name, "Watter's ford", was derived from the name of the landowner and was subsequently contracted to Wat's ford, and ultimately its present name. This route aligns with the rivers Gade and Bulbourne to the north and crosses the Chiltern Hills at a low and easily traversed section near Tring. To the south travellers would depart from the ancient Roman Watling Street at Stanmore and head for the Gade valley to take them to this gap in the hills.

The town probably originated in Saxon times as a string of houses on the northern side of this ford. It was located on the first dry ground above the marshy edges of the River Colne. This street is the historical predecessor of the modern High Street.[citation needed]

Early history

Watford is first mentioned in an Anglo-Saxon charter of 1007. It does not get a mention by name in the Domesday Book, but was included in the entry for the then more important settlement of Cashio which stood half a mile away at the crossroads of the St Albans road and Hempstead road near the modern Town Hall.

The settlement's location helped it to grow, since as well as trade along this north-south through route it possessed good communications into the vale of St Albans to the east and into the Chiltern Hills along the valley of the River Chess to the west. In 1100 Henry I granted a charter to Watford to hold a weekly market.

The parish church of St Mary the Virgin was built in 1230 on the same site as an earlier Saxon church. It was extensively restored in 1871.

The great houses of Cassiobury and The Grove were built in the seventeenth centuries and expanded and developed throughout the following centuries. Cassiobury became the family seat of the Earls of Essex.

The Sparrows Herne turnpike was established in 1762 to improve the route across the Chilterns, with the road maintained from charges levied at toll houses along the way. The location of a toll house can be seen at the bottom of Chalk Hill on the Watford side of Bushey Arches close to the Wickes builders' merchants; set in an old flint stone wall is a Sparrows Herne Trust plaque.

Industrial Revolution

Watford remained an agricultural community with some cottage industry for many centuries. The Industrial Revolution brought the Grand Junction Canal (now Grand Union Canal) in 1798 and the London and Birmingham Railway in 1837, both located here for the same reasons the road had followed centuries before, seeking an easy gradient over the Chiltern Hills. The land-owning interests permitted the canal to follow closely by the river Gade, but the prospect of smoke-emitting steam trains drove them to ensure the railway gave a wide berth to the Cassiobury and Grove estates. Consequently, although the road and canal follow the easier valley route, the railway company was forced to build an expensive tunnel under Leavesden to the east of the town. The main Watford railway station was and remains outside of the town centre to the east at Watford Junction.

These developments gave the town excellent communications and stimulated its industrial growth during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Economy

Watford is a major regional centre for the northern home counties. It is the most westerly of these commercial centres and the only one in Hertfordshire. Hertfordshire County Council designates Watford and Stevenage to be its major sub-regional centres, heading its list of preferred sites for retail development [5]. The primary shopping area is the Harlequin Shopping Centre, a large purpose-built indoor mall with over 140 shops, restaurants and cafes built during the 1990s.

The High Street, running through the town centre, is the main focus of activity at night having a high concentration of the town's bars, clubs and restaurants.

The head offices of a number of national companies such as Camelot Group, operator of the National Lottery; Iveco, manufacturers of commercial vehicles; and Haden Young, the building services division of Balfour Beatty are located in the town. The borough is also the UK base of many multi-nationals including Total Oil, Sanyo, TK Maxx, Costco, and Beko.

The town was home to the Scammell Lorries Factory from 1922 until its closure in 1988. The site is now a residential area.

Education

Secondary schools

Transport

Road

Watford is close to strategic roads - the M25 motorway that rings London and the M1 motorway that connects London to the Midlands and northern England.

Rail

The town is served by one of the principal north-south rail routes - the West Coast Main Line - which connects London (terminus at Euston) to the Midlands, north-west England and Scotland. Some long-distance trains on this route serve Watford Junction, where there are also frequent suburban and regional trains. There is a shuttle train service to St Albans, via some local stations in North Watford, and there is a suburban loop to Watford High Street station between Watford Junction and Bushey station. There is a direct rail connection to Gatwick Airport and the south coast via Clapham Junction.

London Underground serves Watford Metropolitan Line station at the outer north-western boundary of the system. The Metropolitan Line branch is due to be diverted to Watford Junction via the disused Croxley Green branch.[6]

Water

Watford is on the main Grand Union Canal route northwards from London. There is little commercial use, since the advent of the railway, but the canal is used for recreational purposes.

The River Gade and the River Colne also run through Watford.

Air

Regular and frequent bus and coach services connect Watford Junction station to Heathrow Airport and Luton Airport, direct train services run from Watford Junction Station to Gatwick and Birmingham International Airport.

Watford's closest airfield is Elstree Aerodrome [7], three miles east of the town. Many private charters, as well as occasional holiday charters take off from here, with the on-request customs service contributing to the popularity of this airfield.

The Rolls Royce or De Havilland factory as it was known in World War II at Leavesden was responsible for the manufacture of the Mosquito Fighter Bomber and the Halifax bomber during the second world war and later became Leavesden Aerodrome, to the north of Watford, which is no longer operational. It was converted into Leavesden Film Studios, now famously the home of the Harry Potter films.

Places of interest

Cassiobury Park

Cassiobury Park is on the grounds of Cassiobury House and consists of 190 acres of open space. The house itself was demolished in 1927 and the original imposing gatehouse entrance to the park in the 1970s due to road widening. In July 2007, the park won the a Green Flag Award[8], which recognises the best green spaces in the country. It has a children's play area which includes a paddling pool, play equipment, mini train track for children's rides, bouncy castle, ice cream van and a kiosk where you can buy food and drinks. The Grand Union Canal passes through the park.

Watford Colosseum

The Watford Colosseum[9] was used to record the Lord of the Rings soundtracks and is world renowned for its acoustic qualities, which are often said to be the best available in the UK. It is now in administration after funding difficulties, but is still open to bookings whilst the local council decides its fate.

Watford Palace Theatre

The Watford Palace Theatre is the only producing theatre in Hertfordshire. It presents a selection of comedy, drama, world premieres, family-friendly shows and an annual traditional pantomime. Situated just off the High Street, the Edwardian theatre building is approaching its centenary and has recently been refurbished.

The Pumphouse Theatre and Arts Centre

The Pump House Theatre & Arts Centre[10] is based in an old pumping station situated in Watford's lower high street. The building was converted for use as a theatre, with rehearsal rooms, and meeting place for local arts based groups. Current facilities include a 124 seat theatre, rehearsal rooms, and live music venue. Community groups currently meeting at the Pump House include Dance House (children's ballet), Pump House Clog Morris (women's Morris dancing), Pump House Jazz (jazz club), Open House (live open mic music), Woodside Morris Men (men's Morris dancing) and youth and adult theatre groups.

Notable people

Watford was the birthplace of:

Sport

Watford is home to professional football team Watford F.C., who reached the FA Cup Final in 1984 (as well as three other semi-finals), also finishing as league runners-up in 1983. They were relegated from the old Division One in 1988. In 1996, Watford were relegated from the current Division One (now Football League Championship).

Watford won the then Nationwide Division Two championship in 1998, then the season after 1998-99 achieved Premiership status by winning the First Division Play-Off Final by beating Bolton Wanderers F.C. at Wembley Stadium by two goals to nil. Unfortunately, the club were relegated the season after.

After five years of uncertainty, Watford won the Football League Championship Play-Off Final against all the odds to achieve promotion to the Premiership once again, this time beating Leeds United A.F.C. by three goals to nil. Again, as before they were recently relegated to the Football League Championship after a single season in the Premiership.

Since 1997 the club has shared its ground, Vicarage Road, with Saracens F.C. rugby club.

Singer-songwriter Sir Elton John is a keen,long-term supporter of Watford F.C. and a former club chairman. [citation needed] He still maintains his links with Watford as one of its most valuable benefactors and creditors. The current Chairman is Graham Simpson and the Chief Executive is Mark Ashton.

"North of Watford"

The phrase "North of Watford" is used light-heartedly to describe areas of the United Kingdom that are north of London. This is possibly because Watford was one of the first places that horses were changed on the route to the north-west from London[citation needed]. Alternatively, the phrase may refer to the Northamptonshire village of Watford, about 50 miles further north, which was traditionally an important waypoint on the old east-west and north-south coaching routes. This was the point where the main north-south road, rail and canal routes came together at a gap in the hills known as Watford Gap. Watford in Hertfordshire is much better known and so frequently mistaken, in the context of this phrase, for the same place.

Suburbs

Including areas outside Watford Borough:

Twin towns and other Watfords

Twin towns

Watford has five twin towns.[3] These are:

Other places called Watford

References

  1. ^ http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=276998&c=watford&d=13&e=13&g=456403&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1206877062521&enc=1&dsFamilyId=1812
  2. ^ Office for National Statistics
  3. ^ Watford Borough Council Town Twinning Website[1] Accessed October 12 2007

Local Authority

External links

Template:Geolinks-cityscale


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