Borehamwood

For the village in Essex, see Boreham.
Borehamwood

All Saints church, Borehamwood
Borehamwood
 Borehamwood shown within Hertfordshire
Population 31,065 (2011 Census)[1]
OS grid referenceTQ195975
Civil parishElstree and Borehamwood
DistrictHertsmere
Shire countyHertfordshire
RegionEast
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town BOREHAMWOOD
Postcode district WD6
Dialling code 020
Police Hertfordshire
Fire Hertfordshire
Ambulance East of England
EU Parliament East of England
UK ParliamentHertsmere
List of places
UK
England
Hertfordshire

Coordinates: 51°39′28″N 0°16′20″W / 51.6578°N 0.2723°W / 51.6578; -0.2723

Borehamwood (/ˌbɔərəmˈwʊd/—originally spelt Boreham Wood), is a town in southern Hertfordshire. It is an outlying suburb of London, situated 12 miles (19 km) from Charing Cross. Borehamwood has a population of 31,065,[1] and is within the civil parish of Elstree and Borehamwood and the London commuter belt.[2] There is one weekly newspaper, the Borehamwood and Elstree Times. The town is perhaps most well known for its film and TV studios, commonly known as Elstree Studios, hence the association with Elstree.

History

One of the earliest mentions of Bosci de Boreham (Wood of Boreham), is in 1188:

"In 1188 Pope Clement granted to the kitchen of the monastery the whole land of Elstree. He also gave to the Abbey the wood of Boreham for the feeding of the swine."[3]

In 1776, the House of Lords granted:

"An Act for dividing and closing the Common or Waste Ground, called Boreham Wood Common, in the Parish of Elstree otherwise Idletree, in the Country of Hertford."[4]

Up until 1909, the town was part of the ancient parish of Elstree; the two still share a local council, Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council.

From the 1920s onwards, the town became known as one of the main centres of the UK film, and later television, industries due to the presence of production studios.

Following World War II, the town's population greatly increased, with large areas of council housing set up for displaced Londoners, many of which are now in private ownership. Fast train connections to central London have resulted in the town becoming a primarily residential suburb.

Borehamwood is currently undergoing a substantial housing transformation which has seen hundreds of new homes built over the last five years. There are currently two further developments being built and more are expected.

In addition to the studios, the town is also home to many retail shops, offices and light industry.

Transport

On the west side of Borehamwood is a railway station, Elstree & Borehamwood railway station (TfL Zone 6) served by trains operated by Govia Thameslink Railway on the Thameslink route.

Metroline for London buses runs its number 107 service through the town from New Barnet onto to Edgware and back, whilst London Sovereign for London buses operates the number 292 bus service going into North West London. The Uno (bus company) run a bus service that stops at Borehamwood starting from Hatfield to Stanmore and back, as well as a bus service that goes to Watford. Intalink operate a bus service to other parts of Hertfordshire.

The A1 road passes just to the east of the town, and the M25 motorway passes about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of it.

Geography

Climate

Borehamwood experiences an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb) similar to almost all of the rest of the United Kingdom.

Climate data for Boreham Wood
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 8
(46)		 9
(48)		 12
(54)		 14
(57)		 18
(64)		 21
(70)		 23
(73)		 23
(73)		 20
(68)		 16
(61)		 11
(52)		 8
(46)		 15
(59)
Average low °C (°F) 5
(41)		 5
(41)		 6
(43)		 8
(46)		 10
(50)		 13
(55)		 15
(59)		 16
(61)		 13
(55)		 11
(52)		 8
(46)		 5
(41)		 10
(50)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 50.7
(1.996)		 39.9
(1.571)		 31.7
(1.248)		 46.2
(1.819)		 38.9
(1.531)		 46.4
(1.827)		 33.1
(1.303)		 43.6
(1.717)		 49.7
(1.957)		 70.7
(2.783)		 58.1
(2.287)		 56.9
(2.24)		 565.9
(22.28)
Source: [5]

Film industry

Main article, see: Elstree Studios

Since the 1920s, the town has been home to several film studios and many shots of its streets are included in final cuts of 20th century British films. This earned it the nickname of the "British Hollywood". Whilst most of these studios have now closed, two still remain.

Many well-known films including The Dam Busters (1955), Moby Dick (1956), Summer Holiday (1963), Dr Zhivago (1965)', 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and, The Shining (1980) starring Jack Nicholson, the first three Indiana Jones films and the first three Star Wars films were partially filmed at the former Associated British Studios in Shenley Road. These were partly demolished in the 1980s to make way for a Tesco Extra supermarket on one side and an office block complex on the other.

The area between the supermarket and the office blocks is all that remains of the original studio, which has been much reduced in size and usefulness to production companies as a result. Elstree Studios were more recently used for the popular TV series Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and Big Brother, as well as several major feature films. The Inspector Morse TV series' production offices were based in the studios and, although the series was supposedly set in Oxford, several exterior locations (banks, shops etc.) were filmed in the streets of Borehamwood.

The former British National Studios off Clarendon Road referred to locally as "The Douglas Fairbanks studios" (which were bought by Lew Grade's ATV in 1962) are now the BBC Elstree Studios. The studios have, over the years, been home to Alfred Hitchcock's film Blackmail, Gerry Anderson's TV series UFO, Jim Henson's TV series The Muppet Show was also produced there, and now BBC's popular soap, EastEnders and their medical drama Holby City. An episode of Judge John Deed included scenes of the Tesco Extra, but with Borehamwood crossed out and Lewes written in its place.

Several other studios including The Gate Studio and the Danziger Studios at nearby Elstree have been demolished. The MGM-British Studios complex (demolished in the early 1970s) saw the production of many well-known films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Where Eagles Dare (1968) and Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), as well as many ITV television series including The Prisoner (1967–68).

The newer Millennium Studios is situated on Elstree Way, Borehamwood.

Notable companies

Adecco UK Limited had its Head Office based in Borehamwood until 2009, when it relocated to London, Birmingham and Budapest. Adecco House is now occupied by the Elstree University Technical College.

The UK headquarters of Pizza Hut are based within the town and, until 2003, so were the headquarters of the United Kingdom subsidiary of T-Mobile, with both being based in the office blocks standing on part of what used to be the old Elstree Studios. Regent Inns has its head office on Elstree Way. NatWest, George Wimpey and Barclays also have large offices within the town.

Notable people

Sport and recreation

The first third of the Watling Chase Timberland Trail stretches from Elstree & Borehamwood railway station up to Shenley.[19] South of the town is a large area of grassland and trees called Woodcock Hill Village Green.

Borehamwood is home to Boreham Wood F.C., Arsenal Ladies and Watford F.C. Reserves who play their home games at Meadow Park. There are several parks in the area. Aberford Park is featured with the source of the brook which has been artificially been made to look like a lake. Meadow Park includes a large playing field, tennis courts and basketball courts.

Borehamwood has a large shopping area called Borehamwood Shopping Park, featuring large stores such as Debenhams, Marks & Spencer Simply Food, Next, Outfit - which includes Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Evans and Miss Selfridge, WH Smith, Boots, and more recently JD Sports, which takes place of JJB Sports And Now Poundland as well

The hamlet of Well End has a notable pub, the Mops and Brooms, reputedly the site of a battle between travellers and village folk.[20] Adjacent to the pub is a much older building: Nelson Cottage (c.1600) is now a private residence but was the original Mops and Brooms alehouse. It was renamed the Lord Nelson c.1840–50 and traded under that name until its closure in 1932 and replacement by the current pub, which eventually reverted to the older name.[21]

There are two privately owned publications that serve the area, the Borehamwood Times and Tried and Trusted published quarterly as a community magazine serving Borehamwood, Elstree Radlett Shenley South Mimms and adjacent area. All Profit made by this publication is donated to local charities. The Town Crier is the mouth piece of Borehamwood Town council.

Schools

Borehamwood has a number of primary schools, including Cowley Hill Primary School and Parkside School, which were described by Nikolaus Pevsner as typical of the exemplary post-war work of the Hertfordshire County Architect's Department.[22] Secondary schools include Hertswood Academy, Elstree University Technical College and Yavneh College. Independent schools include Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' and Girls' schools.

The TV series Grange Hill was filmed at Hillside School in Borehamwood from 1985 to 1990.[23]

Nearby

Twin towns

References by media and the arts

References

  1. 1 2 Neighbourhood Statistics 2011 census population Borehamwood, Retrieved 28 May 2013
  2. ↑ Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Parish Headcounts : Hertsmere Retrieved 2 February 2010
  3. ↑ William Page (editor), "Elstree", A History of the County of Hertford: volume 2, 1908 (at British History Online) retrieved 16 Oct 2011. Refers to Matthew Paris', Chronica Majora, vi, 46.
  4. ↑ <Journals of the House of Lords, Volume 34, Publisher HMSO, 1774 (page 614)
  5. ↑ "Averages for Borehamwood".
  6. ↑ 'Adams, Frank Alexander', Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 accessed 15 Oct 2011
  7. ↑ "New Mayor of Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council sworn in". Borehamwood Times. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  8. ↑ "Euro MP told to repay £500k", Borehamwood & Elstree Times, Thursday 13 November 2008. Retrieved 15 Oct 2011
  9. ↑ 'Graham, Prof. Angus Charles', Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 accessed 15 Oct 2011
  10. ↑ Flight International, 15 March 1973 (page 366)
  11. ↑ New Scientist, 12 Aug 1971. (page 376)
  12. ↑ Arthur Ward, The Boys' Book of Airfix: Who Says You Ever Have to Grow Up?, Publisher: Random House, 2009, ISBN 0-09-192898-2, ISBN 978-0-09-192898-8, 192 pages (page 49)
  13. ↑ J. R. Maddicott, 'Holland, Sir Robert (c.1283–1328)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 15 Oct 2011
  14. ↑ 'House, Donald Victor', Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 accessed 15 Oct 2011
  15. ↑ Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2005). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2005/2006. Queen Anne Press. p. 371. ISBN 978-1-85291-662-6.
  16. ↑ Sykes, Sir William (Edmund)', Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 accessed 15 Oct 2011
  17. ↑ About the Royal Watercolour Society Archived 21 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine. website, retrieved 15 Oct 2011
  18. ↑ Simon Fenwick, 'Tayler, (John) Frederick (1802–1889)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 15 Oct 2011
  19. ↑ Watling Chase Timberland Trail leaflet
  20. ↑ Rothwell, D., Dictionary of Pub Names
  21. ↑ "Nelson Cottage". www.english-heritage.org.uk. English Heritage. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  22. ↑ Pevsner, Nikolaus (1972). Buildings of England: Hertfordshire (2nd ed.). Penguin. pp. 37–38.
  23. ↑ Filming locations for Grange Hill
  24. ↑ The Urban Dead Wiki - Borehamwoord
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