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Watford

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Watford
Shown within Hertfordshire
Geography
Status:	{{{status}}}
Region:	East of England
Admin. County:	Hertfordshire
Area: - Total	Ranked 347th 21.43 km²
Admin. HQ:	Watford
ONS code:	26UK
Demographics
Population: - Total (2006 est.) - Density	Ranked 297th 79,600 3714 / km²
Ethnicity:	86.0% White 8.2% South Asian 2.7% Afro-Caribbean
Politics
Leadership:	Mayor & Cabinet
Control:	Liberal Democrat
MPs:	Claire Ward

Watford (pronunciation (help·info)) 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,^[1] 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.

Modern Watford has something of a poor reputation. Two travel writers from guidebook publisher Lonely Planet - Watford natives Nick Ray and Mat Oakley - both single their hometown out 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]

Watford owes its location to its position 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]}

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.

From mediaeval times, the growth of London led to increasing use of the north-south road, particularly for agricultural produce. By the early nineteenth century the area of the Chiltern Hills to the north was the principal corn-growing district for London and heavy carts took this produce to the capital. This made the route notoriously difficult to travel because of its deep rutting by the heavily laden carts that used it^{[citation needed]}.

Watford was half a day’s journey from London and this made it an attractive location for noblemen to locate a country seat and still be in contact with the capital^{[citation needed]}. 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.

Watford remained an agricultural community with some cottage industry for many centuries. The Industrial Revolution brought the Grand Junction 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 town to the east at Watford Junction.

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

Watford is a major regional centre for the East of England region, alongside Basildon, Cambridge, Colchester, Chelmsford, Ipswich, Norwich, Peterborough and Southend. 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.

The High Street, running through the town centre, is the main focus of activity at night. This part of town is sometimes referred to as the Café Quarter^{[citation needed]}, and has 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 site of a former Rolls Royce factory in the north of the town has been transformed into Leavesden Film Studios, with the remaining land used for housing and the Leavesden Park business units. Leavesden Park's tenants include BBC Vecta and BT Group.

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

Watford Fields Primary School
Beechfield School
The Orchard Primary School
Bushey Manor School
Lea Farm JMI School
Ashfield School
Central Primary School
Berrygrove School
Cherry Tree Primary School
Kingsway Junior School
Cassiobury Primary School
Knutsford Primary School
Parkgate JMI School
Highwood Primary School
Tom Freeman School
Laurance Haines Primary School
Alban Wood Primary School
St. Anthonys RC School
Holy Rood Catholic primary school

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.

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]

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.

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], 3 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 WW2 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.

Other Films made at Leavesden studios include Goldeneye, Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace, and Sleepy Hollow.

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.

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.

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 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.

Watford was the birthplace of:

Barbara Amiel, Lady Black of Crossharbour, journalist
Stephen Andrew, Canadian television reporter, anchor and talk show host
Michael Bentine, politician and ex-Goon
Michaela Breeze, female weightlifter
Frank Carter, singer and musician of Gallows
Ian Cashmore, television presenter of Ghosthunters
Ray Cooper, percussionist (performed in both Elton John's and Eric Clapton's bands)
Anthony Berkeley Cox, crime fiction author
Paul Field 1994 Gladiators champion, police officer and two-time Winter Olympian from South Oxhey.
Cyril Fletcher, comedian
Terry Flynn, political author
Nikki Grahame, reality star and television personality (is actually from Northwood)
Geri Halliwell, singer and Spice Girl
Kenny Jackett, former Swansea City FC manager
Vinnie Jones, a British football player turned actor.
Nick Knight, cricketer
Nick Leeson, rogue securities trader responsible for the collapse of Barings Bank in 1995
Josh Lewsey, international rugby player
Tim Lovejoy, Sky Sports Soccer AM presenter
Gerald Moore, pianist
Mo Mowlam, Labour politician
Mark Oaten, Liberal Democrat politician
Richard Pacey, radio presenter
Stuart Parkin, physicist
Thomas Webster Rammell, engineer Crystal Palace,
Paul Robinson, West Bromwich Albion football player
Terry Scott, TV and Carry On actor and comedian
Grant Shapps, Conservative MP for nearby Welwyn Hatfield
Kelly Smith, England and Arsenal footballer
Bradley Walsh, Coronation Street actor and comedian
Melanie Walsh, actress and model

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 5 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. 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.

Watford is also home to the GFSN football club, Romans AFC.

Watford is home to West Herts hockey club, established in 1921 (Men's) and 1987 (Ladies). The club plays in the East, and Five Counties leagues in the Winter season and the Southgate Summer league. There are 6 men's and four ladies sides.

West Herts Cricket Club is located in Watford. Founded in 1891, until 1921 it shared its ground with Watford FC. Its ground is located between the town centre and Cassiobury Park.

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.

Watford has five twin towns^[2]. These are:

Mainz, Germany (since 1956)
Nanterre, France (since 1960)
Novgorod, Russia (since 1984)
Wilmington, Delaware, United States (since 1985)
Pesaro, Italy (since 1988)

Watford, Ontario, Canada
Watford, Northamptonshire, of Watford Gap fame.

Watford Council has announced plans to develop the High Street and the Café Quarter to open up the areas in and around the High Street and to develop a more diverse centre for the town.^{[citation needed]}

Watford Central Baths (main town swimming facility) has been demolished and is being rebuilt and Watford Leisure Centre is being improved. These are not scheduled to open until 2010.^[3]

The Central Leisure Centre will include: 6 lane 25 metre swimming pool, learner pool, viewing gallery, 4 court sports hall, 60 station gym fitness suite, dance studio, climbing wall, cafe, function room, creche, changing facilities - wet and dry.

Watford Woodside Leisure Centre will include: 8 lane 25 metre competition swimming pool, learner pool, viewing gallery/spectator area, 8 court sports hall, 100 station gym fitness suite, dance studio, squash courts, cafe, function room, creche, changing facilities - wet and dry.

Watford FC's ground is to be increased in capacity. Most noticeably, the old east stand is to be completely redeveloped. This is connected to the redevelopment of the Watford Health Campus. The redevelopment of the Vicarage Road stadium is now underway.