Borehamwood

In Victorian times this part of the Parish consisted of little more than a hamlet, clustered around Theobald Street and surrounded by farms. When Queen Victoria died in 1901 the population was only 1323; now it is around 30,000.

All Saints Church began to be built at the turn of the century, and was consecrated in 1910. The adjoining Village Hall was built in 1920. A Baptist Chapel was opened in Station Road in 1903, but later became a cinema, then Council offices, then a public toilet, and is now a florists.

A small school opened in Theobald Street in 1896, followed by Furzehill School in 1912 and Hillside in 1939. Both have since closed in a re-organisation of local education which has resulted in a new senior school called Hertswood, which opened in September 2000, on the site of the Nicholas Hawksmoor School.

The film industry arrived in 1914 and proved a magnet to attract both retail and other businesses and created many jobs.
The telephone exchange had just 97 subscribers in 1924! The Police were even reluctant to be connected in the early days, in case it encouraged the public to ‘phone in crime reports’! (a feeling some older policemen shared about the 999 system)

The growth of Borehamwood proceeded rapidly in the 1940s and 1950s. It was reported that Elstree Rural District Council built 1500 homes between 1945 and 1956, the London County Council 2,700 homes, and 550 private dwellings were constructed. Roads such as Bullhead, Cranes Way and Whitehouse Avenue recall the names of farms that once existed prior to this development.
Today, Borehamwood has seen a move from manufacturing based industries to retail, distribution and offices