{"id":191137,"date":"2021-11-03T16:53:16","date_gmt":"2021-11-03T16:53:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/?p=191137"},"modified":"2022-03-16T11:49:56","modified_gmt":"2022-03-16T11:49:56","slug":"borehamwood-the-five-minute-spare-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/borehamwood-the-five-minute-spare-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Borehamwood The Five Minute Spare Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0The town made famous by Elstree Studios.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Just 12 miles from Charing Cross and situated in the beautiful Hertfordshire countryside, you will find Borehamwood. This little commuter town is a favourite for film buffs, since it plays home to the Elstree Studios \u2013 which is famous because EastEnders<\/em> is filmed there. Originally founded as an Abbey in the Elstree Parish, Borehamwood\u2019s town history can be traced back at least 1188.<\/p>\n

We want to know if it is the type of place worth visiting of a weekend, or if we should pass it by. We have found that most English towns have their share of interesting stories, sights, and places, though. Let\u2019s see what Borehamwood has in store as a weekend destination in the UK.<\/p>\n

The Early Days of Borehamwood<\/h2>\n

The first thing we noted about Borehamwood is its close relation to Elstree. It is classed as part of the same parish, which can cause confusion. The two names Elstree and Borehamwood are often used to mean the same location, just to confuse us further. In truth, Borehamwood parish is slightly to the north and west of Elstree.<\/p>\n

In 1549, a man named Humfrey Roberts left a will behind that referenced his dwellings in Borramwode, which is one of the earliest written accounts which joins the names Boreham and Wood together. Whether the town is called Boreham Wood or Borehamwood has been a topic of heated debate over the years, with the town council recently erecting signs with the latter spelling. A map drawn up in 1736 calls this area of Hertfordshire Barham Wood, while the 1600s will mention Borham Wood\u2026 so no wonder we are all confused about where it is, they couldn\u2019t decide what it was called, either.<\/p>\n

The confusion was fed further by an 1873 ordnance survey map that lists it as Boreham Wood. The local directories for the 1900s called it Borehamwood. You see where we are going with this? In 1953 they called the train station Elstree & Borehamwood, and this has sort of stuck\u2026 Though even the town council has admitted to changing it once or twice. There\u2019s a fascinating article about what\u2019s in the name of this town courtesy of the Borehamwood & Elstree Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In ancient times this area was a wood, that much we can be sure of. It was such a dense woodland, in fact, that it remained such for hundreds of years after the Norman invasion. The earliest written account of a wood where Boreham stands was in 1188 when Pope Clement granted a nearby Abbey the use of the land of Elstree to work. The Boreham wood was reserved for their swine, who would roam there and eat. Nearby Elstree takes its name from a tree that belonged to an Anglo-Saxon named Tidwulf. Also known as Eagle\u2019s Tree, it would have been part of the wood at Boreham. A nobleman named Robert de Holland was murdered at Borehamwood in 1328.<\/p>\n

Borehamwood and Elstree must have had some Roman activity because there are several sites<\/a> listed as finds of Roman material within 2.5km of the town. Elstree sits on an old Roman road, and it is thought there would have been plenty of traffic to form at least a small settlement there. Digs in the 1970s unearthed pottery kilns, indicating a town big enough to require pottery to be made. The connection to the Romans would make sense given the adaptation of the name to \u2018Eagle\u2019s Tree\u2019.<\/p>\n

In the 5th<\/sup> century, there was a battle recorded here. The town\u2019s name was recorded as \u2018ailestreu\u2019 at that time, with the Boreham Wood attached. Of the three Saxon leaders which invaded Britain at that time, one died at this battle. His name was Horsa. The defending parties were the Briton Vortigern and his sons. Vortigern has been named a few times in history as one of the kings of the Britons, although there is dispute about his existence. It seems he may not have been a formal king, but a leader of men in some other way.<\/p>\n

The town was granted charters in 1176 and 1253<\/a>, which would have allowed it to hold a market and for it to have an annual fair. These charters report that there was a chapel of St. Bartholomew here at that time, which would have made the area a good place for pilgrims. The chapel disappeared from history in 1327. The lands were part of the lands of St Albans Abbey for many years.<\/p>\n

Medieval Borehamwood\/Elstree<\/h2>\n

The land belonged to the abbey of St Albans right up until Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries. It was then parcelled up and given to his friend Anthony Denny\u2026 and we do mean his friend. Anthony Denny was \u2018Groom of the Stool\u2019, so take from that what you will.<\/p>\n

Denny held the property for many years, although his descendants would later sell parts of it off. It was then that the split between Elstree and Borehamwood truly occurred, if only because one part belonged to one estate, and the other stayed with the original owner. Two small towns grew up and eventually merged. Throughout the 17th<\/sup> century, the parishes would change hands several times. By the start of the 1800s, the manor of Borehamwood and the estate of Elstree were considered separate. Elstree had about 3,000 acres, while the wood was only 700. Today, the wood greatly outshines Elstree in terms of population.<\/p>\n

The Laura Ashely Manor Hotel was built in Barnet Lane in 1540 and was turned into a hotel in the 1960s. It is a Victorian period construction with mock-Tudor furnishings, because absolutely nothing about Elstree and Borehamwood is straightforward. It\u2019s a beauty of a place often seen on tv shows due to its proximity to the studios.<\/p>\n

In 1779 a singer named Martha Ray, who was mistress to the Earl of Sandwich, was shot dead by a reverend. The scandal. She was buried in the Elstree & Borehamwood Parish church. She was said to have been good looking, charming, intelligent, and the daughter of a servant.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a short break to review some of the fun facts about Borehamwood for all you diehards.<\/p>\n

Fun Trivia About Borehamwood<\/h2>\n

Every town has its indulgent secrets, and we are here to dig them up. Here are some of the best things we could find out about Borehamwood \u2013 but be careful, they\u2019re not always fun.<\/p>\n

Fun facts about Borehamwood:<\/strong><\/p>\n