Maunder Taylor, whose principal estate agency is based in Totteridge, are now looking to provide a range of property services, including residential block management, in neighbouring areas of North London and Hertfordshire. Here we look at the history and development of Watford and Cheshunt.
Watford – its History…
Watford may have come from the Old English ‘waet’ meaning full of water as a result of the area being marshy and next to the River Colne. There is limited evidence of occupation in the area from Celtic and Roman times and it is not mentioned in the Domesday Book either. However, it was part of neighbouring St Alban’s Abbey’s parish.
Watford was initially a market town having been granted a Royal charter to hold one there in the 12th century. However, it only really began to grow in the early 19th century, first with the construction of the Grand Union Canal, then with the London to Birmingham Railway line. This encouraged a lot of industry to the town, including paper milling, printing and breweries.
And the Present Day
Today, a lot of the heavier industry has gone, but a lot of firms now have their head offices in the town due to the closeness to London (about 15 miles northwest) and the M1 and M25 motorways running close by.
There are five rail stations serving the town – Watford Junction, Watford High Street, Watford North, Garston and Watford tube Station (at the end of the Metropolitan line), making it easy to commute to the capital.
Big names with their headquarters in the area include pub chain Wetherspoon’s, Camelot (who run the UK National Lottery) and fashion and homeware outlet TK Maxx. In addition, the local authority Watford Borough Council is one of the few areas in England to have a directly elected mayor. However, it was pop star Sir Elton John who really helped put the town on the map. His support for the town’s football club saw them win promotion to the old First Division in 1982 and they have since had several spells in the Premier League.
As a result of its history, Watford is a mix of Victorian and Edwardian period properties. However, in more recent years, many modern apartments have been built or converted to satisfy the high demand in the area.
If you are interested in residential block management or other property related services in Watford, Maunder Taylor are the people to call.
The History of Cheshunt
In Old English, the name Cheshunt means castle, referring back to the first Roman settlement that was on Ermine Street, the Roman road leading north out of London.
Moving forward the town also had one of the earliest railways in the country, a horse drawn monorail, which opened in 1825. It was initially used to take children to school. Until the 1960s Cheshunt was famous for its pioneering work in growing crops in greenhouses, with much of the produce being taken to London via the nearby River Lee.
…And the Present Day
The town, which now rests in the Broxbourne district of Hertfordshire, has a population of just over 50,000. Ambitious plans are already under way to develop the town centre with shops, leisure facilities, a school and houses as well as public open spaces, known locally as the Lakeside development. Another development, the Riverside, is also in the pipeline, although on a slightly smaller scale.
As for transport links, the A10 runs through the town, and Junction 25 of the M25 is nearby. The town’s railway station is on the West Anglia mainline and is only 14 miles from London Liverpool Street. These links helping to attract famous High Street names as Debenhams and Tesco, who both had their head offices in the town. Car manufacturer Lotus was also based in Cheshunt before moving to Norfolk. A large percentage of Cheshunt’s working population now commutes to London.
Former Cheshunt residents included Queen Elizabeth 1, who spent a large part of her childhood at the historic Hertford Castle Gatehouse. In more recent times, pop stars Cliff Richard and Victoria Beckham lived in the town, as did Olympic gold-medal winning cyclist Laura Trott. Some of the town’s post boxes were painted gold in honour of her success.
Residential Block Management in Watford and Cheshunt from Maunder Taylor
Maunder Taylor now offers residential block management services in Cheshunt, Watford and the surrounding area. If you would like to invest in this type of property in these areas, call our Potters Bar office on 01707 665 666 or click here to find out more.
We are happy to represent you, whether you are part of a resident management company, a Right to Manage company, a freehold company or an investor landlord. Our other services include managing commercial property, rent reviews and lease renewals, as well as property insurance.