At first glance, it would be easy to speed past Maple Cross and its neighbour West Hyde on a commute down the rumbling London Orbital Motorway. But missing the right exit might mean that you would stumble across the quaint post-war area that is also the home to construction company Skanska’s UK headquarters. Almost all the neighbourhood’s buildings are large 1950s homes, though local favourite, the Coy Carp pub, is one of the only buildings that dates back more than 100 years. While the neighbourhood enjoys the vast green space that it’s situated in, it does lack many conveniences that more urbanised areas may possess, such as transport links and high streets. Perched between the M25 and the River Colne and its nearby manmade lakes, Maple Cross and West Hyde is an unassuming but welcoming community.

Maple Cross existed as a tiny village with a small amount of agriculture and livestock raising until the end of the Second World War. During this period, it watched the gravel industry thrive along the River Colne, producing the craters that now make up the lakes nearby. Anyway, this little village was thus chosen to be the location of dormitories for workers in nearby towns and the new sewage plant. Hence, the majority of the housing was built to accommodate this, although most of it is now privately owned.

The local sewage plant hit the headlines when it became a storage facility for toxic waste that was created when extinguishing a fire at the Buncefield Oil Terminal. The guilty toxic waste was Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid – which certainly sounds quite dangerous.

This isn’t one of the most exciting or buzzing places in the Watford area. Its proximity to the A25 may alleviate some issues of accessibility, but also raises issues of congestion, pollution and safety. Additionally, amenities can be far and few between.

There are some developments being planned in the small village of Maple Cross. Firstly, the famous HS2 railway will be running through the area, which may create noise issues with locals. That said, plans for HS2 extension to Birmingham is not expected to open until 2029 at the earliest. For years now, residents of Maple Cross have strongly supported plans to improve the connectedness of the area to other parts of Watford, but a recent announcement by local bus operator, Arriva, has displeased many locals. Some of the lines that connect Maple Cross to the wider area are being shut down, merged with other lines and reduced in frequency. While this better that full isolation, many feel that they’ve been left behind in the route reassessments.