This area is delightfully situated just east of Oxhey Park and north of Hampermill Lake. Both of these spaces provide a plethora of opportunities for outdoor activities, whatever the season! The park offers great walking trails, an outdoor gym, and plenty of grassy slopes. The lake also offers a fantastic walking route, and spots for relaxation - whether that be for fishing or lakeside picnics. Locals also enjoy the Bushey Cricket Club, one of the oldest clubs in Hertfordshire, which recently celebrated its 150th anniversary. The club prides itself on being family oriented, whilst offering a fantastic space for socialising. This sense of warmth and belonging further extends to the area’s many social spaces. The community centre, which holds regular salsa and Argentine tango classes, offers fun nights out. Additionally, the family centre is there to help support new and existing families in this vibrant and family-friendly neighbourhood.

The area of Oxhey grew during the mid 19th century following the 1837 development of the railway between London and Birmingham. Initially this area grew so that those working on the railway had somewhere to live. Later on, population growth was sustained by the desire for close proximity to the City while still being able to live somewhere that felt rural. The Bushey Arches were designed by Robert Stephenson, and received grade II listing status in 1983 due to their architectural and historic value. In 1956, the centre of the Arch area was home to houses, a garage and shops. It also provided a meeting place for the Watford Scooter Club. Locals remember the area’s two-way system and how there were markedly fewer vehicles, in contrast to today, where traffic seems to build up at all times of the day.

During the war, between 1939 and 1945, Bushey station was simply named ‘&’. In an effort to hamper enemy troops in the event of an invasion, officials ordered that all station names be painted over. The station, at that time called ‘Bushey & Oxhey’, had the two names covered, but the ‘&’ remained! The links between Bushey and Oxhey don’t stop there. When Oxhey was first established in 1838, the area was deemed ‘New Bushey’ (how original) in reference to the well-known village just a mile away. This name stuck until 1907, when the area received its shiny new identity! But where did this name come from you may ask? It has origins from 1605, when Watford was comprised of tithings (groups of ten households living together who were collectively responsible for each other’s behaviour). These included names such as Leavesden, Oxhey and Sarratt.

Within this neighbourhood, the highest occurrence of crime comes from reports of anti-social behaviour. The reports of anti-social behaviour each month remain in single digits, and looking at where they occur, they appear to be isolated incidents.

As of October 2018, Watford Borough has approved plans to develop 151 flats at Chalk Hill, the former Massey waste transfer station, near Bushey Arches. As part of the proposal, they aim to provide a mixed-use space with retail units and/or community space, alongside 69 car parking spaces. The scheme aims to regenerate the neglected site, which is a key and prominent location within the particular urban fabric. This has proved more viable than initial proposals that were made for this space in 2009. At that time, the proposals were seen as potential sources of harm to the existing character of the area. The scheme has yet to materialise, however, and no updates on the matter have been provided since 2019.