This neighbourhood area is situated to the north of Watford. Well-served by public transport (including Garston and Watford North stations), it is quintessentially suburban in character, with many of the streets in this neighbourhood being cul-de-sacs; housing ranges from 1930s semis, to terraced homes, and flats. Many of the houses have driveways and gardens, and for those that don’t, there is great access to a number of nearby green open spaces, including Stanborough Park and Lea Farm Recreation Ground.

The area is particularly renowned for its outstanding secondary schools, Parmiter’s School especially, as it is one of the most over-subscribed schools in Hertfordshire! The accessibility of amenities and shops for this neighbourhood is good, and there is not one, but two supermarkets within easy walking distance. Furthermore, there are a plethora of both local and chain restaurants on offer, including Wok Express Chinese and TGI Friday’s respectively, with nearby Watford catering for anything else that residents may need. And when this is all considered alongside the affordability of housing in the area, it is no surprise that it is becoming an increasingly sought-after location for Londoners!

In 1899 a large chocolate factory, Dr. Tibbles’ Vi-Cocoa Company, was opened in this particular neighbourhood. The company was notorious for promoting their chocolate as having a health benefit, as it contained extracts of cocoa and kola, and even reportedly small amounts of cocaine! Unfortunately, in 1903 a fire ravaged the factory, and is now infamous for being the largest fire to ever occur in Watford. The factory was rebuilt and rebranded, producing military supplies for the First World War. It eventually went bankrupt in 1922, and today the site of the former factory is home to Asda supermarket.

One of the main downsides of this area is the predominance of the retail park to the south of the neighbourhood. This has the disadvantage of creating a busy and congested environment at certain peak times. Furthermore, whilst there are some local shops and restaurants, they are few and far between, with the majority being chain owned. Despite this, the close proximity of surrounding villages, which have higher levels of independent pubs and restaurants, provides a compromise for those looking for autonomous treats.

Housing development is slowly picking up on St Albans Road, especially around Watford Junction station. The Watford Cross residential development by Weston Homes is near completion. Located on St Albans Road near Bedford Street, the development not only provides an additional 147 residential units in close proximity to public transport, but it is also reported that the Grade II listed Old Station House will still be renovated and converted into a microbrewery.