The residential village of Woollensbrook makes up an affluent suburban slice of Hoddesdon, a lovely commuter town within Hertfordshire. However, the locale has industry of its own, one of its biggest employees being VolkerFitzpatrick – a key engineering company. Family orientated with good schools and green spaces nearby, it’s also a prime spot for some great Italian food thanks to its rich Italian community and history.

Most of the area’s historical existence has revolved around being a gateway to the city of London, and thus, in the 18th century, the neighbourhood was a famous stagecoach town, giving way to many inns and pubs around the area. Later on, in the 19th century, the area had a brief stint in the brewery and gravel industry. Its most recent history has centred around the arrival of a large Italian community from the 1950s who came to produce agriculture in the area.

Strangely, this neighbourhood hosted the eighth International Congress of Modern Architecture in 1951. Although the Congress only lasted through 1959, it involved many prominent architects of the 1950s and sought to spread the tenants of modernism.

Unfortunately, there are some downsides to the community. Whilst the area’s proximity to the A10 is useful from a transportation perspective, some locals are concerned about the effects it has on noise and air pollution. Additionally, the trains into Central London have a reputation for being less than reliable.

The first key development in this area is High Leigh Garden Village which is currently under construction in the east of the neighbourhood. It will create over 1,500 new homes, a new road, two primary schools, a hotel and commercial space. The second planned development was the proposal to create a billion pound incinerator which many local residents were pleased to hear was cancelled in 2019 after the government stepped into overrule the permission of the local council.