Carpenders Park
Encyclopedia
Carpenders Park is a suburb of Watford
in the Watford Rural
parish of the Three Rivers
district of Hertfordshire
, England
. It is located in the south western corner of Hertfordshire
and close to the boundary with Greater London
. It is bounded to the West by a railway line
that separates it from South Oxhey
, to the East by the A4008
Watford
to Harrow Road (Oxhey Lane), to the South by the B4542 (Little Oxhey Lane), Green Belt and the boundary with the London Borough of Harrow
and to the North by woodland (Margeholes Wood and Sherwood Wood).
The houses and bungalows of Carpenders Park were originally built in the 1930s. There was subsequent development in the 1950s including some council housing built for the Watford Rural District Council. The vast majority of the dwellings, though, are privately owned.
The estate was significantly enlarged in the late 1960s. Many of these later houses have flat roofs and the area gained some notoriety as Plummers Park, the setting for Leslie Thomas
' Tropic of Ruislip
, which had wife swapping as one of its themes.
The ventriloquist Roger DeCourcey
also lived on the estate in the 1970s.
Other facilities may be found in South Oxhey
.
. It was opened in 1954.
The Hartsbourne stream meanders through fourteen acres of mature woodland - the key feature of the cemetery - and there is a small lake.
Brent has provided an area in the cemetery for the Muslim community since 1980.
The cemetery is a lawn type cemetery which means there are no upright memorials allowed, only approved bronze resin plaques set into the ground.
Watford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
in the Watford Rural
Watford Rural
Watford Rural is a civil parish in the Three Rivers district of, Hertfordshire, England. The parish covers the areas known as South Oxhey and Carpenders Park, which although part of the Watford urban area, do not form part of the borough of Watford...
parish of the Three Rivers
Three Rivers (district)
Three Rivers is a local government district in Hertfordshire in the East of England. Its council is based in Rickmansworth.It was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of Rickmansworth Urban District and Chorleywood Urban District with part of Watford Rural District...
district of Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located in the south western corner of Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
and close to the boundary with Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
. It is bounded to the West by a railway line
Watford DC Line
The Watford DC Line is a commuter railway line from London Euston to Watford Junction. Services on the line are operated by London Overground....
that separates it from South Oxhey
South Oxhey
South Oxhey is a suburb of Watford in the Watford Rural parish of the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire, England. It is located in the south western corner of Hertfordshire and close to the boundary with Greater London.-History:...
, to the East by the A4008
A4008 road
The A4008 road starts at Hatch End in the London Borough of Harrow at a roundabout on the A410. It runs North from the roundabout and is known as Oxhey Lane. After it passes over the route of the Grims Dyke and Grimsdyke Golf Course is to the East. Very soon afterwards it passes in to Hertfordshire...
Watford
Watford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
to Harrow Road (Oxhey Lane), to the South by the B4542 (Little Oxhey Lane), Green Belt and the boundary with the London Borough of Harrow
London Borough of Harrow
The London Borough of Harrow is a London borough of north-west London. It borders Hertfordshire to the north and other London boroughs: Hillingdon to the west, Ealing to the south, Brent to the south-east and Barnet to the east.-History:...
and to the North by woodland (Margeholes Wood and Sherwood Wood).
History
Carpenders Park was originally an estate based around a manor house of the same name. This was later a girls school, Highfields, which was demolished in 1960 to make way for USAF married quarters. These were in turn demolished in 1997/98 . The base was also known as Highfields.The houses and bungalows of Carpenders Park were originally built in the 1930s. There was subsequent development in the 1950s including some council housing built for the Watford Rural District Council. The vast majority of the dwellings, though, are privately owned.
The estate was significantly enlarged in the late 1960s. Many of these later houses have flat roofs and the area gained some notoriety as Plummers Park, the setting for Leslie Thomas
Leslie Thomas
Leslie Thomas, OBE is a British author.- Virgin Soldiers :His novels about 1950s British National Service such as "The Virgin Soldiers" spawned two film versions, in 1969 and 1977, whilst his Tropic of Ruislip and Dangerous Davies, The Last Detective have been adapted for television Leslie...
' Tropic of Ruislip
Ruislip
Ruislip is a suburban area, centred on an old village in Greater London, and is part of the London Borough of Hillingdon.It was formerly also a parish covering the neighbouring areas of Eastcote, Northwood, Ruislip Manor and South Ruislip in the area. The parish appears in the Domesday Book, and...
, which had wife swapping as one of its themes.
The ventriloquist Roger DeCourcey
Roger De Courcey
Roger De Courcey is a British ventriloquist best known for performing with Nookie Bear. He was the winner of the 1976 New Faces televised talent competition grand final....
also lived on the estate in the 1970s.
Local facilities
- Carpenders Park railway stationCarpenders Park railway stationCarpenders Park railway station is in between the Hertfordshire suburb of Carpenders Park and the South Oxhey housing estate. It is south of Watford Junction on the Watford DC Line....
- Attenborough Doctors' Surgery, Harrow Way
- Carpenders Park Community Hall, next to the station
- Post office and shops are Delta Gain
Other facilities may be found in South Oxhey
South Oxhey
South Oxhey is a suburb of Watford in the Watford Rural parish of the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire, England. It is located in the south western corner of Hertfordshire and close to the boundary with Greater London.-History:...
.
Carpenders Park Cemetery
Carpenders Park Lawn Cemetery is owned and operated by the London Borough of BrentLondon Borough of Brent
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough had a total population of 2,022. This rose slowly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 5,646 in the middle of the century. When the railways arrived the rate of population growth increased...
. It was opened in 1954.
The Hartsbourne stream meanders through fourteen acres of mature woodland - the key feature of the cemetery - and there is a small lake.
Brent has provided an area in the cemetery for the Muslim community since 1980.
The cemetery is a lawn type cemetery which means there are no upright memorials allowed, only approved bronze resin plaques set into the ground.
Education
- St Meryl Primary School (the name is derived from that of the wife of the builder, not from any religious affiliation)
- Woodhall School (in South OxheySouth OxheySouth Oxhey is a suburb of Watford in the Watford Rural parish of the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire, England. It is located in the south western corner of Hertfordshire and close to the boundary with Greater London.-History:...
but serves the area) - There are no secondary schools; the nearest are located in nearby BusheyBusheyBushey is a town in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire in the East of England. Bushey Heath is situated to the south east of Bushey on the boundary with the London Borough of Harrow.-History:...
.