Chaulden
Encyclopedia
Chaulden is a residential district in Hemel Hempstead
, Hertfordshire
, England
located west of the town centre and bordering on open countryside. It was an early development in the construction of Hemel Hempstead new town , commenced in 1953 and has its own neighbourhood shopping centre.
The name Chaulden can be traced back to 1523 as a local field name and means a chalky valley. A country house and estate called Chaulden House occupied the area during the nineteenth century.
The ancient Chaulden Lane is thought to preserve the route of Akeman Street
, the Roman Road
along the Bulbourne valley
A large part of the site was previously occupied by Pixies Hill a children's camp run by the National Camps Corporation
. The old camp buildings were converted into the districts first school before permanent schools could be constructed.
Building work on the new town district commenced in 1953 with the first houses occupied in December of that year.
The Chaulden Neighbourhood centre , a parade of shops set in a crescent around a car park , was completed in 1958. The nearby pub the Tudor Rose also built by the New Town corporation, celebrates Hemel Hempsteads link to the Tudor King Henry VIII
who gave the town its charter.
Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire in the East of England, to the north west of London and part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2001 Census was 81,143 ....
, 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...
located west of the town centre and bordering on open countryside. It was an early development in the construction of Hemel Hempstead new town , commenced in 1953 and has its own neighbourhood shopping centre.
The name Chaulden can be traced back to 1523 as a local field name and means a chalky valley. A country house and estate called Chaulden House occupied the area during the nineteenth century.
The ancient Chaulden Lane is thought to preserve the route of Akeman Street
Akeman Street
Akeman Street was a major Roman road in England that linked Watling Street with the Fosse Way. Its junction with Watling Steet was just north of Verulamium and that with the Fosse Way was at Corinium Dobunnorum...
, the Roman Road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
along the Bulbourne valley
River Bulbourne
The River Bulbourne is a river in Hertfordshire, England. It runs from Dudswell in Northchurch, through Berkhamsted , Bourne End and Boxmoor to where it joins the River Gade at Two Waters in Apsley near Hemel Hempstead. The total length of the river is 11 Km....
A large part of the site was previously occupied by Pixies Hill a children's camp run by the National Camps Corporation
National Camps Corporation
The National Camps Corporation was a British government-funded non-profit organisation established under the 1939 Camps Act. The role of the Corporation was to construct and administer camps in the countryside that could be used for educational experiences....
. The old camp buildings were converted into the districts first school before permanent schools could be constructed.
Building work on the new town district commenced in 1953 with the first houses occupied in December of that year.
The Chaulden Neighbourhood centre , a parade of shops set in a crescent around a car park , was completed in 1958. The nearby pub the Tudor Rose also built by the New Town corporation, celebrates Hemel Hempsteads link to the Tudor King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
who gave the town its charter.