Elstree is a large village in the
Hertsmere borough of
Hertfordshire, England. It is about northwest of central London on the former
A5 road, that follows the course of
Watling Street. In 2011, its population was 5,110.
It forms part of the
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...
of
Elstree and Borehamwood, originally known simply as Elstree.
The village often lends its shorter name to businesses and amenities in the adjacent town of
Borehamwood, and the names of Elstree and Borehamwood are used interchangeably. Elstree is perhaps best known for multiple
Elstree Film Studio complexes, where many films were made, including
BBC Elstree Centre, where the TV soap opera ''
EastEnders'' is shot. This production centre is actually in Borehamwood.
The local newspaper is the ''Borehamwood and Elstree Times''. Together with Borehamwood, the village is twinned with
Offenburg in Germany,
Fontenay-aux-Roses
Fontenay-aux-Roses () is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.
In 1880 a girls school École Normale Supérieure was opened in the town. It was one of the most prestigious of Paris and ...
in France, and
Huainan
Huainan () is a prefecture-level city with 3,033,528 inhabitants as of the 2020 census in north-central Anhui province, China. It is named for the Han-era Principality of Huainan. It borders the provincial capital of Hefei to the south, Lu'an ...
in China.
Transport
Elstree and Borehamwood railway station
Elstree & Borehamwood railway station is on the
Thameslink line between
London St Pancras and
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst t ...
. It was built by the
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It ama ...
in 1868, and is located just north of the Elstree Tunnels.
The area of Borehamwood to the west of the railway line, formally
Deacon's Hill
Deacon's Hill is an area of Elstree, Hertfordshire, England. It is the part of the town which lies to the immediate west of the railway line and is informally known as being part of Elstree by its residents, even though it is geographically separ ...
, is colloquially called ''Elstree'' even though it is not contiguous with the village.
Elstree South Underground station was due to be an extension of the
Northern line
The Northern line is a London Underground line that runs from North London to South London. It is printed in black on the Tube map. The Northern line is unique on the Underground network in having two different routes through central London, t ...
, planned in the 1930s, but never completed.
Road links
The old
A5 road (
Watling Street) goes through Elstree village, where it is designated as the
A5183 road. Through the village, the road is called (from south to north) Elstree Hill South, High Street and Elstree Hill North. The 18th century Grade II listed building, Elstree Hill House, is still on Elstree Hill South, and used to be the home of the old
Elstree School
Elstree School is an English preparatory school for children aged 3–13 at Woolhampton House in Woolhampton, near Newbury in the English county of Berkshire. The school has announced plans to become fully co-educational from September 2020.
H ...
(see Schools). In the early 1900s, it was noted that:
:".. the hill roads are remarkably direct and seldom curve to avoid the steep pitch, and it has been suggested that the roads were originally slides for the timber which used to be sent to London for fuel."
Elstree Aerodrome
Elstree Aerodrome is licensed by the CAA and has a paved runway, suitable most for light aircraft and turbine powered G A aircraft. It also is one of the main helicopter centres for North London and is extending its provision in this area.
In the early 1930s it was a grass landing strip for the local Aldenham House country club. A concrete runway was put down during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, and
Wellington Bombers were modified here. After World War II the airfield was initially used to fly in converted Halifaxes stacked with food supplies to supplement the depleted British stocks; however, after an overloaded plane damaged the runway it was no longer used for this purpose.
On 29 November 1975, retired
F1 race car driver and
Embassy Hill
Embassy Racing With Graham Hill, commonly abbreviated to Embassy Hill, was a short-lived Formula One team started by two-time Formula One World Champion Graham Hill. The team debuted in with a customer Shadow DN1 car, and began racing as a con ...
car owner
Graham Hill and his racing driver
Tony Brise
Anthony William Brise (28 March 1952 – 29 November 1975) was an English racing driver, who took part in ten Formula One Grand Prix events in 1975, before dying in a plane crash with Graham Hill.
Early life
Brise was born in Erith, Kent, t ...
were piloting a twin-engine six-seat
Piper PA-23-250 Aztec (N6645Y) from France to London with four additional team members aboard. All six were killed when it crashed and burned in heavy fog on Arkley Golf Course, short of the runway.
London Transport works
London Transport's
Aldenham Works was sited on the edge of Elstree close to the A41; it was opened in 1956, closed in 1986, and demolished in 1996. It is now a large business park.
Elstree Grange
Originally a 19th-century steam ship owned by the
Houlder Brothers, the town also lends its name to a series of ships called the Elstree Grange (rebuilt 1916, 1944, 1979), at one time sunk during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
.
Buildings
Grade II listed buildings
Elstree is home to a number of
Grade II listed buildings, including some at Grade II* (particularly important buildings), such as:
*Holly Bush public house (15th century)
*
Aldenham House
Aldenham House is a former country house in Elstree, just south-east of Aldenham village and west of Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, which was the seat of the Gibbs family, who were the Barons Aldenham. The site today accommodates the Hilfi ...
and stable block (c.1672)
*''The Leys'', built in 1901 by Scottish architect and designer,
George Henry Walton
George Henry Walton (3 June 1867 Glasgow – 10 December 1933 London), was a noted Scottish architect and designer of remarkable diversity.
Biography
George Walton was born in Glasgow in 1862. He was the youngest of twelve talented children o ...
.
The Manor hotel
The Manor hotel, formerly known as the Edgwarebury Hotel, is located on Barnet Lane. The Tudor-style building dates back to 1540, was converted into a hotel in the 1960s, and has featured in many TV and film productions, such as the 1968
Hammer Horror classic, ''
The Devil Rides Out
''The Devil Rides Out'' is a 1934 novel by Dennis Wheatley telling a disturbing story of black magic and the occult. The four main characters, the Duke de Richleau, Rex van Ryn, Simon Aron and Richard Eaton, appear in a series of novels by Whea ...
''. Notable guests have included
Peter Sellers,
Tom Cruise,
John Cleese and
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...
. It was the country home of armaments manufacturer and First Baronet
Sir (Arthur) Trevor Dawson, (1866–1931).
[Richard Davenport-Hines, 'Dawson, Sir (Arthur) Trevor, first baronet (1866–1931)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 200]
accessed 21 September 2011
/ref>
Other buildings
A house in Elstree designed by architect Edward John May (1853–1941) was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1887. St Nicholas Parish Church was designed by English architect Philip Charles Hardwick
Philip Charles Hardwick ( London 1822–1892) was an English architect.
Life
Philip Charles Hardwick was born in Westminster in London, the son of the architect Philip Hardwick (1792–1870) and grandson of architect Thomas Hardwick (junior) ...
.
Schools
Elstree is home to Aldenham School, and Haberdashers' Boys' School
Haberdashers' Boys' School (also known as Haberdashers', Habs, or Habs Boys), until September 2021 known as Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, is a public school for pupils age 4 to 18 in Elstree, Hertfordshire, England. The school is a me ...
, both independent public schools Independent Public Schools (IPS) refers to an education reform first introduced in Western Australia in 2009 by the state's Department of Education. An independent public school is a state/public school that, while a part of the state education s ...
(ie. fee-paying), Haberdashers' School for Girls
Haberdashers' Girls' School is an independent day school in Elstree, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as "Habs" (or "Habs Girls" to distinguish it from the neighbouring Haberdashers' Boys' School). The school was founded in 1875 by the Wor ...
, and St Nicholas Church of England V.A Primary School.
Just outside of Elstree, in the neighbouring town of Borehamwood, are lots of schools. There is Hertswood Academy, Elstree Screen Arts Academy – the vocational school linked with Elstree Studios.
There is also a Jewish high school called Yavneh College, Borehamwood. Yavneh was set up in 2013 by Dr Dena Coleman, ex-headteacher of Hasmonean High School. Dr Coleman was also a board-member of the Jewish National Fund. Just before her retirement in 2013, Dr Coleman died of Meningitis. Now, Yavneh College is headed up by Mr Spencer Lewis, ex-head teacher of King Solomon High School
King Solomon High School is a Modern Orthodox Judaism comprehensive school located in Barkingside, Greater London, England. It was opened in 1993 by its first headmaster, Mr Alastair Falk.
In March 2007, it was announced that Spencer Lewis would ...
. Recently, the Yavneh Schools governors opened a primary school on the Hillside Avenue campuses.
Earlier schools
Since the 1780s, a private school has been located in Elstree.[Donald P. Leinster-Mackay, ''The rise of the English prep school'', Publisher: Taylor & Francis, 1984, , , 398 pages.]
page 28
Elstree School
Elstree School is an English preparatory school for children aged 3–13 at Woolhampton House in Woolhampton, near Newbury in the English county of Berkshire. The school has announced plans to become fully co-educational from September 2020.
H ...
, a boys' preparatory school, was located in Elstree from 1848 until 1938 before moving to Woolhampton, Berkshire before the outbreak of the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
.
Hillside School was located in Elstree between 1874 and 1886, before eventually becoming Dorset House School
Dorset House School is a co-educational preparatory school near Pulborough in West Sussex, England. There are 146 pupils, made up of 81 boys and 65 girls, whose ages range from 4yrs to 13yrs.
History
The school was founded in 1784 as Totteri ...
in 1905, (not to be confused with Hillside School in nearby Borehamwood.)
Recreation
Sport
Elstree Cricket Club was formed in 1878, but no longer play in the Herts Saracens League. 18-hole Radlett Park Golf Club was founded in 1984, having recently being renamed from Elstree Golf & Country Club. It is closer to Elstree than Radlett.
Hatch End Cricket Club also play in Elstree. They participate in the Herts Saracens League.
Leisure
Section 15 of the London Outer Orbital Path
The London Outer Orbital Path — more usually the "London LOOP" — is a 150-mile (242 km) signed walk along public footpaths, and through parks, woods and fields around the edge of Outer London, England, described as "the M ...
(London Loop) goes through Elstree,[London Loop: Section 15 Hatch End to Elstree" route details, at Transport for London Website. Retrieved 22 September 2011]
/ref> before continuing as Section 16, a 10-mile (16 km) walk from Elstree to Cockfosters.
Synagogues
Elstree was home to Ohr Yisrael Synagogue, an Orthodox synagogue with affiliation to the Federation of Synagogues. However, the synagogue's present location is just within Borehamwood. The village currently sports two synagogues: The Shtiebel, an ultra-orthodox synagogue, and The Liberal Synagogue Elstree, just south of St. Nicholas' Church. According to census data, Elstree's population, including the Deacon's Hill area, was 36.0% Jewish, making it the only settlement with a Jewish plurality in the UK (the Christian population comprised 32.4% of the population). There is also 2 United Synagogue shuls in the area. One is on Croxdale road and the other is at Yavneh College, Borehamwood.
Parks
Aldenham Country Park is both a recreational facility and a breeding centre for rare livestock. Section 15 of the London Loop walk passes by. In 1873 nearby Tykes Water stream was dammed to create Tykes Water lake. Tykes Water Bridge features in the open credits to the Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee film, '' Dracula A.D. 1972'', and used in several episodes of the Diana Rigg and Linda Thorson seasons of ''The Avengers'', including the final Thorson opening titles.
It also features in the film ''Mosquito Squadron
''Mosquito Squadron'' is a 1969 British war film made by Oakmont Productions, directed by Boris Sagal and starring David McCallum. The raid echoes Operation Jericho, a combined RAF– Maquis raid which freed French prisoners from Amiens jail i ...
''.
Elstree Reservoir
The dam was built in 1795 by French prisoners of war. English watercolour landscape painter John Hassell
John Hassell (c. 1767 – 1825) was an English watercolour landscape painter, engraver, illustrator, writer, publisher and drawing-master. He wrote a biography of fellow artist George Morland.
Hassell first appeared as an exhibitor at the ...
writes:
:"At the top of Stanmore Hill we enter on Bushy Heath, and at some distance on the right in the valley catch a view of the celebrated reservoir, the property of the Grand Junction Company, on Aidenham Common, at the foot of the village of Elstree. This noble sheet of water occupies a space of considerable extent on the verge of Aidenham Common, which thirty years ago was a barren waste; here the improvements in agriculture are indeed conspicuous, for at this place a poor, sandy, meagre, wretched soil has now by good husbandry been converted into rich pasturage.
:"The reservoir has all the appearance of a lake; and when the timber that surrounds it shall have arrived at maturity, it will be a most delightful spot. From this immense sheet of water, in event of drought or a deficiency of upland waters, the lower parts of the Grand Junction and the Paddington Canals can have an immediate supply. The feeder from this reservoir enters the main stream near Rickmansworth, above Batchworth Mills, and supplies the millers' below with 300 locks of water, to whose interest the Duke of Northumberland is a perpetual trustee."
In 1886, the Photographic Society of Great Britain featured an exhibition of photos of Elstree Reservoir by Edgar Clifton. During World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, then Major Keith Caldwell
Air Commodore Keith Logan "Grid" Caldwell CBE, MC, DFC & Bar (16 October 1895 – 28 November 1980) was a New Zealand fighter ace of the Royal Flying Corps in World War I who also rose to the rank of Air Commodore in the Royal New Zealand ...
with No. 74 Squadron RAF, used Elstree Reservoir for target practice. In 1918, one of the pilots accidentally killed a local resident when his machine gun misfired.
Climate
History
Etymology
The name "Elstree" derives from the Anglo-Saxon phrase for "Tidwulf's Tree", which is mentioned as ''"Tidulfres treow" '' in an 11–12th-century manuscript of an A.D. 786 charter. It is thought that "the "T" aslost in the wrong division of '''aet Tidwulfes treo''' ("at Tidwulf's Tree")."
A reference to a place in Hertford as "Ilestre" in 1460 may also be a variation.
In 1723, topographer
Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps.
Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...
John Norden noted in his book ''Speculum Britanniae
''Speculum Britanniae'' ("Mirror of Britain"), published in London from 1593, was a projected, but unfinished, chorography of Britain by John Norden (1548—1625).S.G. Mendyk, ''Speculum Britanniae: regional study, antiquarianism, and science in B ...
'', that in the county of Hartfordshire was one "Elstre or Eglestre". In an earlier edition, he writes:
:"ELSTREE n. 20. in OFFAES grant EAGLESTRE
:''Nemus aquilinum'': a place wherit may be thought Eagles bredd in time past, for though it be nowe hilly and heathy – it hath beene replenished with stately trees, fit for such fowle to breede and harbour in. It is parcell of the libertie of ''S. Albans''.
''Nemus aquilinum'' is the Latin for "grove of eagles".
'' Robinson Crusoe'' author, Daniel Defoe wrote in his 1748 travel guide that:
:"Idlestrey or Elstre, is a Village on the Roman Watling-street, on the very Edge of Middlesex; but it is chiefly noted for its Situation, near Brockly-hill, by Stanmore, which affords a lovely View cross Middlesex, over the Thames, into Surry."
In 1811, topographer Daniel Lysons writes:
:"The name of this place has been variously written; — Eaglestree, Elstree, Ilstrye, Idlestrye, etc. Norden says that it is called, in Offa's grant to the Abbey of St. Alban's, Eaglestree, that is, says he, "''Nemus aquilinum'', a 'place where it may be thought that eagles bred in time past'." It has been derived also from Idel-street, i.e. the noble road; and Ill-street, the decayed road. May it not have been, rather, a corruption of Eald-street, the old road, i.e. the ancient Watling-street, upon which it is situated?"
5th century: Battle of Ailestreu (Elstree)
In the 5th century, British warlord Vortigern and his two sons, Vortimer
Vortimer (Old Welsh Guorthemir, cy, Gwerthefyr), also known as Saint Vortimer ( cy, Gwerthefyr Fendigaid, "Vortimer the Blessed"), is a figure in British tradition, a son of the 5th-century Britonnic ruler Vortigern. He is remembered for ...
and Catigern
Catigern ( cy, Cadeyrn Fendigaid) is a figure of Welsh tradition, said to be a son of Vortigern, the tyrannical King of the Britons, and the brother of Vortimer. A figure of this name also appears in the Welsh genealogies, though he is given diff ...
, took part in the Battle of Elstree, then called the Battle of Ailestreu, where the Saxon Horsa
Hengist and Horsa are Germanic brothers said to have led the Angles, Saxons and Jutes in their invasion of Britain in the 5th century. Tradition lists Hengist as the first of the Jutish kings of Kent.
Most modern scholarly consensus now r ...
was killed. It's possible there is confusion with the Battle of Aylesbury
The Battle of Aylesbury was an engagement which took place on 1 November 1642, when Royalist forces, under the command of Prince Rupert, fought Aylesbury's Parliamentarian garrison at Holman's Bridge a few miles to the north of Aylesbury. T ...
. George Moberly writes:
:" Nennius, MHB p. 69, calls the place of battle where Hors
Khors, Хорсъ is a Slavic god of uncertain functions mentioned since the 12th century. Generally interpreted as a sun god, sometimes as a moon god. The meaning of the theonym is also unknown: most often his name has been combined with t ...
fell Episford; Britannicè 'Sathenegabail' = the Saxon battle. The Saxon Chronicle, ad a. 455, calls it Ægæles-threp, and Henry of Huntingdon, M.H.B. p. 708, Ailestreu. This would naturally be Elstree, of which name there is a place in Herts; but Beda
Bede ( ; ang, Bǣda , ; 672/326 May 735), also known as Saint Bede, The Venerable Bede, and Bede the Venerable ( la, Beda Venerabilis), was an English monk at the monastery of St Peter and its companion monastery of St Paul in the Kingdom o ...
's description of its situation has caused it rather to be referred to Aylesford in Kent, near which is a small village called Horsted."
16th–18th centuries
The Manor of Elstree was formerly included in the Manor of Parkbury, and belonged to the Abbey of St. Albans. On the Dissolution of the Monasteries, it was granted by Henry VIII, to Anthony Denny (1501–1549).[Daniel Lysons, ''The Environs of London: Counties of Herts, Essex & Kent. Volume 4 of The Environs of London: Being an Historical Account of the Towns, Villages and Hamlets, Within Twelve Miles of that Capital'', Publisher T. Cadell, 1796]
page 25
In 1607, Anthony Denny's grandson Edward Denny sold part of the estate, with all manorial rights, to Robert Briscoe, who sold it the same year to Sir Baptist Hicks. Part of the estate became the Manor of Boreham, and was sold to Edward Beauchamp. It remained with the Beauchamp-Proctor family until 1748, when it was sold to James West James or Jim West may refer to:
People
* James West (Australian journalist) (born 1982), Australian journalist and author
* James West (antiquary) (1703–1772), English politician and antiquary; president of the Royal Society
* James E. West (poli ...
, M.P. for St. Albans, who, in or about 1751, alienated it to a Mr Gulston of Widdial. Gulston then sold it to a Mr Pigfatt, a gunsmith, who, within a few years, conveyed it to Thomas Jemmet. In 1774 it was purchased from Mr Jemmet by the late George Byng, M.P. for Middlesex, who passed it on to his son, by which time the estate was called the Manor of Boreham.
In 1776, the House of Lords granted:
:"An Act for dividing and closing the Common or Waste Ground, called Boreham Wood Common, in the Parish of Elstree otherwise Idletree, in the County of Hertford."
In 1796 topographer Daniel Lysons writes:
:"The parish of Elstree contains about 3,000 acres of land, which is divided between arable and pasture nearly in an equal proportion. The soil is, for the most part, clay. Boreham Wood, a waste of nearly 700 acres, was inclosed about the year 1778, and is now in culture. This parish pays the sum of £151 11s 0d to the land-tax, which is raised by a rate of about 1s 9d in the pound".
Murders
Martha Ray murder
In 1779, Martha Ray
Martha Ray (1746 – 7 April 1779) was a British singer of the Georgian era. Her father was a corsetmaker and her mother was a servant in a noble household. Good-looking, intelligent, and a talented singer, she came to the attention of many of ...
(c. 1742–1779), singer and mistress of John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich
John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, PC, FRS (13 November 1718 – 30 April 1792) was a British statesman who succeeded his grandfather Edward Montagu, 3rd Earl of Sandwich as the Earl of Sandwich in 1729, at the age of ten. During his lif ...
, was buried in the parish church (illustrated, right) after she had been shot dead by the Rev. James Hackman, Rector of Wiveton in Norfolk.
The Elstree murder of William Weare
In 1823 Elstree became notorious for the Elstree murder of William Weare, killed in Radlett and the body disposed of in a pond in Elstree by John Thurtell
John Thurtell (21 December 1794 – 9 January 1824) was an English sports promoter, amateur boxer, Royal Marine officer and convicted murderer.
Early life
Thurtell was the eldest son of Thomas Thurtell, who later served as Mayor of Norwich in 18 ...
. The incident was recalled by Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...
in his ''Weekly Journal''. An inquest of the deceased was held on 31 October by county coroner Benjamin Rooke at the local Artichoke public house. He was likewise buried (funeral depicted) at the Parish Church.
The Elstree murder of Eliza Ebborn
On 17 August 1882, Eliza Ebborn of Watford was murdered by 24-year-old shoemaker
Shoemaking is the process of making footwear.
Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand, often by groups of shoemakers, or cobblers (also known as ''cordwainers''). In the 18th century, dozens or even hundreds of masters, journeymen an ...
George Stratton, who was subsequently sentenced to death. She was buried at Elstree Parish Church.
Administrative districts
Elstree used to be divided between the counties of Hertfordshire and Middlesex
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbour ...
. The north part (which included the parish of Elstree) lay in the Hundred of Cashio, also known as the Liberty of St Albans, while the south part lay in the Hundred of Gore
Gore may refer to:
Places Australia
* Gore, Queensland
* Gore Creek (New South Wales)
* Gore Island (Queensland)
Canada
* Gore, Nova Scotia, a rural community
* Gore, Quebec, a township municipality
* Gore Bay, Ontario, a township on Manito ...
. The county boundary ran along the road from Watford to Barnet, now called Barnet Lane.
Elstree Rural District
From 1941 to 1974, Elstree Rural District
Elstree Rural District (until 1941 called Barnet Rural District) was a rural district in Hertfordshire, England from 1894 to 1974.
Creation
The district had its origins in the Barnet Rural Sanitary District, which had been created in 1872, co ...
was the local government area, before being abolished and merged with Hertsmere. On 20 March 1957, Armorial Bearings were granted. The arms and crest are described as follows:
:The background of royal ermine, represents the royal visits to and associations with the district, principally the visit of Henry VIII and his court to Tyttenhanger in 1525 to avoid the "sweatinge sicknesse" and the visits of Charles II to Salisbury Hall in Shenley. The oak tree with the Saxon crown represents Saxon Elstree – "Tidwulf's tree" – around which the district has grown. The tree also represents Boreham Wood and the district's woodlands, the gold acorns symbolize growth and prosperity. The waves at the base represent the River Colne, Aldenham Reservoir and link with the waves in the arms of the Hertfordshire CC and the Greater London Council.The gold saltire on blue is from the arms of the Abbey of St. Albans, the manor of Elstree came into the possession of the Abbey in 1188, and Tyttenhanger in Ridge stands on the site of a former possession of the Abbey, and the whole area lies in the Liberty of St. Albans. The scallop shells, the badge of pilgrims, recalls their passage along Watling Street through Elstree to St. Albans.
:The hart is from one of the supporters of the County Council arms, wearing a mural crown, symbol of civic government. The spool of film (unique in civic heraldry) recalls the industry which had made the name of Elstree and Boreham Wood so widely known in modern times.
:The motto is taken from the wall of Shenley Cage, and also links with the County motto "Trust and fear not". "
Clubs, societies and organisations
* Elstree And Boreham Wood History Society, (inc. Elstree and Borehamwood Museum)
Elstree, Borehamwood & Radlett mencap Society
Elstree Golf & Country Club
Elstree Golf & Country Club
website. Retrieved 20 September 2011
References in the media
* Elstree is replicated as a part of one of three maps is based in the game ''Urban Dead
''Urban Dead'' is a free-to-play HTML/text-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game created by British developer Kevan Davis. Set in a quarantined region of the fictional city of Malton, it deals with the aftermath of a zombie outbre ...
''. The " Borehamwood" map was released as part of the promotional campaign for the release of British writer Charlie Brooker's Dead Set.
* " Elstree" is also the title of a song about the film studio by the Buggles on their 1979 album ''The Age of Plastic
''The Age of Plastic'' is the debut album by the English new wave duo the Buggles, released on 10 January 1980 on Island Records. It is a concept album about the possible repercussions of modern technology. The title was conceived from the gr ...
''.
St. Nicholas Church
Elstree featured in an investigation of paranormal investigation.
Notable residents
References
Bibliography
Books
* Richard Riding and Grant Peerless, ''Elstree Aerodrome: The Past in Pictures'', The History Press Ltd (26 November 2003), , , 192 pages.
* Robert Bard, ''Elstree and Borehamwood Past'', Publisher: Phillimore & Company, Limited, 2006, , , 128 pages
* Stephen A. Castle, William Brooks, ''The Book of Elstree & Boreham Wood'', Publisher: Barracuda Press, 1988, , , 136 pages
* G. R. T. Eales, ''A Lecture on the history of Elstree'', Publisher: Scott, Greenwood & Son, 1922
* Anthony Frewin, John Mansbridge, ''Elstree & Boreham Wood through two thousand years'', Publisher: Ann and Lionel Leventhal, 1974, , , 47 pages.
* Paul Welsh, ''Elstree and Borehamwood in Old Picture Postcards'', , , 80 pages.
* J. Roy Avery, ''The Elstree murder'', Publisher: Haberdasher's Aske's School, 1963, 19 pages.
* Thomas Burke, ''Murder at Elstree: or, Mr. Thurtell and his gig'', Publisher: Longmans, Green and co., 1936, 177 pages
* ''Elstree Rural District: official guide'', Forward Publicity Limited, Edition 9, illustrated, Publisher: Home Pub., 1972. , . 72 pages.
* William Hawtayne, ''A sermon preach'd at Elstree in Hertfordshire, on the twentieth of January 1714''. Mr. Hawtayne's thanksgiving-sermon on 20 January 1714. Printed for Tim Goodwin. 20 pages.
* Franklyn de Winton Lushington, ''Sermons to young boys delivered at Elstree school'', Publ. 1898. Republished Kessinger Publishing LLC 2010. , .
* ''The first register book of the parish church of Elstree, 1655–1757'', Translated by Arthur R. T. Eales, publisher: pr.by Coombes, 1914, 76 pages.
* I. C. M. Sanderson, ''A history of Elstree School and three generations of the Sanderson family'', Publisher Elstree School, 1978.
* John Hill, ''Hertfordshire Militia Lists: Elstree & Shenley'', Issue ML 102 of Militia Series, Publ. Hertfordshire Family & Population History Society, 2000, , , 13 pages
* ''An Illustrated Guide to the Elstree Country Club, Elstree, Herts'', publ. Elstree Country Club, 1950, 12 pages. (at the British Library). Retrieved 22 September 2011.
Journals
* "Medieval Pottery From Elstree, Otterspool & Prehsi", Academic Journal Offprint From ''St. Albans Architectural And Archaeological Society Transactions'' (1961)
* Renn, Derek F, "Further finds of medieval pottery from Elstree: with a survey of unglazed thumb-pressed jugs", ''Hertfordshire Archaeology'' 1968, pp. 124–7
* Stephen Castle and Michael Hammerons, "Excavations Elstree, Middlesex, 1974-6". At Archaeology Data Service Website. Retrieved 22 September 2011
External links
*
Parishes: Elstree
, A History of the County of Hertford: volume 2 (1908), pp. 349–51.
*
Elstree
, The Environs of London: volume 4: Counties of Herts, Essex & Kent (1796), pp. 24–8.
* Archaeology Data Service:
Archsearch
Elstree Village
at BBC Domesday Project online. Retrieved 22 September 2011
Elstree Church records
at the London Family History Centre.
*
Elstree with Boreham Wood
1855 Post Office Directory, via Historical Directories
*
Elstree with Boreham Wood
1894 Kelly's Directory of Essex, Herts & Middx
Elstree and Borehamwood Residents Association (EBRA)
{{authority control
Villages in Hertfordshire
Hertsmere