Hemel Hempstead's history dates back to when the area used to be a forest. Since then it grew into a small market town, and the major growth to the area happened when the expansion under the New Towns act of 1947 took place, and is now one of the 'New Towns' located outside of London to cope with the increasing population.
Shopping in Hemel Hempstead brings you a selection of choices, there is the Marlowes Shopping Centre, offering over 65 top name stores, such as Marks & Spencer, Virgin Megastore, JJB Sports, Body Shop and a whole range of shops which should be able to cater for most needs. Hemel also has the Market Place and Old Town, which offer further more shops and great bargains.
The Old Town used to be the centre of Hemel Hempstead before the expansion and development of what is now the main shopping area, so although it's much less quiet and relaxed than the Marlowes Centre, it still offers a range of shops and activities, with many cafes and restaurants to relax in, and small shops selling antiques and specialist items.
The Plough roundabout (known locally as the "Magic Roundabout") was built in the 1970's and has become one of the more famous Hemel landmarks. The roundabout itself is made up of 6 mini-roundabouts each with short interconnecting roads between them. Traffic flows in both directions around the roundabout, which occasionally seems to cause confusion, but appears to work surprisingly well.
Large companies such as Dixons and Kodak have their head offices in Hemel Hempstead.
Books and maps about Hemel Hempstead... (listed by popularity)
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