Hemel Hempstead

Hemel Hempstead is a town in the county of Hertfordshire, within commuting distance of London. It was redeveloped as a New Town after World War II, although it originally developed as a settlement in the 8th century, when King Offa of Essex granted land of Hamaele to the Saxon Bishop of London in AD 705. The land was then given to William the Conqueror's elder half-brother after the conquest, at which point it was recorded as Hamelhamstede. The Norman parish church of St Mary's was built in 1140, and is still standing as one of the finest examples in England. 

The town is located on the shortest route between London and the industrial Midlands, which has made it a busy rest-point over the centuries, and although much of the early architecture was destroyed in the war and subsequent redevelopment, there are areas of the old town that still retain a village-like and bygone character. It is now largely a commuter base and a popular location from which tourists can explore the English South East.