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Arden Close, HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, HP3 0QS

Located at Bovingdon Green HP3 0LD, this information board has the following wording: Bovingdon Green and Pond History First Column Bovingdon Green is probably medieval in origin and in those days comprised a number of cottages and farms clustered around the Green and surrounding lanes. In 1650, the site was described as Common Land and was a place where villagers were allowed to graze cattle and sheep. A 1695 map of Hertfordshire lists the road from Rickmansworth to Berkhamsted as passing through Bovingdon Green, so there would have been frequent traffic going by. Second Column The centre of the Green is taken up with a cricket pitch which has been in use since the formation of the cricket club in 1884. When American forces were based at Bovingdon Airfield in the early 1940's they used the cricket square as a baseball diamond and even fielded their own cricket team. In the early 1900's, games were held here for children on special occasions such as Empire Day. The Old Berkeley Hunt would also meet on the Green on Boxing Day. Third Column The pond would have provided water for the animals and for domestic use by nearby cottages and farms. It was a well known spot for waggoners to stop and let their horses drink. When the pond froze over in cold weather, the ice was sometimes thick enough for local people to skate on. Over the last few decades, trees and shrubs were allowed to overgrow and to completely enclose the pond. Accumulated leaf litter, debris and silt saw the water level drop considerably. Even though it is now restored the pond used to be much larger and deeper, extending up to the edge of the road. The area surrounding the pond was much more open with little vegetation, as can be seen in the photographs. Fourth Column Bovingdon Green was gifted to Hemel Hempstead Rural District Council in January 1938 by Sir Walter Halsey, Baronet and Lord of the Manor, with two stipulations: that the cricket club should continue to have use of the land for their pitch, and that the Green should be used for recreation by adults and children. Dacorum Borough Council is now responsible for the Green and in 2011 the site was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge status, being one of only two open spaces in Dacorum to receive this honour, which will ensure that Bovingdon Green is protected forever. Some of the text and images have been reproduced with the kind permission of Sarah C.M.Johnson, author of 'BOVINGDON - History of a Hertfordshire Village'. The two benches are made from the wood of a Corsican pine that was felled in the churchyard of St.Lawrence Church in 2007. They were kindly donated by the Friends of St.Lawrence Trust. At the bottom of the information board is a photo with the following wording: i) The pond used to extend up to the roadside opposite the entrance to Grange Farm. ii) The gardens of Bovingdon House were often used for village events such as Bovingdon's annual flower show. The stable block, at the front of this photo, can still be seen today.

Located at Bovingdon Green HP3 0LD, this information board has the following wording: First Column A healthy pond can provide many benefits to local wildlife. Restoration work carried out in February 2012 has aimed to restore the pond, through stripping back of surrounding trees and shrubs and dredging of local built up materials. Increased light levels will encourage the growth of water loving vegetation and help dormant seeds of plants that previously thrived burst into life. Many attractive and colourful plants flourish in the damp, wet conditions. As vegetation begins to emerge following the restoration, see if you can spot the pinky white flowers of bogbean in late spring, the bright flowers of yellow flag iris in early summer, or the tall stems of great willowherb in mid to late summer. The restored pond provides a perfect home for amphibians such as common frog and smooth newt, not least because there are lots of insects to feed on! Look out for little green heads poking through the surface of the water. Second Column Images of Lesser Bond Sedge, Bogbean and Yellow Flag Iris. Third Column Old farm buildings and mature trees close to Bovingdon Green are prime roosting spots for bats. At dusk, you may be lucky enough to see a common pipistrelle or a Daubenton's bat flitting around the pond, searching for insects. Ponds make great habitat for a variety of insects. Look out for common pond skater, skimming across the water's surface, boat-shaped backswimmers using their powerful lower legs as oars, and large, colourful dragonflies hovering over the pond in late spring and summer. Images of Daubenton's Bat, Common Pipistrelle and Pond Skater Fourth Column Images of Common Darter, Water Mint, Water Forget-me-not and Common Frog. In the pond are images of Great Pond Snail, Smooth Newt, Backswimmer and Great Diving Beetle. Bottom of the information board are signs for No Swimming and No Fishing.

This photo shows the plaque on Bovingdon Green HP3 0LD, which has the following wording: Queen Elizabeth II Field - Fields in Trust, and the royal coat-of-arms with the wording 'Diamond Jubilee 2012'. Fields in Trust is a UK-wide organisation dedicated and improving outdoor space for everyone to indulge in sport, play and recreation. This Queen Elizabeth II Field is one of several such fields in the United Kingdom, https://wikishire.co.uk/wiki/List_of_Queen_Elizabeth_II_Fields refers.

Situated in Hyde Lane near Chesham Road, this TE, which has the code SMBD, replaced the now demolished former TE in High Street in the early 1970s. It provides telephone and broadband services to 2,325 residential and 134 non-residential premises in Bovingdon plus Flaunden and Whelpley Hill nearby. The blue areas round the windows could do with a lick of paint. The numbering range of this TE is (01442) 83xxxx, the (01442) referring to the Hemel Hempstead group of six TEs, and its postcode is HP3 0EF.

This information notice is located on the B4505 Chesham Road, and is maintained by Bovingdon Parish Council. It has the following wording: WELCOME TO BOVINGDON AIRFIELD SITE Before you lies the site of Bovingdon Airfield, first used by the American 8th Air Force in 1942, ceasing operation as an airfield by the RAF in 1968. The airfield was constructed for use by heavy bombers by John Laing Ltd. the depth of concrete on the main runway being some 1.8m (6 feet). American B.17 bombers, known as 'Flying Fortress' flew out of Bovingdon; the most well known being 'Memphis Belle', you may remember the film. At the end of WW2 Bovingdon became airport for London before Heathrow Airport was built. The airfield also played its part in the 1948-9 Berlin airlift (see the commemorative plaque on the Village Memorial Hall). Left Column Photo: Bovingdon March 1944 Dispersal points for the bombers radiated out from the airfield reaching Whelpley Hill. Due to close proximity to London the airfield was used by US Air Transport Command, flying in not only high ranking commanders such as General Eisenhower but entertainers such as Clark Gable, Bob Hope and Glenn Miller. At the end of WW2 many thousands of Americans returned home via Bovingdon in its role as the base of their European Air Transport Service. Photo: Bob Hope Troupe Middle Column Image: Badge of US 8th Air Force - WW2 Photo: B.17 bomb loading at Bovingdon Image: Badge of US Strategic Air Command Map of Bovingdon Airfield and Village Photo: Bovingdon VORbeacon The airspace above the airfield and nearby Chesham is known as the Bovingdon stack and is a holding area for aircraft approaching Heathrow Airport, a VOR navigational beacon is sited on the airfield. Image: Cherries One time a plane crashed loaded with cherries, the strewn fruit was enjoyed by villagers for days afterwards. Right Column Image: Ensign of the Royal Air Force Photo: Control Tower, Bovingdon Airfield The control tower operated traffic lights on Chesham Road, halting vehicles so aircraft could take off and land. Photo: Mitchell Bomber 'Brenda's Boys' The airfield today is a favourite location of film makers, being used for Harry Potter, Star Wars, 633 Squadron and Sherlock. The picture shows one of the Mitchell bombers used in 'Hanover Street' starring Harrison Ford. Part of the site, now managed by the Box Moor Trust, adjacent to Bovingdon Green was home to some of the many Nissen huts. Image: MOD map of operational airfield.

This information board is located at the east end of Bovingdon Green HP3 0LF and is maintained by Bovingdon Parish Council. It has the following wording: WELCOME TO BOVINGDON GREEN At the same time as Bovingdon began to grow around the Church, half a mile up Green Lane the area centred around this 8 acre Green was settled. Bovingdon Green consisted of farms and cottages, one of the earliest of which is Water Lane Cottage built in the 1400s and once part of a medieval hall house. The Green has been common land since the 1600s, this would have allowed the villagers to graze their animals. In the 18th century the Green was on the route between Berkhamsted and Rickmansworth when the pond would be a useful watering stop. Nowadays the cricket pitch is a dominant feature of the Green, the club was started in 1884. Left column Green Farm also dates from the 1400s. In the 1930s some of the farmland was sold to a brickmaker. When the clay was worked out, this land was passed to the Box Moor Trust who now manages this area for wildlife to the benefit of us all. Photo-Golden Jubilee 2002 Green rectangle Golden Jubilee Picnic on the Green Monday 3rd June Bovingdon Green Bring your own Picnic! Starts at 1.00pm 1pm - Scottish Piper Other attractions include: Short cricket matches Tug-o-War Morris Dancing Egg Throwing Contest Jazz Band Hot Dog Stand Roundabout So see you there! The Funfair comes to the Green each September. Bovingdon 'Revels', Jubilee picnics and Dog Shows have been held on the Green. Photo-Royal Oak Pub early 1900s The original Royal Oak stood much nearer the junction of the Green with Water and Middle Lanes. It was replaced in the 1950s. Middle Column Photo-Green Farm Map of Bovingdon Green For those unable to work on the land, or earn money straw plaiting, there was Bovingdon 'Poor House' located by the side of the Green. The house had room for 30 paupers and even a cage for those who misbehaved. A field nearby was called Workhouse Meadow. Right column Image-Cricket on the Green When the Green was given to the then Rural District Council, it was with the proviso that the Cricket Club could continue to use the Green. At one time the Club's president was Sir Gordon Cunard (Cunard Shipping Line) who lived in nearby Shantock Hall. The Cunard family grave can be seen in Bovingdon Churchyard. Photos: Cunard family grave including gravestone of Gordon Cunard, Baronet, 1857-1933 During WW2 the Americans used the pitch as a baseball square and also tried their hand at cricket. Photo: Americans reading the rules of cricket.