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Hamer Close, HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, HP3 0RB

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.

Bovingdon was once a centre of straw plaiting for hatmakers in Luton. Looking south eastwards down the High Street, The Bell is the near public house on the left, with The Bull the next building but one.

Bovingdon's most recognisable landmark is the five-sided Old Well at the junction of Green Lane with the High Street. An inscription around the arches reads "This house with the well is dedicated to ye beloved memory of Ye Honourable Granville D Ryder, late of Westbrook Hay of this Parish, who was born on November 26th 1799 and died on November 24th 1879, and was raised by his relatives for the use and comfort of his friends. The Village of Bovingdon April 1881". Needless to say the well is now sealed...

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.

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.

Bovingdon's Millennium Village Sign in the High Street features images of the Church of St Lawrence Image and the Old Well Image .

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.

The old part of a much-expanded village focuses on this staggered crossroads with a pond (in the greenery at the bottom left corner), well shelter and the hanging frame for a pub sign, sadly empty.