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Wiggenhall Road, WATFORD, WD18 0HS

This photo shows detailed information below the map on the Information Board in Wiggenhall Road. It has the following wording: Oxhey Park Oxhey Park is situated on land originally part of the Wiggen Hall Estate, with a history which goes back hundreds of years. In the 15th Century the manor of Wiggenhall cum Oxhey was owned by St Alban's Abbey (now Cathedral). After the dissolution of the Church during the reign of Henry VIII the land then passed to private ownership. During the 16th and 17th Centuries Sir William Bucknall and his heirs owned the Oxhey/Wiggen Hall Estate (living at Oxhey Place). Wiggen Hall Manor was leased to the Deacon family who lived there until the mid-19th Century. In 1826 Wiggen Hall and the Estate were bought by Jonathon King passing to his nephew Joseph Gutteridge Smith in 1881. Ordnance Survey records from the 1870s show the Wiggen Hall as a large country house overlooking the River Colne, with elaborate gardens, a walled garden, woodland pleasure grounds and landscaped parklands. During World War I a large proportion of the land was requisitioned for food production. By 1929 Wiggen Hall was unoccupied and then eventually demolished in 1955. How Oxhey Park came to be In 1920 Watford Borough Council (with help from a Government Grant) bought 85 acres of the Estate for £14,000 in order that they could build a housing development and provide recreational space for the local community. In January 1924 the Estates Committee at the Council recommended that the newly allocated public park be known as Oxhey Park. In the 1920s, as now, a walk along the river was one of the main attractions of the park. By the 1930s refreshments were being sold from a boathouse to the north of the River Colne and fishing, boating and swimming were all allowed. The first children's playground was built in 1930. The two images show the Colne Viaduct or Bushey Arches.

This information board erected by Watford Borough Council, is by the River Colne in Wiggenhall Road. It shows a map of the park with the following wording above it: Welcome to Oxhey Park Points of Interest (in blue) 1) River Colne 2) The Dell 3) The Terrace 4) Grand Steps 5) Art Piece (Conker Sculpture) 6) Art Piece (Carved Oak Seat) Facilities (in red) 1) Children's Play Area 2) 'Kick About' Area 3) Cycle Route 4) Seating Areas 5) Outdoor Gym 6) Picnic Area Below the map is detailed information on i) Oxhey Park ii) How Oxhey Park came to be iii) Places of interest iv) Oxhey Park Refurbishment v) Art in the Park Below that detailed information panel is a panel with the following road signs from left to right: i) No Dropping Litter ii) No Dog Fouling iii) No Fires or Barbecues iv) No Golf v) Do not pick the flowers or plants There is another identical information board at the east end of Oxhey Park near Bushey Arches, and two similar boards at the entrances to Oxhey Park in Eastbury Road.

This photo shows detailed information below the map on the information board in Wiggenhall Road. It has the following wording: Places of interest The Dell is a densely wooded area with steep banks falling away from the Eastbury Road down to the River Colne. Its distinct woodland character provides an ideal home for a variety of wildlife. Built in 1912, the magnificent LMS Bushey Viaduct or Bushey Curve contributes to the setting of the Park and in particular The Dell. The River Colne Walk is a tree-lined riverside footpath running from the Wiggenhall Road entrance in the west through to the Viaduct. This area provides a natural habitat for a variety of wildlife. The Colne Viaduct or Bushey Arches were built by Robert Stephenson, a nationally renowned bridge builder, and son of the famous railways and colliery engineer George Stephenson. Image of the River Colne Walk Oxhey Park Refurbishment Oxhey park has undergone a major refurbishment programme. Led by Southern Green Landscape Architects working alongside Watford Borough Council and the Friends of Oxhey Park, the project has incorporated new footpaths, improved park furniture, seating and planting areas, enhanced focal points and facilities, as well as the introduction to two pieces of public artwork. Art in the Park Using natural materials and reflecting the character of the Park itself, sculptor David Gross has created two beautiful pieces of art for everyone to enjoy. Located at the top of the Grand Steps and inspired by the surrounding avenue of horse chestnut trees, the first piece is a 2.5m high conker sculpture. Made from green oak, the smooth seed appears to be bursting out of its spiky shell symbolising the re-birth and new beginnings of the Park. The second piece is an original oak seat overlooking the conker sculpture. Carved in a series of arches, the solid base reflects the Bushey Arches and Bushey Viaduct or "Curve" running through the Park, whilst the back rest takes the form of a folded horse chestnut leaf. Images of the conker and oak seat sculptures.

Looking downstream.

Taken from the road bridge (A4178) facing eastwards.

Looking towards the car park

The DC electric loop through Watford High Street crosses.

The railway from Watford to Rickmansworth (Church Street) through Watford High Street station was originally opened in 1862 and subsequently taken over in 1881 by the London & North Western Railway (LNWR). However it was not until some fifty years later, and just before the start of the First World War, that the LNWR built the connecting lines between Bushey and Watford High Street stations and between Bushey and Rickmansworth (Church Street) stations, creating a triangular junction in the process. This bridge carries the last surviving section of these railways and the junction, between Bushey and Watford High Street stations, over Lammas Road. The No Waiting road signs define the parking restrictions in place whenever the Watford Stadium at Vicarage Road is in use for match days.