Watford Gap

Watford Gap /ˈwɒtfərd ɡæp/ is a low-lying point between two hills, close to the village of Watford, Northamptonshire, England. Engineers from Roman times onwards have found it to be an ideal route for connecting the Midlands with South East England. In a width of 400 metres (1,300 ft) the A5 road, the West Coast Main Line railway, the M1 motorway and a branch of the Grand Union Canal all traverse the gap in parallel.

Focal point

An easy route between the London and Birmingham areas passes near the small village centre of Watford, Northamptonshire. The gap is 3.5 miles (6 km) north-east of Daventry and 2 miles (3 km) west of Long Buckby. In the era of Roman Britain, the Watling Street Roman road utilised the gap. The road here forms the A5, but for national journeys has been superseded by the M1 motorway which also passes through this gap.

Later the road was joined by the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal, which passes through the Watford Locks just to the north of the gap.

Watford

Watford (ⁱ/ˈwɒtfərd/) is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated 17 miles (27 km) northwest of central London and inside the circumference of the M25 motorway; not to be confused with Watford, Northamptonshire which is 55 miles to the north.

The town developed along a road running uphill from a ford of the River Colne. The land belonged to St Albans Abbey until the 16th century. In the 12th century the Abbey was granted a charter allowing it to hold a market here and the building of St Mary's Church began. The town grew modestly, assisted by travellers passing through to Berkhamsted Castle and the royal palace at Kings Langley. A big house was built at Cassiobury in the 16th century. This was partly rebuilt in the 17th century and another substantial house was built nearby at The Grove. Both the Grand Junction Canal from 1798, and the London and Birmingham Railway from 1837, allowed the town to grow faster, with paper-making mills, such as John Dickinson and Co. at Croxley, influencing the development of printing in the town which continues today. Two industrial scale brewers Benskins and Sedgwicks flourished in the town until their closure in the late 20th century. Today, Watford is a major regional centre for the northern home counties. Hertfordshire County Council designates Watford, along with Stevenage, to be its major sub-regional centre. Several head offices of national companies and multi-nationals are based in Watford. Both the 2006 World Golf Championship and the 2013 Bilderberg Conference, took place at The Grove hotel.

Watford (disambiguation)

Watford is a town in Hertfordshire, England It may also refer to:

See also

New Mills

Coordinates: 53°22′01″N 2°00′25″W / 53.367°N 2.007°W / 53.367; -2.007

New Mills is a town in Derbyshire, England, approximately 8 miles (13 km) south-east of Stockport and 15 miles (24 km) from Manchester. It lies at the confluence of the rivers Goyt and Sett, close to the border of Cheshire. The town stands above the Torrs, a 70 feet (21 m) deep gorge, cut through Woodhead Hill Sandstone of the Carboniferous period. It is on the north-western edge of the Peak District, England's first national park. It has a population of approximately 10,000. New Mills can refer to the built-up area that includes Newtown and Low Leighton, or the civil parish that includes the villages and hamlets of Whitle, Thornsett, Hague Bar, Rowarth, Brookbottom, Gowhole, and most of Birch Vale.

New Mills was first noted for coal mining, and then for cotton spinning and then bleaching and calico printing. New Mills was served by the Peak Forest Canal, three railway lines and the A6 trunk road. Redundant mills were bought up in the mid-twentieth century by a children's sweet manufacturer, Swizzels Matlow, famous for Love Hearts and Drumsticks. New Mills was a stronghold of Methodism.