The Dell

This notice has been erected by Watford Borough Council in front of the pond in The Parade, High Street. It has the following wording: Please don't feed the ducks Bread is not their natural diet and makes them ill. It drives them quackers and turns the water green. That wording may have been written tongue-in-cheek, but is still important to note all the same.

This information board is at the east end of the Ebury Way track by Riverside Park and has the same wording and photos as the one at the west end at Batchworth, Link refers.

This black signpost is on the National Cycle Network 6 which runs from London to the Lake District via the East Midlands and Manchester. The left pointer shows 3 miles to Rickmansworth whilst the right pointer shows 1 mile to Watford.

This signpost is by Riverside Park and points towards Westfield Community Technology College (TQ0995) 1¼ miles and Rickmansworth (TQ0694) 3½ miles. It also indicates The Ebury Way foot and cycle path, and national cycle routes 6 (London to Lake District) and 61 (Maidenhead to Hoddesdon). For SatNav purposes, the postcode of this signpost is WD19 4HU.

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: 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 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.

This photo is on the side wall of 119 Vicarage Road WD18 0EY and shows a mural of Graham Taylor (1944-2017) who was manager of Watford Football Club between 1977 and 1987. He was later Manager of the England football team between 1990 and 1993, then in 2009, he was chairman of the Watford Football Club until 2012. The wording on the mural says "Make sure your footsteps are left at the club for others to follow". The Watford football ground can just be seen to the right of the photo.

This photo shows the Cornerstone Church at 119a Vicarage Road WD18 0EY. Originally, it opened in August 1893 as a Wesleyan Mission Church under the jurisdiction of the former Methodist Church in Queen's Road, Watford but became independent in 1898. More recently, the West Watford Christian Fellowship used it for their services, but this has changed to Cornerstone. Services are held here each Sunday at 10.30am and 5.00pm with activities taking place during the week. Banbury Street can just be seen to the left of the photo.

The distinctive Holiday Inn sign stands outside the black building on Clarendon Road, a short walk from Watford Junction station. Until its re-incarnation as a hotel, this was an office block occupied in the early 1990s by various British Rail departments. It was then called Melton House.

Clarendon Road connects Watford town centre with Watford Junction station and is mostly lined with office blocks. In this view the Holiday Inn is on the left; the bridge connecting two parts of the TJX headquarters is a relatively new feature having appeared in 2020.

Watford Town Hall was completed in 1939 and incorporated the Town Hall Assembly Rooms. In 1995 the assembly rooms were renamed the Colosseum and the building can be seen here from across Rickmansworth Road. The grey brick and glass facade is part of an extension completed in 2011.

Cassiobury Park extends close to Watford town centre and this is the view from the entrance on Rickmansworth Road with its colourful direction signs. The park covers 190 acres and was part of the estate of the Earl of Essex.

Looking along Hagden Lane from the junction with Kelmscott Crescent. This is a stretch of the A4145.

A line of terraced houses occupies the north-east side of Queens Avenue between Chester Road and Whippendell Road.

On the Queens Avenue side of the premises belonging to Capital Tyres, a West Watford tyre replacement and fitting company, is this simple but eye-catching display.

Multi-storey car parks are seldom things of beauty but the curves of the access ramp here have a certain style.