Oxhey

Oxhey is a suburb of Watford, located in the county of Hertfordshire, England. It falls under the care of the Watford Borough Council. The area is part of the Oxhey ward of the council.

The modern Oxhey area includes two main parts: Oxhey Village and Oxhey Hall. Oxhey Village is centered around Bushey station and lies between Pinner Road and London Road. Oxhey Hall stretches along Hampermill Lane towards Moor Park. These areas together make up the community known as Oxhey.

History

Oxhey grew in the mid-1800s when the London and Birmingham Railway came from London Euston to Boxmoor in 1837. The town was created to give homes to railway workers. The railway reached Birmingham in 1838. It was first called 'New Bushey' after a nearby village but changed its name to Oxhey in 1907.

Later, in 1906, the area known as Bushey Urban was renamed Oxhey. In 1935, Oxhey joined with Watford. In 1931, about 2,636 people lived there. A special house called Oxhey Grange was built in 1876 by an architect named William Young. It is important and protected as a Grade II listed building.

Culture

Oxhey has many community groups that help keep the area special. One group is called the Oxhey Village Environment Group, or OVEG. It was started in 1974 and works on keeping the neighborhood beautiful. They host events like a summer fair and a special beer celebration each year.

Oxhey also has a football team called the Oxhey Jets, and there is a golf course called Oxhey Park Golf Club. The area has a historic church named St Matthew's, which has beautiful windows and designs.

Oxhey Village has several places where people can gather, including six pubs such as The Load of Hay and The Railway Arms. There are also primary schools like Bromet Primary School and Bushey and Oxhey Infant School. Nearby, there are secondary schools such as Grange Academy and Queens' School in Bushey.

Transport

Rail

Bushey station is a train station that connects to London Euston station and Watford Junction station. It has trains from London Northwestern Railway and London Overground.

Bus

The area has buses from London Bus routes 142 and 258, and also Intalink routes 306, 328, 346, 602, R16 and R17.

Oxhey Park

Oxhey Park is a big public space in Oxhey. It was started in 1924 by the Watford Borough Council and covers about 14 hectares. The park has a wooded area and open grassy slopes.

The park is located between Eastbury Road, Deacons Hill, and the West Coast Main Line at Bushey Arches. In 2020, a new Oxhey Activity Park opened there, featuring a skate park and a cafe. The activity park later won an award in 2021 for helping public health and wellbeing. In 2022, Oxhey Park and the Oxhey Activity Park were chosen for a special People's Choice Award.

Notable people

Oxhey has been home to many interesting people. Vinnie Jones was an actor and a former footballer. Dorothy Thornhill, Baroness Thornhill of Watford, served as the former Mayor of Watford. Other notable figures include actor Robert Cawdron and actress Shirley Eaton.

Mary Pownall Bromet was a sculptor and led the Society of Women Artists. Reginald 'Rex' Warneford was a brave pilot who received the Victoria Cross for his actions during the First World War. Actor, comedian, and voice artist Alex Lowe also lived there, as did Wilf Sobey, an international rugby union player and former headmaster of Kingsfield School in Oxhey Village.