The origins of Bushey Heath can be traced back to the Napoleonic Wars.
The Napoleonic Wars was a period marked by severe food shortages. In an effort to address this problem, the government granted the wasteland east of Bushey to local landowners for agricultural purposes. This area, known as Bushey Common, was initially intended for food production. However, its proximity to a later railway and its elevated position, offering picturesque panoramic views, made it attractive to housing developers.
Growth was rapid during the 19th and particularly the 20th centuries. The pace of expansion eventually slowed due to the establishment of the Metropolitan Green Belt after the Second World War, which imposed restrictions on new developments in and around Bushey.
The implementation of the Metropolitan Green Belt legislation also played a role in the abandonment of the pre-war Edgware to Bushey Heath extension, part of the Northern Heights programme for the Northern Line underground railway. The stringent regulations of the Green Belt greatly limited new development opportunities, and the original plan to stimulate housing growth along the new railway route became unviable without the anticipated residential development.
As construction work had already progressed at the outbreak of the war, the partially completed depot was repurposed for bomber manufacturing. Following the war and the enforcement of the Green Belt, the depot was converted into the Aldenham bus depot (famous for its appearance in Cliff Richard’s film "Summer Holiday") and remained operational until 1985. Bushey Heath station would have been situated at the intersection of Elstree Road and Northwestern Avenue.
The Underground Map project is creating street histories for the areas of London and surrounding counties lying within the M25.
The aim of the project is to find the location every street in London, whether past or present, and tell its story. This project aims to be a service to historians, genealogists and those with an interest in urban design.
The website features a series of maps from the 1750s until the 1950s. You can see how London grows over the decades. |
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The origins of Bushey Heath can be traced back to the Napoleonic Wars.
