More than one centre to explore
Hemel Hempstead brings together a historic High Street, a post-war town centre and neighbourhoods shaped by the Gade and Bulbourne valleys. An afternoon around the Old Town feels different from shopping on Marlowes or walking beside the canal in Apsley. Each provides a useful starting point for getting to know the town.
The directory covers Hemel Hempstead and nearby communities in Dacorum, including Bovingdon, Berkhamsted, Chipperfield and Potten End. These places retain their own identity. A listing in a neighbouring village keeps its actual base visible, alongside any wider area the business serves.
The Old Town and its High Street
The Old Town High Street has independent shops, places to eat and the red-brick Old Town Hall. The hall is a working arts venue, with theatre, film, comedy, music and family performances. Its programme gives the street a reason to visit in the evening as well as during the day.
St Mary’s Church and the surrounding churchyard sit beside this older part of Hemel. Gadebridge Park opens out nearby, so a visit can combine the High Street with a short walk rather than a trip focused on one building.
Marlowes and the Water Gardens
Marlowes is a practical centre for shopping, services and meeting up. Close by, Jellicoe Water Gardens offers a different view of the New Town story. Designed around the River Gade, the gardens opened in 1962 and combine water, bridges, a flower garden and places to sit.
The council’s visitor information explains the garden’s serpent-shaped design and its restoration. It is a useful green stop alongside a town-centre errand, rather than somewhere that requires a separate countryside journey.
Apsley, Boxmoor and neighbourhood services
Apsley’s canal and former paper-making industry give the southern side of town a distinctive character. Around Apsley Lock, the towpath, marina and nearby food and drink stops offer another way to spend time locally. Boxmoor has its own shops and services, with open land managed by the Box Moor Trust nearby.
Adeyfield, Chaulden, Gadebridge, Highfield, Leverstock Green and other neighbourhoods also have everyday services and community venues. Use the area filters to find a useful local business near home, work or the part of town you are visiting.
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More local guides
- Things to do in Hemel Hempstead: parks, the canal and the Old Town
- Community life in Hemel Hempstead: halls, groups and green spaces
- Shopping in Hemel Hempstead: Marlowes, the Old Town and local independents
- Where to list and promote your Hemel Hempstead business
- What’s on in Hemel Hempstead: November and December 2026