Before World War 1, Hemel (that's what most locals call it!) was a relatively small town surrounded mainly by agricultural land.
It's railway Station was on a creaky Midland Railway branch, known as the Nicky Line, which ran from Harpenden to Boxmoor on the LNWR main line out of Euston.
The last passenger train ran in 1947.
The Midland Hotel remains s testimony to the line which was always "quiet" ...
... but you can spot a bridge parapet behind the lamppost!
Boxmoor Station (map bottom left) ...
... eventually became Boxmoor and Hemel Hempstead, then Hemel Hempstead and Boxmoor and, eventually just plain Hemel Hempstead.
After the Second World War, in 1946, the government designated Hemel as the site of one of its proposed new towns designed to house the population displaced by the London Blitz, since slums and bombsites were being cleared in London. On 4 February 1947, the Government purchased 5,910 acres of land and began work. The first new residents moved in during April 1949, and the town continued its planned expansion through to the end of the 1980s. Hemel grew to its present population of 80,000, with new developments enveloping the original town on all sides. The original part of Hemel is still known as the "Old Town".
Buses were generally in the hands of London Transport's country area.
Note the blind showing "Town Service". SMM 90F is a typical preserved "Merlin" which everybody except London Transport called "Swifts".
Part of the main shopping street, Marlowes, is now pedestrianised ...
... with the northerly chunk becoming one of the main calling points for buses.
The basic but useful bus station has closed and is seen here awaiting developments.
The main bus stops are very close to the old bus station, accessed via a pleasant piazza.
In recent years, town bus services for smaller communities have given bus operators real problems. Various clever schemes have been created to tempt the passengers, but often these have failed to generate enough revenue. Hemel once had a clutch of "H" routes ...
... of which three remain.
These are all tendered by Herfordshire with the H19 running one journey "each way round" on Tuesdays and Thursdays; The H10 runs six days a week whilst the H11 operates on Mondays to Fridays only.
Note Herfordshire's consummate skill in confusing passengers by calling all stops but one "Hemel Hempstead". They key "centre" stops are Marlowes, of course, and Riverside ...
... a super splendid and smashing shopping centre - Deep Joy!
Other town routes have stranger numbers.
ML1 is a peak hour (Monday to Friday) circular from station to Maylands Industrial Estate.
It runs Mondays to Fridays only.
ML1 - Maylands Link?
PB1 and PB2 do a similar job but via different routes.
Aha! Minibus Executive Travel. That name prepares us for tomorrow's blog.
Next Minibus Mayhem blog : Tuesday 28th November
Will this blog include references to "The Really Nice Bus Company " which has to be on of the best names ever!
ReplyDeleteX52 finally put out of its misery today and cancelled according to VOSA.
ReplyDeleteAnd the 5 from Weymouth to Dorchester along with the 14 from Portland to Dorchester/Poundbury among other First routes in Slough and Southampton
DeleteNice historical photo :)
ReplyDelete