Local places to visit in Hertsmere

Hertsmere is one of the southern districts in the county, with much of its area lying inside the M25. Its name comes from the common abbreviation of ‘Hertfordshire’ combined with ‘mere’, an archaic word for boundary.

As with all our ‘local places to visit’ these are free and open all year round.

Shenley Park

This is a 18 hectare public open space run by the independent Shenley Park charitable trust and managed for the benefit of the local community.

Nature is a priority, with wildflower meadows and woodland habitats. There is also the Stanley Lord Orchard where bees are kept to help with the pollination of the apple trees.

There are many footpaths within and around the park, some of which are wheelchair accessible.  Find out more about Shenley Park.

Woodcock Hill Village Green

Woodcock Hill is a 10 hectare open public space in Borehamwood. It was designated as a Village Green in 2008 to help protect it from development. Now managed as a nature reserve and community asset, there is a very active volunteer group that monitors the wide variety of wildlife species found here.

Unfortunately there are ongoing threats from developers wanting to have the Village Green deregistered and the land used for housing. We at CPRE Hertfordshire continue to add our voice to those of local campaigners advocating for its continued protection for the benefit of the community.  Read more about Woodcock Hill Village Green.