Hemel Hempstead is recognised as a ‘new town’ located in Hertfordshire, emerging from the catastrophe of World War II. The area was built in order to provide homes for people occupying London following the Second World War due to overcrowding and saw major developments in the early 1950’s. Not only was a new shopping centre, Marlowes, introduced, the market square was also redeveloped. Brand new education institutions were built and to accompany this were larger roads constructed in order to cater to other new towns that were emerging.
For shopping Visitors can go to Marlowes Shopping Centre located in the heart of the city housing up to 75 retail stores including Evans, Ann Summers, Game, JD Sports, Clarks Shoes, La Senza, Marks & Spencer, New Look, Officers Club, Shoe Zone, Wilkinson, Topshop, T Mobile and many more popular brands. There is also a car park with the capacity to hold 1200 vehicles which can be found directly above the shopping centre. Opening and closing times vary according to the day.
Another great shopping destination in Hemel Hempstead is Riverside Shopping Centre providing all the new trends in fashion. Aside from housing many trendy retailers, they also have a variety of restaurants including Aroma, Pizza Express, Tootsies and Oojam.
If you would like to explore the towns natural beauty visitors can go to Gadebridge Park. Situated in the north end of the town, the park’s beautiful countryside continues towards central Hemel Hempstead. Here you can find an array of activities such as croquet, golf and a huge life size chess board. In addition to this is a beautiful garden named Charter Gardens which can be located near the Bury House.
For a fun day out with family or friends you can visit Silverblades Ice Arena where you can enjoy ice skating across the large ice rink. Silverblades use the ‘Winter Wonderland’ theme and use various features to demonstrate this including a seating area in the centre of the ice rink made up of a volcano set. On weekends even more entertainment is provided as a DJ takes centre stage and supplies music for everyone. Lessons in skating are also available in the weekdays with professional guidance for individuals and groups.
Silverblades is situated in Leisure World, a huge building providing an array of fun activities to take part in. Inside you will come across an indoor water park known as Aquasplash which has a range of slides catering to both children and adults. There is also an area for visitors to purchase food and drink alongside seating facilities so families can easily spend the day here.
Hemel Hempstead is also home to the countries leading indoor snow sports centre. Recently built, The Snow Centre has a 160 metre slope with snow that creates a real sense of the full outdoor experience making it almost equivalent as boarding the Alps. There are different slope sizes to ensure all visitors have an enjoyable time regardless of experience. The Snow Centre also has a Snowsports School providing crucial knowledge for beginners that can eventually be taken to a professional level.