Serviced Apartments in Borehamwood

Discover the best activities and attractions Borehamwood has to offer, and find out what makes this city a vibrant and exciting place to live or visit.

Elstree Film Studios
Elstree Film Studios is one of the town’s best-known landmarks — a historic production hub where many major films and TV shows have been made. Its ongoing role in film and television production supports local employment (technicians, stagehands, post-production), brings regular inward spending by cast and crew, and boosts the hospitality and services sectors (hotels, catering, transport). The studios are special for their cinematic legacy and continuing links to high-profile productions, which also foster local pride and educational opportunities (work experience, apprenticeships, and occasional public tours or open days).

Elstree & Borehamwood Museum
This local museum celebrates the area’s filmmaking and social history, preserving sets of stories, photos, and memorabilia tied to the studios and the town’s development. As a small cultural institution it strengthens community identity, attracts niche tourism, supports volunteers and local historians, and helps schools with curriculum-linked visits. Its focus on local film heritage makes it a unique resource for residents and visitors interested in the behind-the-scenes history of British cinema and television.

Aldenham Country Park (nearby)
Aldenham Country Park — a short drive from Borehamwood — provides extensive green space, lakes, walking trails, a farm centre and family activities. It has a positive local economic impact by drawing day-trippers and families who spend on parking, cafés, hire facilities (boats, bikes) and nearby shops. For the community it offers recreational and health benefits, outdoor education for children, and hosts seasonal events that bring neighbours together; its natural setting and range of family-friendly attractions make it a popular local destination.

Borehamwood High Street & Retail Parks (shopping and restaurants)
Borehamwood’s shopping hubs — from the High Street to retail parks along Elstree Way — combine independent shops, national retailers, cafés and a diverse small-restaurant scene. These commercial areas are important local employers and generate regular footfall that sustains services and leisure outlets. They’re popular because of convenience, variety (takeaway and sit-down options reflecting the town’s diversity), and periodic community markets or promotions; strong retail activity underpins the local economy and gives residents everyday social and dining options.

Elstree Film Festival and Local Cultural Events
The Elstree Film Festival and periodic community arts events celebrate filmmaking, screen culture and local talent. Such festivals and cultural programming attract industry visitors, filmmakers and audiences who spend on accommodation, dining and shopping, while providing local creatives with exhibition and networking opportunities. These events enrich Borehamwood’s cultural life, raise the town’s profile nationally and internationally, and help nurture a creative economy around its historic studio heritage.

Explore the diverse transport options available in Borehamwood, from efficient public transportation systems to convenient road networks. Whether you're commuting to work or exploring the city, this section will give you an overall look at the available transportation systems.

Public Transit System
- Elstree & Borehamwood station (Thameslink) - Main rail station serving the town (in Travelcard zone 6). Frequent Thameslink services provide direct journeys into central London (e.g., St Pancras and Blackfriars) and northwards towards Luton and Bedford; accepts Oyster/contactless and integrates with national rail ticketing.
- Rail links via nearby stations - Additional rail access from nearby hubs such as Watford Junction and St Albans City expands long‑distance and faster regional options (including West Coast Main Line connections at Watford Junction).
- Local bus network - A network of local and regional bus routes links Borehamwood with neighbouring towns (Watford, Barnet/Edgware, St Albans and local neighbourhoods), serving commuting, shopping and school journeys; services are run by a mix of local operators and timetables vary by route and time of day.
- Station car park and park‑and‑ride options - Commuter parking at/near Elstree & Borehamwood station and nearby public car parks support drive‑to‑rail commuting; short‑stay parking and permit schemes operate in residential/retail areas.
- Community and demand‑responsive transport - Local community transport schemes and dial‑a‑ride services (organised by the borough and local charities) help residents with limited mobility and provide targeted door‑to‑door journeys.

Major Highways
- M25 - London Orbital Motorway; gives fast orbital access around London and links to major radial motorways serving the rest of the UK.
- A1 / A1(M) - Major north‑south route (historic Great North Road) providing a direct route north from Greater London and easy local access to the A1 corridor.
- M1 - Major motorway connecting London with the Midlands and North; readily reachable via short motorway or A‑road links from Borehamwood.
- A411 (Elstree Way / Barnet Road) - Principal A‑road providing a direct local route between Borehamwood and the A1/Barnet area and acting as the town’s main east–west distributor.
- Local A‑roads (connections to A41/A414 and other trunk routes) - Nearby trunk routes and A‑roads give straightforward driving access to Watford, Hemel Hempstead, St Albans and onward motorway connections.

Cycling Infrastructure
- Cycle routes and facilities - A mix of on‑road cycle lanes, shared‑use paths and traffic‑calmed residential streets across Borehamwood, supplemented by traffic‑free routes nearby (e.g., converted rail/greenway sections and paths linking into wider National Cycle Network corridors); cycle parking is provided at the station and key shopping/office locations, though comprehensive segregated cycleways are limited and active‑travel improvements are an ongoing local priority.

Recent and Upcoming Improvements
- Thameslink programme benefits - Network capacity and frequency improvements from the Thameslink upgrades have increased peak capacity and provided more frequent direct services into central London and to Luton/Bedford, improving commuter options from Elstree & Borehamwood.
- Station accessibility and refurbishment works - Recent years have seen station improvement and accessibility works at and around Elstree & Borehamwood (including modernised facilities, passenger information upgrades and enhanced step‑free access/approaches where delivered) — ongoing small‑scale upgrades continue as funding allows.
- Local walking and cycling initiatives - Hertsmere and neighbouring authorities have been progressing active‑travel schemes and plans (LCWIP/active travel bids and targeted pedestrian/cycle route improvements) to encourage cycling and walking for short trips and safer routes to the station and schools.
- Bus fleet and service enhancements - Operators are progressively replacing older vehicles with lower‑emission or electric buses and reviewing service patterns to respond to demand and air‑quality objectives, with periodic timetable changes to improve connectivity.
- Highways and nearby motorway upgrades - National Highways and local highways authorities have implemented and planned capacity, junction and resilience works on nearby strategic routes (notably sections of the M25 and A‑road approaches) intended to reduce congestion and improve journey reliability.
- Development‑linked transport improvements - Ongoing and planned residential and commercial developments in Borehamwood (town centre and around film/studio areas) include transport mitigation measures secured through planning (improved pedestrian links, junction upgrades, funding for public‑transport improvements and parking management) to support increased demand.