Article - November 2010

There’s no ‘Watford Gap’ for serviced office space as far as
Forsyth is concerned

Ask most people what comes into their mind when they think of Watford and, if they are of a certain generation like me (and from the North), then most of the time they will think of either Elton John sitting in the stands of the local football team, Watford FC, or a well known motorway services.

Ironically, the aforementioned motorway services are nowhere near Watford the Town, but Watford the village in Northamptonshire, although if you stay Southbound on the M1 for long enough, you will end up there.  The services were simply named after a pre-existing geological formation, which was well known to the Romans. They exploited this feature in the landscape to form a link between the South East of England and the Midlands – creating the famous Roman road, Watling Street.

Fortunately there is a lot more to Watford the Town if you, quite literally, dig deeper.  Archaeologists believe, for example, that there have been settlers on the site in one form or another since prehistoric times.  This population in early times was sparse though, as the origins of the name help to explain why.  It is believed to derive from the old English words for ‘Waet’ (full of water) and ‘Ford’, a reference to a shallow crossing point over the River Colne.

This area of marshy wetlands meant that nearby areas such as Berkhamstead, Hemel Hempstead and Aldenham were favoured more by farmers, as the land in these areas was more welcoming.  In the late 1700s Watford was still a small village of about 2000 inhabitants, however, the industrial revolution in the 19th century would change all that.

The Grand Union canal, built in the 1790s, passed through Watford allowing coal to be brought directly into the district.  Later on the London to Birmingham railway was added, the London underground and then eventually the M1 and M25 motorways, making Watford one of the best connected towns in the South West of England and ideal for businesses wishing to trade with London, but not wishing to have offices in the Capital.

Hertfordshire County Council has in fact designated Watford, along with Stevenage, to be its major sub-regional centres, heading its list of preferred sites for retail developments.  The head offices of many national companies are in Watford too, including British Waterways, JD Wetherspoons, The Camelot Group (Operator of the National Lottery), Mothercare and construction firm Taylor Woodrow, amongst many others, testifying to the important location of Watford in its proximity to London.

Forsyth Business Centres have fortunately recognised Watford’s potential as a centre of commerce and have made sure that their Business Centre in Watford is right at the hub of everything going on within the heart of the town centre.  Located on Clarendon Road, the serviced offices are a short walk from Watford railway station and of course close to all the major amenities and transport links.

Offering all you would expect from a Forsyth Business Centre, services such as staffed reception, telephone answering, virtual offices and meeting rooms mixed with secretarial services, the latest IT, Telecoms and the convenience of one all inclusive monthly bill ensures that the offices are ideal for new business start ups in Watford or companies wishing to expand either into the South West of England or out of London.

To learn more about Forsyth’s serviced offices in Watford simply follow the link, or feel free to get in touch with any queries you may have about any of Forsyth’s services on 0800 731 5928.