Hoddesdon town centre

Hoddesdon town centre is situated at the most northerly point of the Borough and is twinned with the Belgium town of Dinant. It is ideally located for people visiting the Lee Valley Regional Park.

Shopping

Hoddesdon has a good selection of independent retailers and national chain stores. On offer are fashion stores, florists and jewellers and retailers specialising in fishing tackle, hand made furniture, books and weddings. The shops are located the length of the High Street and in the Tower Centre, a shopping centre containing stores such as Argos. Within the vicinity of the High Street there are a number of supermarkets, including Sainsbury's, Aldi and Netto. Hoddesdon Online provides an interactive map of the town centre, showing where individual shops are. Every Wednesday and Friday there is also a street market.

Eating out

The town centre has an excellent selection of restaurants, cafes, pubs and coffee shops. Eat out at Marconato, Bojangles, Café Concordia, Café Nero, Kiss Café and Herts Café or have a drink at the White Swan, Salisbury Arms and the Golden Lion.

Brief history

Hoddesdon's present day image owes much to Henry III who granted a weekly market and annual fare on the Feast of St Martin's in 1253. From this time the town grew to be a centre of commence and home to a prosperous market.

Through the centuries wealthy traders built town houses, many of which still survive. One of them, Lowewood House , is now a local museum. By the 18th century Hoddesdon had developed into an important coaching centre on the route from London to Cambridge with over 30 inns.

It was from one of these that a "broad shouldered, pockmarked man" called Dick Turpin operated during the 1730s holding up travellers and stealing possessions on the Hoddesdon to Ware Road. Today many of the inns remain such as the Golden Lion (1535), White Swan (pictured), Salisbury Arms (both 16th century) and the Bell (1660).

The town has many other historical buildings and a heritage trail guide is available to download. A synopsis of the history of Hoddesdon is available to view at Hoddesdon Online, written by Sue Garside.

Hoddesdon town centre map and event information

To open a downloadable map and event information, click on the thumbnail. Hard copies may be picked up from local shops and businesses, Hoddesdon library, and the Council's one stop shop in Hoddesdon.