Hoddesdon is a town in the borough of Broxbourne in Hertfordshire County, England which sits in the Lea Valley. It is 3 miles west of Harlow, 4 miles south-east of Hertford, 5 miles north of Waltham Cross and 11 miles south-west of Bishop’s Stortford. It is believed that “Hoddesdon” came from a Saxon or Danish name with the Old English suffix “Don” which means a hill or a down. The first written reference to the town is within the hundred of Hertford in the Domesday Book.
Food, Shopping and Accommodation in Hoddesdon
The High Street is perpetually busy because of the numerous shops lining the streets together with pubs, fast food outlets, banks and other establishments. There used to be the Town Centre shopping centre north of the High Street, but it has been demolished and replaced by a Morrison supermarket, although a portion is still occupied by several tenants such as a coffee shop, a fried chicken takeaway among others. Plans to redevelop the Town Centre has already been approved by the town council.
There are many places to eat in this town, all thirty-seven of them. It is an eclectic collection of pubs, restaurants, gastropubs,a pie and mash shop, house of fried chicken, coffee and tea shops. Cuisine on offer range from authentic cockney, traditional English, American, Italian, Mediterranean, Indian, Turkish, Chinese and other Asian cuisine.
To house guests, there are no hotels in this town but it has two B&Bs and a caravan park and a lodge in the heart of the forest.
Things to See and Do in Hoddesdon
The most visited entertainment park in Hoddesdon is the Rye Assic Adventure Park, a Jurassic style park complete with Dinosaur activities and outdoor and indoor play areas. Exploring the Rye House Gatehouse and taking a trip to the past is also a popular thing to do in this place. The Gatehouse was one of the first of the brick houses built in this town. From the Gatehouse, the Rye House Quay on the River Lee Navigation is a lovely spot for picnics.