THE goodly township of Hemel Hempstead is to be swollen to satellite proportions': so someone wrote, meaning, of course, a satellite new town to swallow the overspill population of Greater London.

I wonder if, when they started building in 1949, they envisaged a population of more than 90,000 half-a-century on.

Haemele, whose 8th-Century homestead this was, could have had no inkling of the town's "magic roundabout" and the tall Kodak building, but might have approved of Cranstone's pump, erected in 1835 to commemorate the third centenary of the English Bible, the King James version. An inscription reads: "Whosoever shall drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst. John IV. 13.14".

Crossing the Leighton Buzzard Road, I turned alongside the Gade. The planners have done well here, where the path leads to the water gardens. Canada geese and ducks thrive hereabouts, and are often to be seen crossing the road and holding up traffic. Suitably-placed benches in the rose gardens provide a place to sit and reflect, before retracing your steps by the river.

On the Marlowes, grand old houses, now offices and shops, are a reminder of times past. Ahead are the jewels in Hemel's crown, the Old Town, which has been left mercifully alone by the planners (well, almost) and Gadebridge Park, linking the town with open country beyond.

Entering the park, one is faced with a ruined "doorway", part of a walled garden. The Charter Tower is the remains the old Bury (1559) where, legend has it, Henry VIII courted Anne Boleyn. But this is impossible, for Anne was beheaded in 1536. Henry did visit, in 1539, to present the charter out of gratitude to his auditor, John Waterhouse. The old houses which once stood on this site are all gone, but have happily been replaced by a lovely walled flower garden, another place in which to linger.

A little way through the park, I turned into the grounds of St Mary's Church. I had read it was "the finest Norman parish church in the county, and one of the finest in the kingdom", and I couldn't argue with that. The highlights for the passer-by are the 200-foot high octagonal, timber framed 14th-century spire, and the magnificent west doorway. Building work began about 1140, and the base of the present-day tower is 12th Century. Traffic noise from nearby High Street does not encroach on the peace of the churchyard.

From here you can wander at will along the High Street, once the bustling centre of the old township, a place of alleyways and coaching inns (there were once 24 pubs here), and the Corn Market, once the "granary of London". The town hall is mid-19th Century and served until 1966, when they built the civic centre.

Opposite, the Old Bell inn dates back to 1603, but the building is older, as timber framed and wattle and daub walls at the rear testify. There's a regency-style balcony out front, and a Victorian bay window. A picture of Churchill in defiant mode adorns the wall in the bar.

Other inns of old remain, along with modern shops occupying old buildings. The High Street is a gem, although marred, by traffic. Can't they keep the High Street as it was, a quiet yet busy place, just as you see in old photographs?

At Sun Square, passing strangers pause at the unexpected sight of old world houses sited along one of the passageways. These properties, with modern interiors but ancient-looking outer walls, date back only to 1968. They are in keeping with the Old Town, where many of the old buildings have Georgian facades hiding timber-framed Tudor buildings.

Near the end of the High Street is the wonderfully named Cherry Bounce, an unremarkable street that hides a little piece of history. Along here, in 1554, Princess Elizabeth (later Elizabeth I) came, on her way to the Tower of London after being arrested on suspicion of conspiracy against her half sister, Queen Mary (Bloody Mary) in the so-called Wyatt rebellion. Elizabeth was spared.

I repaired, now, to the Old Bell, where, as the inscription on the wall inside pleads: "God have mercy upon the sinner who must write with no dinner". Quite.

Approximate distance: 1.25 miles

Start and Finish: Ye Corner (corner of Chalk Hill/Aldenham Road)

Route

Chalk Hill Oxhey Dell Lower High Street High Street King Street George Street High Street

Routefinder

Pass under Bushey Arches, turn l. into Oxhey Dell, by R. Colne. Retrace steps to Lower High Street, turn l. towards town centre to High St station, cross ring road into High Street. Turn l. into King St, r. into George St to almshouses, Fuller School and St Mary's church. Cont. up High Street, through underpass to Peace Memorial (opp. library).

Pubs

Many in and around the town centre

Reproduced from Limited Edition magazine, exclusive guides to living in Hertfordshire, Middlesex and the London Borough of Barnet (01923 216295).

For a printable map of the walk, please click the image below.