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Town and borough in Hertfordshire, England
Photo: Matt Brown from London, England, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Watford is a large town in Hertfordshire, a few miles from the Greater London boundary. It is around 20 minutes from central London using National Rail trains, and slightly longer on the London Underground and Overground networks. Warner Bros. Studio Tour London is on the outskirts of Watford, while the town centre is home to the Colosseum music venue, the Atria shopping centre and Watford Market.
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Take a tour around the studios where Harry Potter was filmed and visit the large gift shop. Taste some famous Butterbeer, immerse yourself in real-life sets, and get hands-on with some of the props and techniques used to make the internationally famous series of films. A shuttle bus from Watford Junction station is included in the ticket price.
Alongside touring productions, the theatre provides programmes in new writing.
Its collection includes fine art, displays about local heritage, industry and sport, with a special collection related to the history of the Cassiobury Estate.
They play soccer in the Championship, the second tier. Their stadium (capacity 22,000) is at Vicarage Road, half a mile west of town centre. The women's team were promoted in 2026 and play in WSL2, their second tier, with home games at Gaywood Park in King's Langley.
Watford Colosseum is famed for its world-class acoustics. The Hertfordshire venue was used as a recording location for several film soundtracks, among them The Lord of the Rings. The theatre and concert venue hosts a range of music and drama events throughout the year.
A high-tech golf driving range. Much like a modern bowling alley it has sensors and screens which track your shots.
Wetherspoons
Watford's biggest nightclub.
tres expensive but tres beautiful
formerly intu Watford
This is the main shopping mall with various High Street chains represented.
By train
Watford has several train stations on the National Rail and London Underground networks.
By London Underground
Watford '' (known as Watford Met) is in London fare zone 7. It is close to Cassiobury Park and approximately one mile from Watford FC Vicarage Road Stadium (approximately 20 minutes' walk).
By bus
Major bus routes in and around Watford include:
By air
London Heathrow Airport is roughly 20 miles by car, a short hop along the - roughly 30-40 minutes away at most hours of the day, but longer during peak periods.
By boat
The Grand Union Canal passes through Watford between Uxbridge and Hemel Hempstead. Longer distance destinations include Paddington in London, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Birmingham.
Most attractions in Watford are within walking distance of each other and do not require buses or trains.
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