//
Town in Hertfordshire, England
Photo: Nigel Cox, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire with a population of almost 100,000 (2011).
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
The Norman church was built from around 1140 and has an unusual 200-ft (61-m) tall spire, added in the 12th century, and one of England's tallest.
was the main trunk route from London to the Midlands
a nature preserve to the south of the town.
7 mile footpath & cycleway
Railway fans can see the occasional small landmark that hints at where The Nicky Line used to run, a dismantled railway that once connected Hemel LNWR main line to Harpenden Midland Railway.
Paper Mill Museum
Celebrates the 200 years when the town was a centre for paper manufacture.
Hemel is famous (or perhaps notorious) for its "Magic Roundabout", an interchange where traffic from six routes meet in a series of mini roundabouts connected by a gyratory system.
Indoor Snow/Ski Slope
Skiing, ski lessons, bar & restaurant
Futuristic Laser Game
Ice Rink
Leisure Centre
25-m swimming pool, hard courts, diving pit, fitness studio, outdoor pool, gym, café, squash court, badminton courts, free parking.
Extreme Sport Centre
Skate/BMX park, climbing wall, indoor caving, high rope obstacle course
Indoor Snow/Ski Slope
Skiing, ski lessons, bar & restaurant.
Indian restaurant & take-away, one of the finest in the area.
Chinese Cantonese restaurant.
Thai restaurant.
Moderately sized pub with restaurant, a good mix of menu items. Also have a specialist menu for gluten-free. The building dates back to the 16th century, and in summer there are outside seating, by the canal-side, letting the traveller see the boats that pass.
Pub & food. Celebrates a steam-powered coach which a local inventor built and drove to London.
Pub & food.
Pub & Food; Parts built in 1615 but is on the site of even older inns. It contains some unusual French wallpaper dating back to 1821, which has been cleaned by the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Pub & food. Free Wi-Fi. Free parking nearby
Gastropub, excellent continental cuisine in 18th century country inn.
Chargeable on-site parking
Helipad. Free on-site parking
Free Wi-Fi. Restaurant.
Pedestrianised shopping precinct. It has M&S, Primark, Wilkinsons, & TK Maxx.
Shopping centre.
Supermarket.
Supermarket, petrol & pharmacy (different hours), ATMs, Wi-Fi.
By train
Check the National Rail website before you go, as sometimes (especially on weekends) there is engineering work and trains are replaced by buses. Travelling is cheaper on weekdays after 9:30AM.
By bus
There are coaches to and from London and other towns as well as various airports. National Express coaches go direct to Luton, Heathrow and Stansted airports.
By air
The town is 11 miles from Luton Airport and 25 miles from Heathrow Airport.
By narrowboat
The Grand Union Canal passes close to the west of the town, and through the southern suburb of Apsley.
By bicycle
The town is on National Cycle Route 57 that runs from Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire to Farmington, Gloucestershire near Northleach.
There are local buses from the station to town centre and to the Jarman Park leisure complex; apart from that, everything in town is in walking distance.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Luton, Luton · International · LTN
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Hemel Hempstead and United Kingdom.
Travel tipsComplete 2026 guide to the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). Check eligibility, the £20 fee, application steps, and transit rules.
7 min read
Travel tipsComplete 2026 guide to global tourist taxes and access fees. Compare entry fees in Venice, Bali, Bhutan, Kyoto, and Edinburgh, and learn how to pay them.
8 min read
Travel tipsFind the cheapest countries to fly to from the US and UK in 2026. Compare realistic round-trip flight deals, budget airlines, and prime booking windows.
8 min read
Travel tipsA complete guide to taking the Eurostar from London to Paris. Learn about check-in times, border controls, baggage limits, ticket tiers, and booking tips.
7 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.