River Colne - Berry Grove

River Colne
The Colne flows south westwards
TQ 12498 981761

This square covers Junction 5 Berrygrove Interchange between the M1 and Western Avenue A41. North of that is 1930s housing and beyond that industrial Watford. A small oasis might exist round Busheymills Bridge - however it is, after all, Watford

Post to the north Meriden Estate
Post to the west Watford North

Berry Grove Lane
Pumping station
Pillbox. Second World War concrete pill box in a field
Electric substation

Bushymill Lane
Busheymill Bridge
Busheymill Grid Substation
Coal post east of the bridge has now gone

Colne Valley Linear Park
Top Golf. American golf driving range – hard sell with lots of booze.

M1
This section – north of Junction 5 was the original bit of the motorway – Britain’s first official motorway opened in 1959.
Berrygrove Interchange. Junction 5. This junction is a large roundabout over the top of both roads, and slip roads up from each road. It was originally built as a roundabout on the A41 Watford Bypass at the bottom end of the M1 in 1959. When the M1 was extended south it became, on a roundabout interchange between the A41 and M1. A connection to the A 4008 into Watford town centre was added later, downgrading the roundabout's motorway status.

North Western Avenue.
This is the A41, here the Watford Bypass.  In the 1920s and 1930s many radial roads had become congested because of population grown along the extending Underground network, and bypasses were needed. A Watford bypass was built and opened in the mid 1920s and was first numbered the A 4088 then the A500 and then renumbered A41 after the Second World War. It travels parallel to the M1 in a north-westerly direction mostly as a wide single carriageway, one lane each way. It widens before the last junction with the M1 at Berrygrove which was the original southern terminus of the M1. The road then changes back to the original wide single carriageway with houses set back from the road.

Otterspool Lane
Coach house
Flint Cottage
Boxmoor & District Angling Society. The society has fishing rights on the Colne between the A41 and M1 bridges
Otterspool House. An old coaching inn, now student housing. Built in the 18th with later extensions and links to a late 18th house. The main house is in brick and the Original front now faces the garden.
Otterspool House garden. Remains of a large 18th grotto probably associated with the drinking of waters from the nearby pool
Pill box. Type 24. On a small island next to the carriage house. This is associated with the western section of the Second World War anti-tank ditch in Hertfordshire as part of the Outer London Defence Ring. The Ring made use of the River Colne to form a natural barrier along parts of this stretch.

Sources
A41 Sabre Roads. Web site.
Berrygrove Interchange. Sabre Roads. Web site
Boxmoor and District Angling Society. Web site
British Listed Buildings. Web site
Heritage Gateway. Web site
Hertsmere Council. Web site
M1 Wikipedia web site

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