Area focus: Three Rivers Lottery’s home is a winner for business, creativity and natural beauty

A trio of chalk streams flowing through the area just north, west and south of Watford inspired the name for the district of Three Rivers, which pairs rural charm with the National Lottery headquarters and UK bases for international giants including Kodak, Warner Bros. and Renault.

The Gade, the Colne and the Chess all arise from natural springs in the region’s chalk bedrock and are internationally rare, being three out of 160 in England and only 210 in the world.

Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, the largest state-of-the-art film studios in Europe, provides the lynchpin for a strong arts and entertainment sector in the district, with technology, pharmaceuticals, IT and construction also represented. The National Lottery has been run from Tolpits Lane in Holywell since the game’s launch in 1994 – originally by Camelot until this year, when the licence was transferred to Allwyn UK.

The main shopping centre in the district is Rickmansworth town centre, with smaller and more independent-focused high streets in Abbots Langley, Chorleywood and South Oxhey. This wide range of communities, ranging from big business to small towns and villages, gives Three Rivers a very mixed character, with frequent continental or themed events and markets held in the area, and an inclusive and welcoming spirit.

Key retailers in Rickmansworth include Marks & Spencer, Waitrose, Costa, WHSmith, Boots, Caffe Nero, Iceland, JD Wetherspoon, Starbucks, Wenzel’s, and numerous small independent businesses, including greengrocers, butchers, hardware shops and cafes. Planning permission is currently being sought for a branch of McDonald’s in the town’s High Street.

Three Rivers’ proximity to London and to national transport routes, including the M25, M1, M4 and M40, make it a well-connected location, particularly desirable in parts of the creative industry due to access to supply chains, other creatives and studios nearby. Junction 18 of the M25 is five minutes’ drive away from Rickmansworth and the town’s railway station is served by Chiltern Railways and the London Underground’s Metropolitan Line, with tube journeys to Baker Street in London taking about 40 minutes.

Three Rivers is attractive to the technology industry due to the presence of competitors that mean there is a talent pool available locally, and due to operating costs being more affordable than in London. Staff tend to live nearby and the area has many lifestyle amenities that make it desirable, such as access to reliable utilities, good schools, top-notch digital connectivity, good transport links and natural beauty, with more than 34 per cent of Three Rivers being woodland.

A key green space is Rickmansworth Aquadrome, a 41-acre local nature reserve owned and managed by Three Rivers District Council, with rare wet woodlands, wildfowl, lakes, a chalk stream and beautiful views, all right on the doorstep of Rickmansworth town. The Aquadrome is also home to watersport groups, a café, a workout zone and two play areas.

The recently developed Aquadrome Project aims to enhance, nurture and protect Rickmansworth Aquadrome. Over the coming years, visitors will see improvements to the mosaic of habitats, improved accessibility and increased opportunities to learn about the fascinating social heritage and environmental importance of the site.

Three Rivers, supported by Hertfordshire County Council’s Countryside Management Service, has been successful in gaining external funding from both the National Lottery Heritage Fund (£161,691) and the HS2 Colne Valley Regional Park Panel (£510,463) towards the project.

Leisure activities in the district include Play Rangers outdoor fun for youngsters in the woodlands and open spaces, facilities at South Oxhey and William Penn leisure centres, Rickmansworth Golf Course, parkrun and more than 30 play areas across Three Rivers. There are also two theatres – Watersmeet in Rickmansworth and The Henderson Hub in Abbots Langley.

Wedding and events venues include Micklefield Hall, an attractive luxury country house north of Rickmansworth. This venue boasts an award-winning Grade II listed 16th-century tithe barn, a romantic temple and a fledgling rose garden that provides a superb backdrop for special occasions. The site also offers spaces for filming locations, and has featured in movies, TV series and adverts.

Marketing and Event said: “This area is ideal due to its rural nature yet close proximity to London. Transport links to the venue are excellent via National Rail and London Underground into Chorleywood and Rickmansworth and there is easy access from junction 18 on the M25.”

Developments planned in Three Rivers include the provision of new sound stages, workshops and offices at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, as well as a new roundabout to provide vehicular access to the studios and to land called the Island site. Elsewhere, the Maple Lodge site in Maple Cross is being redeveloped to provide two warehouse units comprising a total of 16,115 square metres, including 1,882 square metres of office space, access, landscaping and associated works.

The district is full of innovation, creativity and community work. It has much to offer with visitor attractions, festivals, shopping, eating and drinking, sport and leisure, history and places to stay. This, combined with the strong cultural sector and a culture of enterprise, all serves to make Three Rivers a welcoming, distinctive and attractive place to live, work and visit.