Heritage Open Days - Boxmoor House (4 person limit only).

FREE - Limited to 4 persons ONLY.

As part of Heritage Open Days, we are invited to Roman Fields Academy in Box Lane which takes its name from Roman buildings found on the site, dating to the first century AD. Local people most likely remember it as Boxmoor House, built by one of Hemel's first rail commuters in the 1800s!

We will be joining a special tour that starts at 10am exactly. Please arrive with time to spare. 11 Box Lane, Hemel Hempstead, HP3 0DF. Limited parking on site (or street parking in Copperbeech Close and Beechwood Park).

The site was excavated by archaeologist John Evans in the 1850s and David Neal in the 1960s.
The earliest building found was of timber construction, dating to the later first or early second century. It is thought that through five building periods the site was inhabited until 350 AD.

Today the Academy incorporates Boxmoor House, itself built by one of the first Hemel Hempstead rail commuters. Thomas Davis was an eminent and wealthy surgeon who needed to be close to a train service to London, so shortly following to opening of a rail service from Boxmoor, Davis had the house built. Artifacts from his time at Boxmoor House remain today.

Boxmoor House was a convalescence home for soldiers during the First World War and became a children’s home in the 1930s. Two nieces of the Queen Mother, Katherine and Nerissa Bowe-Lyon were looked after at the home for a time.

Herts County Council purchased Boxmoor House in 1942.