Watford is a town and district just to the north-west of London. Unlike most English districts, its council is led by a directly-elected mayor, currently Dorothy Thornhill of the Liberal Democrats.Watford has 80,000 inhabitants and a professional football club, Watford F.C., who are currently in the Championship. Saracens Rugby Club moved to Watford and shares the same ground, which is in Vicarage Road.
Watford is within the M25 motorway with Watford Metropolitan Line station at the outer edge of the London Underground system. There are faster trains to central and north London from Watford Junction and Bushey stations. The Metropolitan Line station is due to be replaced by an extension of the line to the Junction station via Croxley Green.
The Harlequin Shopping Centre, Charter Place Shopping Centre and Watford Market are sandwiched between Beechen Grove and the Lower High Street, off Queens Road. Bars and cafés line both sides of the upper reaches of the High Street and The Parade. Cassiobury Park is at the northern end of The Parade, near the Town Hall. It takes 20 minutes to walk the length of the High Street from Watford High Street Station in the south to the Town Hall at the northern end of The Parade.
Watford is noted for its excellent shopping facilities, dominated by the Harlequin Centre in the heart of the town. The centre houses most major retailers and attracts shoppers from the smaller surrounding towns.Adjacent to the Harlequin Centre is Watford Market which is held Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. The lively town also boasts many restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, cinemas and theatres.
Cassiobury Park, ten minutes from the town centre, also has many sporting facilities including a children's paddling pool, tennis courts, bowling green and a croquet lawn.Vicarage Road, the largest sports stadium in Hertfordshire, is home to both Watford FC and the Saracens Rugby Club.
