An ever-popular destination, Watford - at just eight miles squared - is a town which punches above its weight...
From a thriving town centre with fantastic shopping, nightclubs and restaurants to a historic football team, theatres, award-winning parks – including Cassiobury, one of the nation’s top 10 parks – there is something for everyone in this Herts-come-London town.
There are plenty of things to do, whether it’s keeping the children entertained, playing at our excellent golf courses or enjoying brilliant cuisine, making it an excellent location to live and visit!
Day 1
Morning - Cassiobury Park
An amazing beauty spot with a huge amount of history behind it, treat yourself to a day out in this fantastic, Green Flag award-winning open space, which has been voted one of the top 10 parks in the UK for a number of years. Featuring the award winning Cassiobury Park Hub, state of the art paddling pools with exciting splash pool and water features, a booming bandstand, Daisy's in the park café and Cafe Cha, as well as a packed programme of activities all year round, it’s a great day out for the whole family.
With facilities aplenty, along with the perfect spacious environment, you can enjoy a full range of sporting activities available at both privately run clubs and public venues. For the more energetically inclined, you can enjoy the football and cricket pitches, tennis courts, bowls and croquet clubs and table tennis tables.
Every summer, the Big Bandstand in the park has a jam-packed programme of FREE world-class live shows, playing everything from jazz to ukulele - and of course, lots of traditional brass bands for you to enjoy.
Situated besides Cassiobury Park, you can also take in the beautiful scenery in the 160 acres of woodland situated on the outskirts of Watford in Whippendell Wood. Listed as an ancient wood by Natural England, the public footpath cutting through the wood, across the golf course and into Cassiobury Park makes it popular with dog walkers and families. The woods are famous for the stunning displays of bluebells in the spring: with the best time to visit to appreciate the glorious blue carpet between the last week of April and the first week of May.
Afternoon - Heritage Trail
Enjoy the easy to follow, self-guided Heritage Trail of Watford’s Town Centre High Street. Discover and find out more about our distinctive buildings and surroundings by starting at any point on the map. Our QR codes share fun facts and information about our rich local history. Our accessible trail is downloadable and printable and can be used with digital technology.
In partnership with the guided walk app TrailTale, we are also providing free, self-guided walking audio tours to take you on a journey through Watford’s rich heritage, uncovering fascinating stories, historic buildings, and cultural landmarks that have shaped the town over the centuries.
Evening - Watford Palace Theatre
Everyone’s welcome at the Watford Palace Theatre, with great stories that entertain, provoke and inspire, on our stage and in our streets.
They aim to inspire and entertain through inventive, ambitious and inclusive drama, new plays, musicals, dance and family shows; free outdoor festivals; diverse stand-up; and a much-loved traditional pantomime.
There locally produced shows and home-grown talent have toured nationally and internationally, been seen on BBC iPlayer, won awards and transferred to the West End.
Day 2
Morning - Cheslyn Gardens
Often described as Watford's “hidden gem”, Cheslyn House and Gardens is another of Watford’s Green Flag Award winners. Its 3.5 acres of space is imaginatively laid out to invite exploration, providing a myriad of interesting areas including a pond, aviary, fernery and public art.
Designed by renowned architect Henry Colbeck and his wife, Daisy, the original gardens have a collection of unusual and exotic plants which they collected whilst travelling the world. Among the special delights you can still see today are the whimsical sweet gum tree, the handsome Indian bean tree and the distinctive tulip tree.
The council has maintained the site since 1965 and further developed the gardens by adding new features, such as the pond, a rock and gravel garden and large herbaceous borders. This has encouraged new wildlife to visit the gardens, including dragonflies, damselflies, frogs, newts, birds and water insects.
Beyond the house and open lawns, a paved pathway turns into a natural path for visitors to explore the semi-natural woodland, which is full of colour in spring when the azaleas and rhododendrons are in full bloom.
Afternoon - Warner Bros
Step on to authentic sets, discover the magic behind spellbinding special effects and explore the behind-the-scenes secrets of the Harry Potter film series. Discover the iconic Hogwarts Great Hall and explore the Forbidden Forest, all before boarding the original Hogwarts Express at Platform 9 ¾ and wandering down Diagon Alley. Located at the Studios where all eight films were produced, the Studio Tour showcases the British talent, imagination and artistry that went into making the impossible a reality on screen. Visitors will relive the magic through the eyes of the filmmakers who brought the Harry Potter film series to life.
Evening - Watford Colosseum
Watford Colosseum is a 1,260 seat venue in the heart of Watford and is home to the best live music and entertainment outside London. In addition to shows and gigs, Watford Colosseum boasts a range of adaptable spaces and offers the perfect venue to hire for conferences and exhibitions, private drinks or canapé receptions, and corporate gala dinners.
The stage at Watford Colosseum has seen performances from Elton John, The Faces, Marc Bolan, One Direction, Jools Holland, Sarah Millican, Melanie C, Oasis, Ricky Gervais and many more.
Watford’s premier concert venue is world renowned for its acoustic qualities. Julian Lloyd Webber described Watford Colosseum as “The finest recording venue in the world” and it has been used to record the soundtracks of The Lord of the Rings and The Sound of Music. The BBC Concert Orchestra are residents of Watford Colosseum and rehearse, record and perform at the venue for 90 days of the year.
