Did you know that...
There are traces of human settlements in the Bushey area that date back to the Paleolithic age. Other findings, such as the remains of buildings, support the theory that the zone was under Roman occupation. The main road is of Roman origin. A Roman sidewalk was nearby Chiltern Avenue. In the 11th century, this WD23 area was named Bissei. The Domesday Book records the settlement as an agricultural village. A few hundred years later, the name changed to Bisshe or Bisheye. There are two theories concerning the name origin. The first one states that Bushey derives from Byssa’s Isle. The second one, which is more plausible, says that the name means “wood area” deriving from the Anglo-Saxon word “bysce”. The second theory is backed by the existence of oak and elm trees around Chiltern Hills.
Urban development began in the 19th century. In just 200 years, the population rose from 851 to 1801. Nowadays, Bushey has around 24,000 residents. With the coming of the railway in the 20th century, the industry flourished in this part of North London and people came here seeking employment opportunities. The demand for housing grew and, as a result, council houses were built starting with 1920. After World War II, a big part of the area became part of the Metropolitan Green Belt and housing construction ceased.
Two Wham! members, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, went to Bushey Meads School. Conductor Henry Wylde, poker player John Gale, footballer Freddie Bunce, Oscar winner special effects artist Tom Howard, musician Sid Phillips, actor Peter Copley, and cricketer Mark Ravin Ramprakash are other notable Bushey residents. This WD23 town is twinned with Landsberg am Lech in Germany. In 1883 Bavarian immigrant Hubert Herkomer founded Herkomer’s Art School at Bushey. The school was active for 21 years during which it had more than 500 students.