Hemel Hempstead
| Hemel Hempstead | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Coordinates | 51 ° 45 ′ N , 0 ° 28 ′ W | ||
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| Residents | 81.143 | ||
| administration | |||
| Post town | HEMEL HEMPSTEAD | ||
| ZIP code section | HP1, HP2, HP3 | ||
| prefix | 01442 | ||
| Part of the country | England | ||
| region | East of England | ||
| Shire county | Hertfordshire | ||
| District | Dacorum | ||
| British Parliament | Hemel Hempstead | ||
Hemel Hempstead is a town in the English county of Hertfordshire and the administrative seat of the district Dacorum . It has existed as a settlement since the 8th century . 97,500 (as of 2019) people live in the city. On December 11, 2005, a severe explosion occurred at the Buncefield Depot fuel depot near the city, which Hemel Hempstead made the international headlines.
geography
Hemel Hempstead (also known locally as Hemel ) is located between the rivers Gade and Bulbourne about 43 kilometers northwest of central London. The West Coast Main Line from London to the Midlands goes through Hemel Hempstead station. The Grand Union Canal runs across it . These two connections as well as the A41 trunk road follow the natural course of the Bulbourne valley. Hemel Hempstead is also connected to the east by the M1 Motorway . The M25 Motorway is a few miles south of the city. In the north and west there are some villages and forests scattered around. To the south is Watford and to the east is St Albans .
origin of the name
The name is traced back to the entry Hamelamesede from the Domesday Book . In the course of time it became Hamelhamsted . Hemel probably goes back to Haemele , the name of a landowner in the area from the 8th century. Hempstead is believed to have come from Homestead (hometown).
The tank farm fire
In the early morning hours of December 11, 2005, the Buncefield Depot near the M1 motorway caught fire. The cause was a defective level indicator in one of the tanks that had been refilled from a pipeline during the night . After a certain point in time, it no longer showed any change in the fill level, although the pumps continued to fill. This led to an overfill with a slow leakage of fuel at the overflow of an overfill protection. Turbulence evidently caused the vapors to self-ignite, igniting the contents of the first tank. It burst with a huge explosion that triggered further explosions. A total of 20 tanks gradually caught fire. It was one of the biggest fires in Europe since World War II. The personal injuries were limited, there were three seriously injured. In contrast, the pollution of air, water and soil was massive, and long-term health consequences cannot be ruled out.
Personalities
sons and daughters of the town
- Elaine Taylor (born 1943), actress
- Ian Crafford (born 1944), film editor
- Steven Wilson (* 1967), musician and record producer
- Luke Donald (* 1977), professional golfer
- Anthony Davidson (* 1979), Formula 1 racing driver
- Chris Eagles (born 1985), football player
- Max Whitlock (* 1993), artistic gymnast
- Harry Winks (* 1996), soccer player
- Anna Henderson (* 1998), racing cyclist
Individual evidence
- ↑ East of England (Great Britain): Counties and Counties & Towns - Population Statistics, Charts and Map. Retrieved May 27, 2020 .
- ↑ Government website for the investigation report ( memento of the original of September 3, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
