Hoddesdon grew up as a coaching stop on the route between Cambridge and London. At its height during the Eighteenth century, more than 35 coaches a day would pass through the town.
The town saw a boom in the mid Twentieth century as gravel was mined from the area to be exhausted by the 1970s. The lakes and water pits left behind have been used for local leisure amenities.
Today Hoddesdon has a little light industry but is mainly a dormitory town for commuters to London.
