Berkhamsted is a medium-sized historic market town within the western fringe of the English county of Hertfordshire. Located within the little Bulbourne Valley in the Chiltern Hills, it serves predominantly as a commuter town, being 26 miles to the northwest of London. As recorded in population documents from 2013, the town has a permanent resident population of around 18,100, occupying roughly 7500 homes. There are plenty of properties in residential areas, with 77 percent of household areas being houses or bungalows and 23 percent being flats or maisonettes. Settlements have appeared in Berkhamsted for more than 500 years, as suggested by archaeological proof of flint working during the Neolithic age and metal working throughout the late Iron Age and Roman periods. Whilst farming, service and light industry were common local occupations in 1986, the largest employers of the town in 2015 were schools and retail. A lot of the firms in the area can be found in the famed Berkhamsted West ward. In 2014, the Academy of Urbanism's Urbanism Awards referred to the appeal of Berkhamsted's High Street as 'vibrant' and 'bustling', developing a 'pleasant' and 'successful' shopping environment. There's a broad choice of outlets and food retailers available to inhabitants and visitors, being home of a mixture of independent and commercial chain stores, cafes, coffee shops, dining places and pubs. For social opportunities, the Rex Cinema offers many new movies for the citizens of Berkhamsted to watch. Being constructed in the art deco style of architecture in 1937, the Daily Telegraph has described the Rex as the United Kingdom's most beautiful cinema, and it was named Britain's Best Cinema in the inaugural Guardian film awards in 2014. For all your house improvements, be certain that you use trusted experts in Berkhamsted to ensure you get the best quality service.