Broxbourne is a commuter town in Hertfordshire in the East of England which has a population of 13,298 in the 2001 Census. The town is twinned with the Sicilian city of Sutera. The word Broxbourne is thought to derive in the Old English words brocc and burna meaning Badger stream. The Manor of Broxbourne is referred to inside the Domesday Book, which names Broxbourne Mill. The area was exploited for its gravel and sand extraction in the twentieth century, that finally stopped when the mineral reserves ran out during the late 1960s leaving lots of water filled lakes. Lots of the lakes became a part of the Lee Valley Regional Park. Though it has been urbanised by industrial and commercial activity, the whole area preserves a lot of its rural character and is liked by those commuting to London. The New River which passes by way of the centre of the town, was dug in the early seventeenth century. Broxbourne railway station was constructed in 1840. A terracotta works was opened soon afterwards by James Pulham and Son, who specialised in producing artificial rock garden features; some of their work is preserved in the gardens at Sandringham House and Buckingham Palace. There are 600 companies in the borough, with warehousing and distribution sectors being especially well represented. The employers with more than 250 employees include: Fitzpatrick PLC in Hoddesdon (civil engineers); J Sainsbury, also in Hoddesdon; Marks & Spencer; Turnford Retailers and Merck Sharp & Dohme in Hoddesdon related to pharmaceutical research. Tesco's national headquarters are at Delamere Road, Cheshunt. The Borough of Broxbourne at Park Plaza Waltham Cross is also home to the world's biggest printing plant, which manufactures publications for News International including The Sun, The Times and The Sun on Sunday. For all your house improvements, make sure that you use reliable experts in Broxbourne to ensure that you get a fantastic quality service.