Broxbourne is a commuter town in Hertfordshire in the East of England which has a population of 13,298 in 2001. The town is twinned with Sutera, in Sicily. The word Broxbourne is thought to find its origins from the Old English words brocc and burna meaning Badger stream. The Manor of Broxbourne is described in the Domesday Book, which names Broxbourne Mill. The area was exploited for its gravel and sand extraction during 20th century. This stopped when the mineral reserves had been exhausted at the end of the 1960s leaving lots of water filled lakes. Several of the lakes became part of the Lee Valley Regional Park. Although urbanised by industrial and commercial activity, the whole area preserves much 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 opened in 1840. A terracotta works was opened soon afterwards by James Pulham and Son, who specialised in developing artificial rock garden features; some of their work survives in the gardens at Sandringham House and Buckingham Palace. There are 600 organisations in the borough, with warehousing and distribution sectors being very well represented. The employers with over 250 personnel include: Fitzpatrick PLC in Hoddesdon (civil engineers); J Sainsbury, also in Hoddesdon; Marks & Spencer; Turnford Retailers and Merck Sharp & Dohme in Hoddesdon involved in pharmaceutical research. Tesco's national headquarters are at Delamere Road, Cheshunt. The Borough of Broxbourne at Park Plaza Waltham Cross is also the location of the world's biggest printing plant, which creates publications for News International including The Sun, The Times and The Sun on Sunday. For all of your house improvement projects, be certain that you choose reliable pros in Broxbourne to make sure that you get the top quality service.