Hoddesdon grew up as a coaching stop on the route between Cambridge and London. During the 1700s at its height, more than 35 coaches a day would pass through this town.
The town saw a boom in the mid 1900s 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.