Elstree and Borehamwood Museum

Elstree and Borehamwood Museum Elstree and Boreham Wood Museum is an independent local history museum.

Run by a friendly and welcoming group of volunteers, the museum showcases the history of the area through objects, photographs and dvds. We welcome schools and groups to visit outside opening hours (by appointment) and offer an outreach service to local primary schools, focusing on a variety of curriculum subjects. We can also give talks to local groups in and around the town on the history and de

velopment of Elstree and Boreham Wood. The museum is generously supported by Hertsmere Borough Council, Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council, and The Heritage Lottery Fund

With his familial links to Prince Philip through his marriage to Earl Mountbatten's eldest daughter, it is no wonder Joh...
15/06/2026

With his familial links to Prince Philip through his marriage to Earl Mountbatten's eldest daughter, it is no wonder John Knatchbull, Baron Brabourne, brought Princes Charles and Edward to the set of Murder On The Orient Express in 1973. His professional name was John Brabourne and he was a very successful film and TV producer. He had two Oscar nominations for producer for Romeo And Juliet and A Passage To India, and was chairman of Thames Television at one stage. The interior scenes were shot at Elstree Studios, directed by Sidney Lumet and photographed by Geoffrey Unsworth. The film was hugely successful in the States with its all-star cast. And Mountbatten, Charles and Edward and Brabourne spent a day in 1973 visiting the filming. Unfortunately we haven't come across any photos yet, but we are still looking.

Ribbon Of Dreams Exhibition Launch - We were honoured last night that our new exhibition, Ribbon of Dreams - Celebrating...
03/06/2026

Ribbon Of Dreams Exhibition Launch - We were honoured last night that our new exhibition, Ribbon of Dreams - Celebrating 100 Years of Elstree Studios, was launched by Noel Cronin. The head of Talking Pictures TV, and well-known from The Footage Detectives (Sunday at 7pm), cut the gold ribbon to open the doors. Noel and his daughter, Sarah and her husband Neill, spent a couple of hours filming the exhibition and the team for a future programme - details to follow. This is our 20th temporary exhibition in 13 years, and a celebration of the studio complex that has dominated the town for so long. Look out for the interactive model of the mine chase from Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom, and you might bump into R2-D2 as well. Lots of stories and from the last 100 years. Hope to see you soon.

Our new exhibition Ribbon Of Dreams opens next week on Tuesday 2nd June. Celebrating 100 years of Elstree Studios we hav...
28/05/2026

Our new exhibition Ribbon Of Dreams opens next week on Tuesday 2nd June. Celebrating 100 years of Elstree Studios we have models, small robots, costumes and props from the films, and the background to some of the most popular films made in the studios. You'll find a complete Timeline and lots more.
Looking forward to seeing you...

The Museum is now closed until Tuesday 2nd June. Our 20th Exhibition will open then - Ribbon Of Dreams : 100 Years of El...
12/05/2026

The Museum is now closed until Tuesday 2nd June. Our 20th Exhibition will open then - Ribbon Of Dreams : 100 Years of Elstree Studios. Here's a hint...

The First Welsh Oscar : 100 Years of Elstree Studios - Part FourteenIf I was to ask you who was the first Welsh actor to...
27/04/2026

The First Welsh Oscar : 100 Years of Elstree Studios - Part Fourteen
If I was to ask you who was the first Welsh actor to win an Oscar you'd probably say Anthony Hopkins (won two) or Richard Burton (nominated seven times - never won). But you'd be wrong because the first was won by Alfred Reginald Jones in 1946. 'Who he?' I hear you ask. Much better known as Ray Milland, he was born in Neath and started his career as an extra in two films at Elstree Studios in 1928. He soon progressed to a leading role in The Flying Scotsman in 1929. Snapped up by MGM he moved to Hollywood in 1930 and never looked back. He won his Oscar for The Lost Weekend in 1945.
Here he remembers those early days in Elstree :
"Yes, I remember Elstree. Good Lord, I should. It was the first studio I ever saw! It was the first place I saw Joe Grossman - and the first place I ever saw an actor in broad daylight! It was the first place I ever did any acting - if you could call it that in those days. It was there I got my first contract... And that's where I received my first fan letter. I still have it.
I remember the first picture star I worked with. Her name was Pauline Johnson. It was the first place I met Hitchcock and Harry Lachman. I never got over it. I don't think I ever will. They're here in Hollywood with me as I write. Only Hitch is a hundred pounds lighter, and Lachman's mood is much lighter!
Last summer (1947) I bumped into Joe Grossman again - but he is still the same. Nineteen years have made no difference to him, but I hope Elstree has changed since that first day when three pictures were shooting on the same stage : The Manxman with Carl Brisson; Blackmail with Anny Ondra; and the picture that I was in, The Flying Scotsman. We couldn't hear one another think. We went back a couple of months later and remade them with sound and dialogue. Yes, I remember Elstree. I don't think I'll ever forget it."
Some film historians say that The Flying Scotsman was the first British talkie, and not Blackmail.
Ray Milland (1907 to 1986) made over 170 films and TV shows.

A Coach From Clacton : With only a dozen or so viewing days left for our current exhibition, it was great to host a coac...
20/04/2026

A Coach From Clacton : With only a dozen or so viewing days left for our current exhibition, it was great to host a coach of EastEnders fans on Saturday all the way from Clacton. We managed to squeeze them into our space, though not all 50 at once! Lots of selfies were taken and many a "Get Outta My Pub" quotes were heard. Thanks for coming all this way everyone - hoped you enjoyed the visit!

Woman In A Dressing Gown : 100 Years of Elstree Studios - Part Thirteen : This week we dip into the mid-1950s and a f...
13/04/2026

Woman In A Dressing Gown : 100 Years of Elstree Studios - Part Thirteen : This week we dip into the mid-1950s and a film that caught my eye while watching an excellent history of Elstree made by David Puttman. Once again Elstree was in the vanguard of film history. Woman In A Dressing Gown was one of the first of the 'socially realistic dramas' that were to dominate British films for the rest of the decade and into the sixties. Filmed in 1956 and released in 1957, it was written by Ted Willis of Dixon Of Dock Green fame, and directed by the experienced J Lee Thompson, the film explored a tragic relationship. This was the first time a lower-middle or working class family had been the subject of such a film, and the producer Frank Godwin called it 'the first kitchen sink movie'.
Anthony Quayle and Yvonne Mitchell play the husband and wife. She is very disorganised and always in her dressing gown, while he is having an affair with a much younger work colleague played by the luminous Sylvia Syms. Things go from bad to worse, but you'll have to see the film to find out how it all turns out - one reviewer thought the ending 'rings entirely false'. No doubt it will be shown on TPTV if it hasn't already. The film earned some awards at the Berlin Film Festival and a nomination for a BAFTA for Sylvia Syms. Once again Elstree was in the forefront.

100 Years of Promo : 100 Years of Elstree Studios - Part TwelveElstree Studios has always promoted itself in any way pos...
07/04/2026

100 Years of Promo : 100 Years of Elstree Studios - Part Twelve
Elstree Studios has always promoted itself in any way possible. After all it needs the business to keep on coming through the stages, and to keep its name in the forefront for any aspiring producers and directors. Here are a couple of examples of adverts and flyers - one from 1932 and one from the last few years. Pretty easy to tell the recent flyer.

The Anniversary and the Elstree Back Lot : 100 Years of Elstree Studios - Part SevenThe great thing about 100 years of f...
02/03/2026

The Anniversary and the Elstree Back Lot : 100 Years of Elstree Studios - Part Seven
The great thing about 100 years of film-making history is that you can jump in and out at any point. Today we are in 1967, 40 plus years since Elstree was founded. Thanks to an ABC Press Release from the Paul Welsh Archive, we have the story of the making of The Anniversary in Elstree Studios. Starring the great Bette Davis, ably accompanied by Sheila Hancock and Jack Hedley, the film was adapted from a stage play and was directed by Roy Ward Baker for Hammer films.
The story involved the building of a housing estate by Bette's deceased husband with some dubious cheapjack housing. Because local firms didn't want the filmmakers to use real houses in the area, a new estate was built from scratch on the Studio's back lot. The 2 bedroomed semis were laid out and cramped together. According to the press release they were 'much overpriced at £4, 950'! (About £120,000 today) - see our still from the film. The estate was so realistic that neighbours of the studios started worrying about their house prices. Maybe you worked on the site? Let us know!
The film is a good starring role for Bette Davis' typical hard-faced matriach of three wayward sons, with plenty of over-acting from all concerned, and rates 6.9 out of 10 on IMDB. And the Back Lot was the real star of the film.

Thanks to ReelStreets for the location photos

Now in stock, and a mere £3, is our new booklet The Story Of Aldenham Reservoir by John Cartledge. Including the complet...
11/02/2026

Now in stock, and a mere £3, is our new booklet The Story Of Aldenham Reservoir by John Cartledge. Including the complete history of our local man-made lake from its inception - why was it built? how was it built? who built it? - right through its many problems up to today's uncertain future. The booklet contains original drawings and maps, colour photos, press cuttings, artists impressions, and more. If you ever had questions about the Reservoir you will find the answers here.

Address

96 Shenley Road
Borehamwood
WD61EB

Opening Hours

Tuesday 12pm - 6pm
Wednesday 12pm - 6pm
Thursday 12pm - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 3pm

Telephone

+441442454888

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