Broxbourne is a commuter town in the Broxbourne borough of Hertfordshire in the East of England with a population of 13,300 in the 2001 Census. The town's sister city is Sutera, in Sicily. The word Broxbourne is believed to find its origins in the Old English words brocc and burna meaning Badger stream. The Manor of Broxbourne is described inside the Domesday Book, which mentions Broxbourne Mill. The area was exploited for its gravel and sand extraction during 20th century. This stopped when the raw materials ran out at the end of the 1960s leaving lots of water filled lakes. Lots of the lakes became part of the Lee Valley Regional Park. While urbanised by industrial and commercial manufacturing, the whole area retains a great deal of its rural character and is enjoyed by individuals commuting to London. The New River which passes by way of the centre of the town, was constructed in the early seventeenth century. Broxbourne railway station was built in 1840. A terracotta works was opened soon afterwards by James Pulham and Son, who specialised in making artificial rock garden features; some of their work is preserved within the gardens at Sandringham House and Buckingham Palace. There are 600 companies within the borough, with warehousing and distribution sectors being especially 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 with pharmaceutical research. Tesco has its national headquarters at Delamere Road, Cheshunt. The Borough of Broxbourne at Park Plaza Waltham Cross is also the location of the world's largest printing plant, which creates publications for News International including The Sun, The Times and The Sun on Sunday. For all your home improvements, make sure that you select vetted pros in Broxbourne to ensure that you get the very best quality service.