Chorleywood the Local Government Act 1894 created districts as subdivisions of the newly created county councils, Chorleywood became part of the Watford Rural District, which encircled Watford. In 1913, the town was separated from Watford Rural District to become Chorleywood Urban District. In the early 1960s, researchers at the British Baking Industries Research Association in Chorleywood improved upon an earlier American bread-making process. This resulted in the Chorleywood Bread Process which is now used in over 80% of commercial bread production throughout the UK. In the 1973 BBC Television documentary, "Metro-land", Sir John Betjeman described Chorleywood as "essential Metro-land". In 1974,
Chorleywood House Estate House was built here in 1822 by John Barnes, replacing an earlier farm house. In 1892, the house was bought by Lady Ela Russell, a relative of the Duke of Bedford and she modified and enlarged the house. In June 1940, the mansion and land were bought by the Chorleywood Urban District Council, together with Hertfordshire County Council and London County Council and designated a public open space. During World War Two , the mansion housed evacuees from London. Chorleywood UDC then adopted the house for their offices and the Public Library was housed here. Tenants lived in flats in