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 inherited a great deal of money. Harding was a very keen sportsman and excelled at shooting, cricket, rowing and hunting. When he left Cambridge University he became a lawyer and busied himself with literary, dramatic and journalist pursuits. He was very interested in the theatre and it was here that he met his future wife Hebe Gertrude Barlow (1861-1938), a soprano and well known actress. The couple had three children one of whom was born at Chorleywood House. In 1892 he sold the property to Lady Ela Russell. Lady Ella Monica Sackville Russell (1854-1936) was born in 1854 in Buckhurst