A large town located in the county of Hertfordshire, Hemel Hempstead has a population of over 80,000 and though settled as long ago as Anglo-Saxon times, mostly grew as a New Town after the second world war. Recorded in the Domesday Book as Hamelamesede, the town received its charter in 1539, after which it held a street market every Thursday, its parish church of St Mary dates from the 12th century. In 1946 Hemel Hempstead was named as the site of a New Town, and quickly developed into a busy town, surrounding its older parts on all sides. Popular with shoppers from surrounding towns, Hemel Hempstead is a commercial centre for the region. Interesting places to visit in the Hemel Hempstead area include the historic village of Kings Langley, formerly the location of a priory and a royal palace (of the Plantagenet Kings), and the former coaching station of Redbourn sitting on Watling Street, a charming village with a 12th century church.