The constituency was created for the 1983 general election from the majority of the abolished seat of Hemel Hempstead, although the town of Berkhamsted was removed to South West Hertfordshire.

[2] It was in turn abolished for the 1997 general election, with the town of Tring being transferred to South West Hertfordshire and the remaining areas forming the re-established Hemel Hempstead constituency.

[2] However, like many Home Counties New Town seats, it swung strongly towards Margaret Thatcher's Conservatives in their 1983 landslide election victory, and was won by the Tories by significant margins (ranging from 15% to 23%) at all three general elections of its existence.

Its main successor seat of (the revived) Hemel Hempstead would be regained (after favourable boundary changes) by Labour in 1997 amid their national landslide victory.

The District of Dacorum wards of Adeyfield East, Adeyfield West, Aldbury and Wigginton, Ashridge, Bennetts End, Boxmoor, Central, Chaulden, Crabtree, Cupid Green, Flamstead and Markyate, Gadebridge, Grove Hill, Highfield, Leverstock Green, Nash Mills, South, Tring Central, Tring East, Tring West, and Warners End.