The area of Bricket Wood was mostly agricultural until Bricket Wood railway station was opened in 1861.

In 1889 brothers Henry and William Gray bought land in the area and built ’Woodside Retreat Fairground’. The fairground attracted hordes of visitors to the area from London and nearby towns and a small village developed around the station. In 1923, a rival fairground named Joyland was built nearby by R.B Christmas.

Both resorts were closed in 1929 and Christmas then used his land to build bungalows.

During the 1930s the area became popular with naturists after Charles Macaskie set up the naturist camp Spielplatz on the outskirts of the village. Naturists bought up plots of land on the edge of the village and built their own communities. The village also began to attract Wiccans after Gerald Gardner set up Bricket Wood coven.

During the 1950s housing estates were built for employees of aviation company Handley Page, who had a plant at nearby Radlett.