Hertfordshire guide
Welwyn Garden City (WGC) is at the heart of the county and home to numerous companies, including Roche. Created from 1920 as the second ‘Garden City’ development of Ebenezer Howard, it was designed with separate residential and industrial areas laid out amongst landscaped parkland and tree-lined boulevards. Today the neo-Georgian town centre offers good shopping and leisure facilities laid out around fountain and lawns. The old village of Welwyn is a historic village setting and other popular local villages include Tewin, Digswell, Ayot St Lawrence and Lemsford. In the same district is Hatfield, a post-war New Town with some new housing opportunities on the redeveloped former British Aerospace site and good shopping and leisure at the Galleria complex.
A short drive to the west of WGC is St Albans – the county’s oldest town as the site of Verulamium, the third largest city in Roman Britain. The modern town was named after Saint Alban, the first Christian martyr. Today, St Albans manages to be both a commuter haven and a small atmospheric city with thriving boutiques, bars, restaurants and businesses. Nearby Harpenden is an attractive small commuter town which prides itself on retaining a "village" feel with its tree lined High Street, greens, period cottages and Common. The leafy village of Wheathampstead is even closer to WGC and another popular choice for Roche staff.
North of WGC is Knebworth, a popular village accessible by train from WGC and famous for the magnificent Tudor mansion of Knebworth House. Further north via the A1(M) or train is Stevenage, Britain’s first New Town and an important light industrial and commuter town. Divided into neighbourhoods, Stevenage is noted for its parks, leisure facilities and Britain’s first pedestrianised shopping centre while the old town offers pubs, restaurants and shops. South and east of the town are picturesque and quiet villages with price tags to match; Datchworth, Codicote and Benington are all worth a look.
Keep going north and you’ll find more rural areas still well connected to the town by the A1(M) and trains; the stations at Royston, Baldock, Letchworth Garden City and Hitchin all connect to WGC. Letchworth is the world’s first garden city - acclaimed worldwide as the ‘home’ of town planning. Nearby, the old medieval market town of Hitchin nestles at the foot of the Chiltern Hills which are criss-crossed by footpaths and bridleways. Or take a look at Baldock, an important Iron Age and Roman settlement at the intersection of two ancient roads, the Icknield Way and the Great North Road. North and east again near the Cambridgeshire border is Royston, another pleasant old market town with gardens and unusual cave.
Another character and convenient option is Hertford, easily accessible along the A414 to the east of WGC. Set at the meeting place of four rivers and a royal borough for more than 1,000 years, Hertford has Georgian shop fronts, antiques shops, old pubs and restaurants, its own brewery, a grade I listed “castle” and canal. Also once a major centre for brewing on the canalised section of the River Lea is Ware with its old coaching inns and 18th century riverside gazebos.
East from Hertford near the Essex border are the picturesque small town of Sawbridgeworth and the ancient riverside market town of Bishop’s Stortford – once an important staging post on the route between London and Cambridge and now just seven miles from Stanstead airport. In the far south east corner of the county is Broxbourne, a prosperous commuter area which will host the canoe and kayak slalom events of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, and Cheshunt and Waltham Cross, both set on the edge of the Lee Valley Park.
South of WGC and connected by fast train is Potters Bar - another thriving commuter town. South again and west you find Borehamwood - Britain’s very own Hollywood with its film and television studios. Once the setting for well known films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and the original Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies, there are still two studios and the BBC’s Elstree Centre. Elstree itself sits on the Roman Watling Street, with timber framed old houses and inns.
Unlike most New Towns, Hemel Hempstead developed around a charming old settlement which still retains its preserved High Street with 17th and 18th century houses. Now Hertfordshire’s largest settlement, the New town has a vibrant centre with shopping mall, parkland and water gardens. Further west again on the banks of the river and canal and near the Chiltern Hills is Berkhamstead with its 11th century castle where William the Conqueror received the crown of England in 1066. Keep going west and you find pretty Tring with its zoological museum.
A short drive to the west of WGC is St Albans – the county’s oldest town as the site of Verulamium, the third largest city in Roman Britain. The modern town was named after Saint Alban, the first Christian martyr. Today, St Albans manages to be both a commuter haven and a small atmospheric city with thriving boutiques, bars, restaurants and businesses. Nearby Harpenden is an attractive small commuter town which prides itself on retaining a "village" feel with its tree lined High Street, greens, period cottages and Common. The leafy village of Wheathampstead is even closer to WGC and another popular choice for Roche staff.
North of WGC is Knebworth, a popular village accessible by train from WGC and famous for the magnificent Tudor mansion of Knebworth House. Further north via the A1(M) or train is Stevenage, Britain’s first New Town and an important light industrial and commuter town. Divided into neighbourhoods, Stevenage is noted for its parks, leisure facilities and Britain’s first pedestrianised shopping centre while the old town offers pubs, restaurants and shops. South and east of the town are picturesque and quiet villages with price tags to match; Datchworth, Codicote and Benington are all worth a look.
Keep going north and you’ll find more rural areas still well connected to the town by the A1(M) and trains; the stations at Royston, Baldock, Letchworth Garden City and Hitchin all connect to WGC. Letchworth is the world’s first garden city - acclaimed worldwide as the ‘home’ of town planning. Nearby, the old medieval market town of Hitchin nestles at the foot of the Chiltern Hills which are criss-crossed by footpaths and bridleways. Or take a look at Baldock, an important Iron Age and Roman settlement at the intersection of two ancient roads, the Icknield Way and the Great North Road. North and east again near the Cambridgeshire border is Royston, another pleasant old market town with gardens and unusual cave.
Another character and convenient option is Hertford, easily accessible along the A414 to the east of WGC. Set at the meeting place of four rivers and a royal borough for more than 1,000 years, Hertford has Georgian shop fronts, antiques shops, old pubs and restaurants, its own brewery, a grade I listed “castle” and canal. Also once a major centre for brewing on the canalised section of the River Lea is Ware with its old coaching inns and 18th century riverside gazebos.
East from Hertford near the Essex border are the picturesque small town of Sawbridgeworth and the ancient riverside market town of Bishop’s Stortford – once an important staging post on the route between London and Cambridge and now just seven miles from Stanstead airport. In the far south east corner of the county is Broxbourne, a prosperous commuter area which will host the canoe and kayak slalom events of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, and Cheshunt and Waltham Cross, both set on the edge of the Lee Valley Park.
South of WGC and connected by fast train is Potters Bar - another thriving commuter town. South again and west you find Borehamwood - Britain’s very own Hollywood with its film and television studios. Once the setting for well known films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and the original Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies, there are still two studios and the BBC’s Elstree Centre. Elstree itself sits on the Roman Watling Street, with timber framed old houses and inns.
Unlike most New Towns, Hemel Hempstead developed around a charming old settlement which still retains its preserved High Street with 17th and 18th century houses. Now Hertfordshire’s largest settlement, the New town has a vibrant centre with shopping mall, parkland and water gardens. Further west again on the banks of the river and canal and near the Chiltern Hills is Berkhamstead with its 11th century castle where William the Conqueror received the crown of England in 1066. Keep going west and you find pretty Tring with its zoological museum.