Welwyn Garden City The Five Minute Spare Guide

Welwyn Garden City is the second such city founded by Sir Ebenezer Howard in the 20’s has a rich and interesting background.

We recently covered Letchworth Garden City in our travel guides. Both epic cities were built by the same man, a man who designed a new way of city life. It was his dream that countryside and urban living should come together to create a recent version of the city… one that wasn’t filled with smoke and dust. He set out his plans and went on a mission, and the result was the stunning country living found in his Garden Cities.

Howard founded Welwyn in the 1920s but has a culture to rival even the largest of English cities. Let’s take a closer look at how Welwyn came to life, and at the attractions, you might find there if visiting for a staycation.

The Early Days of Welwyn Garden City

The story goes that a well-known Social Reformed named Ebenezer Howard drafted a book theorising how changing the layout of our cities could benefit everyone. The cities could incorporate enough countryside that humans had a better quality of life and were able to live more harmoniously with the land. Remember, this was just after two industrial revolutions had changed the landscape of rural England forever. Ebenezer Howard had the drive and vision to create these towns. His book was released in the 1890s and the plans for his first Garden City – Letchworth – were laid out. He purchased the land for Letchworth in 1905 and started building.

The town’s layout was incredibly ahead of its time. Howard wanted streets lined with trees, avenues with garden areas, and roads with parks on either side. He introduced zoning as a concept, entirely new to British cities. These zones allowed for cordoned off residential areas, retail areas and industrial areas. They improved the quality of life massively. After the success of the Letchworth project, Howard moved on. One theory is that he was ready to spread his wings. Another is that the death of his wife shortly after their move to Letchworth may have soured the town for him.

Howard designed Welwyn to be the perfect town. It would be his masterpiece. Just to clarify: the Garden Cities Town Planning Association defined a garden city as a town that they designed for healthy living and industry big enough to make social life possible, but no larger to preserve the rural belt. The land that the city-operated on should be the property of the community by way of trust so that all profits poured back into the growth and progress of the town.

Welwyn was his second attempt. The land exchanged hands in 1919 and the Second Garden City Limited was set up to oversee development. As much as he was a genius, he was not good at naming companies. The Second Garden City Project was set up on a site near the existing village of Digswell, and the project founders initially called it that but changed it to Welwyn after less than a week. In April 1920, the company became Welwyn Garden City Limited and Sir Theodore Chambers sat as chair. The town planner and architect were Louis de Soissons. The company bought the first house before the end of the year and urban planners designed the town around a neo-Georgian town centre with three long streets.

Every road in the town has grass on either side. It has a dominant rural feel and green belt areas surround it. There was only one shop – Welwyn Stores – but the monopoly made residents angry and John Lewis finally took over back in the 80s.

Welwyn became a New Town to mop up overspill from London in 1948, in the wake of WWII. We will cover this a little later. First, we want to know about Digswell… the ancient part of Welwyn which a garden nearly swallowed.

The History of Digswell

We were surprised to find the Garden City of Welwyn in the Open Domesday book. We didn’t think it existed until 1920. However, the nearby town of Digswell did exist, and this made the insert interesting to read. Welwyn was a settlement in Broad water in Hertfordshire. Letchworth was also in Broad water Hundred. The old feudal system meant breaking the towns into groups of one hundred to make them easier to rule. By the account in the Domesday Survey of 1086, it was a large settlement with 6 different landowners.

The Bishop of Chester owned half a field. Robert of Gernon owned 3 villagers, 6 smallholders, 1 cottager, and 2 slaves. William of Eu owned 5 villagers, 2 cottagers, no slaves, and several fields. Geoffrey of Bec chose to keep a slave and had a similar number of villagers and smallholders. He also had woodland with 20 pigs, a mill, and several fields.

The most interesting entry is for “Land of Priest, one.” The priest owned 6 smallholders, 2 cottagers, and lots of lands. He had a church and woodland, 50 pigs, some fields and a meadow. It was a rich man indeed who had a field he could afford not to plough.

This close to London, we note the Norman influence in the names of the landowners. By 1086, William the conqueror had apportioned the best lands to his favourites as rewards. Digswell comprised some 1,673 total acres in recent maps. You can read about how the land passed down between nobility from the Norman invasion right down to modern times over on British History.

To this day, the village centre of Digswell and the town centre of Welwyn Garden City are about four miles apart. However, the two towns have swollen to touching point. This accounts for some of the confusion about place names and certainly gives us a good reason as to why Welwyn Garden City appears in the Domesday Book under the name of the lands of Welwyn.

Fun Trivia About Welwyn Garden City

Let’s take a breather from all the confusing history of the town. In a minute we are going to move on to the interesting turn of events that occurred in Welwyn Garden City when the government designated Welwyn a New Town under the New Town Act of 1946. For now, let’s have a look at some of the more light-hearted trivia we have dug up dig up just in case you are stuck for something to discuss.

Some fun facts about Welwyn Garden City include:

• Just in case you missed it above: Welwyn city was originally going to take Digswell’s name, but this lasted a grand total of 6 days before the corporation changed it to Welwyn Garden City.
• There were thereafter 30 appeals to the corporation to change it back in the following years. Some people genuinely prefer the name ‘Digswell’ to ‘Welwyn Garden City.’ It’s like preferring to live in the kingdom of the mountain men instead of the glittering capital city in the computer game.
• In 1924, the naming saga continued. Ebenezer Howard himself supported the Welwyn name choice. There was a vote and the townsfolk cast 141 votes. 118 of those were for Welwyn Garden City.
• Other suggestions for the name of the town included Welwyn Town, Penwlewyn (Welwyn on a hill), Handside (no idea), and Welwyn South…
• Welwyn is exactly 20 miles from King’s Cross. Nowadays the 46k strong population are commuter based.
• There is a Roman Bath under J6 of the A1 inside a steel vault. Yep. So the Romans were here too, somewhere…
• The original Garden City down the road held a vote on the sale of alcohol when they first built it. They voted against the sale of alcohol and the town remained dry for years afterwards. Nobody made the mistake of giving Welwyn any such vote.

That’s quite enough of that. We are all named out. Let’s return to history. It’s less mind-boggling.

Modern History – the New Town

Once the town of Welwyn became the Garden City we know and love today, things started to blast off for them. Weirdly, the first thing that went up after the houses was the formation of a football team in 1921. The same year, the town gained the Welwyn Garden City Theatre Society and became a civil parish. The Golf Club came 2 years later in 1923.

The Welwyn Garden City Operatic Society first met in 1927 and the same year saw the local government district created. IT lasted until 1974. In 1928 the Welwyn Theatre had its first show. In 1931, Welwyn Rugby Club played their first match and the recorded population of the town was 8,586 people. The following year, the Barn Theatre at Handside (turns out it’s an area of the town) had their first show. The City Brass Band met in 1934 and the following year the railway had a disastrous crash.

The Welwyn Garden Rail Crash

The Welwyn Garden City Rail Crash happened on 15^th June 1935. Two trains collided, killing 13 and injuring a further 85. One train was en route from London to Newcastle, the other from London to Leeds. The crash was attributed to a new signaller who made an error. This was not the only crash here. In 1957, a train running between London and Aberdeen failed to see the signalman’s lights through the mist and continued into the back of a local train. Only 25 people were injured this time, but it does highlight that this is a dangerous section of the track.

In 1965 the Welwyn Garden City High School and the Attimore High School opened. Townsfolk later combined them through the urban planner into the Sir Frederic Osborn School. In 1971 the population was 40,451 people. The corporation ended in 1972 and, in 1990, the Howard Centre opened its first store. The population in 2001 was 43,252.

Modern Welwyn Garden City is a beautiful area that has managed to preserve its relationship with clean living and a healthy lifestyle. Urban planning still follows some of those same rules that Howard set out, all the way back then. The combination of green space balanced with concrete breeds a different pace of lifestyle. It is a popular place to raise your kids because it feels safer. The community spirit is impressive for a town in rural England. We say long may it continue.

Famous People from Welwyn

Just like any other town within driving distance of the UK capital, Welwyn Garden City has had its fair share of famous faces. We researched the most famous people from Welwyn so you know who you might meet over the cheeses in the local Tesco. Though if they’re really rich, try Waitrose.

Some famous people to have lived in or come from Welwyn Garden City include:

• Nobel Prize Laureate and German environmentalist Klaus Hasselman grew up here.
• Presenter and singer Alesha Dixon
• Documentary filmmaker Desmond Wilcox.
• A bunch of cricketers, including Simon Cowley, Stephen Dean, and Tom Pearman
• Even more footballers, including Luke Amos, Alex Davey, Oliver Skipp, Harry Toffolo, and Damian Batt.
• Famous novelist Lewis Grassic Gibbon
• And actor Aiden Turner.

That’s a proportionately large number of famous people for such a small, large town. It just goes to show that your career will only take off if you live in the south… not that we’re bitter or anything.

On with the show!

The Best Attractions in Welwyn Garden City

And now we get the best part of the article – the part where we celebrate all the things about Welwyn Garden City that locals and tourists love. Here are all the things you ought to see and do in Welwyn when you visit.

Historic Sites and Landmarks

There are not a lot of local landmarks, given the newness of the town. Anything that wasn’t built in the infrastructure included in the original plans, was extended when the town became a New Town in 1948. As such, there have been lots of additions to the same areas, that are locally well-known but not internationally renowned enough to be real landmarks. As such, we present you with the Campus West combined cinema and soft play area.

It looks like a castle from the outside and on it the inside it entertains all age groups. It’s such an odd layout but it works. To add to the confusion, locals call it the Campus, even though it’s not a campus. It also includes a Roller city roller-skate rink and a café and lounge. Catch a show, go on a skate-date, have a drink, drink some coffee, and drop the kids off at soft play, all in one convenient location.

Galleries and Museums

Howard built this town to encourage a cultural and creative flow. As such, they built the New Maynard Gallery to highlight some of the best pieces. This art gallery is an innovatively appointed community art gallery, which helps the community highlight those with artistic talent through ongoing programs and activities. It entertains and engages the kids, allows them to highlight their work, and has all the benefits of a regular art gallery. Go see some artwork and be generous. It’s a cool project.

The town has a few museums that you may want to visit. We mentioned that there is a Roman bath in a steel vault under the A1 motorway and we were not kidding. You can go see this evidence of the life and times of people prior to 4 AD by visiting the Welwyn Roman Baths. This place runs the St Albans Young Archaeologists Club, too. The baths are about 1,800 years old.

Lastly, check out the Mill Green Museum in the city. This place has a magnificent working waterwheel that was used to power the mill. You can learn about the industrial eras that powered the growth of the town before it became a Garden City. It’s an interesting exhibit that regularly hosts schools.

Outdoor Attractions

 

The town of Welwyn has plenty of outdoor spaces for you to enjoy. Stanborough Park is a favourite among locals and tourists alike. It covers a whopping 126 acres of meadow, forest, picnic area, and has two lakes. Watch birds, explore marshlands, build a home in the forest… whatever you need. The park runs regular events out of pandemic times, hosting shows and live air gigs all year round. You can visit the café, explore the hikes, stop at the swing park… the possibilities are endless.

Inside this fantastic park, you will find Vertigo Adventures. This adventure playground is all raised up off the ground. If you want to take part in the fun, you shouldn’t be afraid of heights. This park features zip lines that let you see the surrounding area from height, tire swings, rope swings, tightrope walking, and more. If you want to have a great laugh while keeping the kids entertained, this activity day will teach them not to be afraid of heights.

Sports and Recreation

Recreationally speaking, this town was set up to be a cultural masterpiece. That means there’s usually a theatre running a show near you. One of the top attractions in town is the Barn Theatre. They run a youth theatre element for the local kids that keeps them off the cold mean, floral streets. They have an amateur dramatic society that encourages the locals to get involved and create. They also run classic shows like Christmas pantos and the musicals that fall out of fame in London. It’s always worth seeing what’s on here if you are stopping in Welwyn for a few days. Oh. And it has a bar.

As for Golf, this is England. You can go west for the Panshanger Golf Complex. You can head south for the Gosling Sports Park and Golf Range, head east for the Brocket Park Golf Club, or stick with the home turf and visit the Welwyn Garden City Golf Club.

As for football, Welwyn Garden City F.C. play in the Southern League Division One Central. They play in the Gosling Stadium which was not in honour of Ryan. You can see their information here.

Shopping and Retail

There are a surprisingly high number of spas and saunas in town. Asides from this, you can go antiquing here and venture into the surrounding countryside for similar stores. The best shops are in the centre of town, which spreads out over a half-mile or so. The Howard Centre offers the best shopping experience in town John Lewis Holdings took over it back in the eighties. That hints that you need to have a little money to shop there.

Other Notable Attractions in Welwyn Garden City

If you have stuck the article out this far, you must live in Welwyn. You might even be planning on visiting for an extended period. Whatever the reason for it, you should visit these other fun sites while you are passing through:

• Check out Nicole and Jos Beauty salon
• Take the trip into London and do the Warner Bros Studio Tour
• Visit St Albans Cathedral in the City
• Go explore the nationally admired Leavesden Country Park
• Visit the Amaravati Buddhist Monastery

Herts and Hertfordshire have everything to offer the world. No matter what it is you like, you will find a version of it in this county. Go explore and have an exciting time.

How to get to Welwyn?

If you are visiting, you need to know how to get there. We don’t have the best sense of direction, but if you follow these loose instructions, you might make it there. If not, there’s always Google Maps.

By Road

Head out of London on the A1 until you see signs.

By Rail

Welwyn Garden City Railway Station is on the Great Northern line.

By Air

Your nearest airport is London Luton Airport.

By Sea

Alas, you are landlocked but if you were really determined to use your boat you could disembark at Bell Wharf Beach in Essex and get a taxi for the last 41 and a bit miles.

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