Located just 25 minutes from London in vibrant central Hertfordshire, Welwyn Hatfield is home to a wealth of culture and history, excellent sport and leisure facilities, beautiful countryside, and great transport links.
Welwyn Garden City, one of only two garden cities in the country, has everything you’d expect from a vibrant town centre combined with beautiful floral displays, iconic trees, and award-winning parks. It celebrates its first centenary in 2020.
Hatfield mixes history with modern living, with plenty of great entertainment on offer including a multiplex cinema, and a range of independent shops and restaurants as well as The Galleria a designer outlet centre with over 80 shops. The town is also home to historic gems including Hatfield House and the Eight Bells public house – where Charles Dickens is rumoured to have had a tipple or two!
Regular community events are held throughout the year including Hatfield’s weekly market and Welwyn Garden City’s annual World Food Festival in May, plus the iconic Game Fair, hosted every July.
Other nearby attractions include:
- Voted Hertfordshire’s ‘hidden gem’ in the Herts Tourism Awards 2017, Mill Green Mill and Museum is an 18th century working watermill and museum
- Tunnel through time with a visit to Welwyn Roman Baths, although you won’t be able to take a hot bath any more – as the boiler went out about 1,800 years ago when the Romans left, the site is still home to some fascinating remains.
- Containing the only dedicated skating rink in Hertfordshire, and home to a three-screen cinema, Campus West in Welwyn Garden City is a premier entertainment venue, and it also includes a Soft Play centre, a 320-seat theatre, café, and bar!
- Stanborough Park comprises two large lakes and 126 acres of award-winning parkland. There are nature walks and orienteering trails with maps, a children’s play area, Vertigo Adventure’s high and low ropes course, angling, and a sailing lake. Rowing boats and pedalos are available to hire and it is the home of the Herts Disability Sports Hub.
- Hatfield House built in 1611 on the site of the former Hatfield Palace was the principal residence for Elizabeth I for three years prior to her becoming queen in 1558. The house is open to the public for tours and events and for visits to its Old Courtyard shops.
- On the west side of Hatfield House, covering an area of approximately 25 acres and hosting animals in a natural countryside setting, is Hatfield Park Farm.
- Officially opened by Queen Victoria in 1850, the Welwyn Viaduct, also called the Digswell Viaduct, is a Grade II* listed railway structure easily visible from the nearby village of Digswell.
- Formerly known as the Fairway Tavern the wonderful The View Bar & Kitchen is the perfect place to enjoy a delicious dinner with friends and family; and just across the road you will find Tewin Bury Farm Hotel, a 4-star Hotel set in the beautiful Hertfordshire countryside along the River Mimram.
- The Hertfordshire Game Fair between 26th - 28th July, is the annual gathering for people passionate about countryside traditions and the Great British Countryside. Suitable for the whole family to discover all the traditional food and drinks, enjoy all of the displays and shows, including horse and hounds,falconry and fishing.
How to get here
For more information on Welwyn Hatfield visit the borough council's website here.
