www.wgccityoftrees.org.uk

bus back to the town town the to back bus on town the in trees wonderful the on

The City of Trees project provides information information provides project Trees of City The town, and catch a 403 403 a catch and town,

urban trees in the the in trees urban

circular route at the top of a zigzag slope. zigzag a of top the at route circular illustrating the unusual unusual the illustrating

for around three quarters of a mile, joining the the joining mile, a of quarters three around for wgccityoftrees.org.uk) wgccityoftrees.org.uk)

until the mid-1960s. Walk the disused railway line line railway disused the Walk mid-1960s. the until Trees route (www. route Trees

to run trains from Hatfield to and Dunstable Dunstable and Luton to Hatfield from trains run to Centenary City of of City Centenary

a path down onto the disused railway line that used used that line railway disused the onto down path a can also link into the the into link also can

the cinema and right through the carpark. There is is There carpark. the through right and cinema the V playing fields you you fields playing V

Campus at the pelican crossing, turn left towards towards left turn crossing, pelican the at Campus From King George George King From

Ad Astra statue amid the plane trees. Cross the the Cross trees. plane the amid statue Astra Ad

bridge.

Campus green space where you can admire the the admire can you where space green Campus

after the second second the after

the fountain, and then right along Parkway to the the to Parkway along right then and fountain, the

in the nature reserve reserve nature the in the circular walk. circular the

This route takes you from the shopping centre to to centre shopping the from you takes route This

with the circular walk walk circular the with a footbridge over the River Lea to join join to Lea River the over footbridge a

Towns. This path joins joins path This Towns. (Route marked in blue on the map) the on blue in marked (Route and stay alongside the A1(M) to cross cross to A1(M) the alongside stay and

Commission for New New for Commission circumnavigate the obvious mound mound obvious the circumnavigate

owned by the the by owned Take the right hand path to to path hand right the Take

the cricket green. cricket the

in 1998 and originally originally and 1998 in

circuit follows Gypsy Lane and turns left at at left turns and Lane Gypsy follows circuit

Stanborough Park. Stanborough

officially designated designated officially

golf course on this corner; the anticlockwise anticlockwise the corner; this on course golf

Cross over onto a footpath into into footpath a onto over Cross

Local Nature Reserve, Reserve, Nature Local

centenary walk goes through the Mill Green Green Mill the through goes walk centenary

until you come to a T-junction. T-junction. a to come you until

through The Commons Commons The through

with Gypsy Lane. The clockwise circuit of the the of circuit clockwise The Lane. Gypsy with

Handside Lane and walk for a mile mile a for walk and Lane Handside

path over the bridge bridge the over path

comes out onto Ascots Lane at the junction junction the at Lane Ascots onto out comes

onto Russellcroft Rd. Turn left into into left Turn Rd. Russellcroft onto

ahead and follow the the follow and ahead

of the cul-de-sac is a path on the left which which left the on path a is cul-de-sac the of

to the fountain and cross straight straight cross and fountain the to

metal kissing gate gate kissing metal

pine trees and a pond on the right. At the end end the At right. the on pond a and trees pine

Walk from the shopping centre centre shopping the from Walk

right, go through the the through go right,

first left then right into Bennett Close, past tall tall past Close, Bennett into right then left first

this route to the lakes at Stanborough. at lakes the to route this As the road bends bends road the As

Willow House. Follow the road forwards, go go forwards, road the Follow House. Willow

302 from the town centre runs down down runs centre town the from 302

small path on the right just before a sign to to sign a before just right the on path small Avenue. Queen’s

of the town centre heritage trail. Bus Bus trail. heritage centre town the of

At the end of Hollybush Lane, turn left, cross the road then go down a a down go then road the cross left, turn Lane, Hollybush of end the At down left then right turn road, the cross Sheepcote, of end the At City.

nal town and are part are and town nal i orig the of part historic this in interest of points the

workers, replacing the “Mud Chapel”. “Mud the replacing workers, Garden the of parts other in seen windows round characteristic the

Note the QR codes on lampposts which highlight (with your smartphone) smartphone) your (with highlight which lampposts on codes QR the Note

was founded by Lord Salisbury in 1882 for the use of his tenants and and tenants his of use the for 1882 in Salisbury Lord by founded was with some Soissons, de Louis by designed were and area conservation

using cheaper materials and methods after the First World War. World First the after methods and materials cheaper using Lane, past St Mary Magdalene, the parish church of Hatfield Hyde. This This Hyde. Hatfield of church parish the Magdalene, Mary St past Lane, Beehive the in are houses These Sheepcote. to Moorlands along walk

Village where 41 houses were built to demonstrate different building styles styles building different demonstrate to built were houses 41 where Village enjoyment of the people”. From the car park, cross Beehive Lane and and Lane Beehive cross park, car the From people”. the of enjoyment Homestead Lane and left again at the War Memorial onto Hollybush Hollybush onto Memorial War the at again left and Lane Homestead

including the 17C Barn Theatre. It is also the site of the Daily Mail Model Model Mail Daily the of site the also is It Theatre. Barn 17C the including of Great Britain and Northern Ireland of playing fields for the use and and use the for fields playing of Ireland Northern and Britain Great of the memorial gateway, with engraved heraldic plaques. Turn left along along left Turn plaques. heraldic engraved with gateway, memorial the

takes in Handside Lane, with many properties that are older than the town, town, the than older are that properties many with Lane, Handside in takes and to assist in the establishment throughout the United Kingdom Kingdom United the throughout establishment the in assist to and across the field to the kissing gate or follow the path through the park to to park the through path the follow or gate kissing the to field the across

This historic walking route from the town centre to Stanborough Lakes Lakes Stanborough to centre town the from route walking historic This This route starts from King George V playing fields, created “to promote promote “to created fields, playing V George King from starts route This Start from the King George V playing fields car park. Either walk left left walk Either park. car fields playing V George King the from Start

(Route marked in blue on the map) the on blue in marked (Route (Route marked in green on the map) the on green in marked (Route (Route marked in green on the map) the on green in marked (Route

Handside Spoke Spoke Handside Sherrardspark Wood Spoke Wood Sherrardspark Hatfield Hyde Spoke Hyde Hatfield Spoke Beehive Accessing the walk via the via walk the Accessing Accessing the walk via the the via walk the Accessing the via walk the Accessing Accessing the walk via the the via walk the Accessing

Getting There The Walk WGC Centenary 2020 Spokes radiate from urban out to the Centenary Circular Walk to enable residents and visitors to navigate from Town to The circular walk around Welwyn Garden City combines Welwyn Garden City may be much younger than many Countryside, echoing Ebenezer Howard’s vision of ‘a marriage of town and existing footpaths into a single, well-marked trail with towns and cities, but it has a remarkable history. There country. is real pride and much affection for Welwyn Garden City information about historical points of interest associated with Two spokes start from Howardsgate in the centre of town, accessible by among its residents who recognise the town as a great train, bus and car. Two start from King George V playing fields, which has a the garden city to be seen along the way. place to live, to work, and to raise a family. On its 100th free car park and good bus connections. anniversary in 2020, it’s time to celebrate! The walk is one of the signature projects created for the Centenary in 2020 Frequent trains run from London and Cambridge to Welwyn Garden City. WELWYN GARDEN CITY which celebrate Ebenezer Howard’s vision of creating a ‘marriage of town Welwyn Garden City : History and the Garden City Movement Bus 302 runs from the town centre to Stanborough Lakes. and country’. Walking promotes individual health and wellbeing, enables The industrial revolution in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth Buses 301, 403, 724 all run from the town centre bus station to the QEII people to get out and about to learn more about the town where they live century had created not only new technology and smoke-belching Hospital, which is the closest stop to King George V playing fields. or work, and enjoy the beautiful countryside around the town. factories, but also a momentous rise in urban populations. By the late nineteenth century, the great industrial towns had evolved into sunless Buses do not always run on Sundays. You can access the circular trail via the ‘Spokes’ which radiate from the slums characterised by extreme poverty. Reform was imperative and CIRCULAR WALK town, with bus routes to and from the town centre. Car parks on the route are at Stanborough Lakes (chargeable) and came in the shape of the Garden City Movement. Viaduct (free). Close to the route are King George V (free) and Campus 20.20 km (12.5 miles) There is also a one-mile accessible circular trail around The Commons and West (chargeable). The Garden City Movement was a visionary alternative to the chaos and part of the Local Nature Reserve. squalor of urban life. It was the brainchild of the pioneering Ebenezer The route crosses some fast main roads and two golf courses, so be aware Howard, who proposed a better civilisation through better housing, and keep yourself safe. Follow the orange arrows either clockwise or anti-clockwise. better union between town and country, and better community bonds. If you notice any flytipping, please report itwelhat.gov.uk/report-fly-tipping Thanks to his tireless energy and toil, Britain’s two Garden Cities were created, Letchworth Garden City (1903) and Welwyn Garden City (1920) as models of sustainable development In 1919, Howard purchased at auction a rolling green tract of countryside and created Welwyn Garden City to a master plan. Louis de Soissons, as its architect and master planner, designed a place of beauty characterised by neo-Georgian buildings, elegant boulevards and generous open spaces. Our walk explores the surrounding villages and countryside which is largely unchanged from this time.

This walk and leaflet is supported by:

www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/walkingandcycling

Designed and Produced by Red Echo Design Ltd. [email protected] 07711 593792 To find out more about the 2020 celebrations visit www.wgc100.org © Crown copyright 2019 OS 40137661 Map illustration created by Stephen Hill 1. Stanborough Park/Lakes 13. Lemsford Mill This area has been a leisure destination A 12th century working mill until 1913 for over 100 years, covering 126 acres of when it became a private residence park and woodland featuring two lakes and later an engineering works, it is now created in 1969. The River Lea runs the the headquarters of Ramblers Walking entire length of the park. Originally people 12 Holidays. It is one of four mills on the River 10 8 would come to take tea and have picnics, 9 Lea that are mentioned in the Domesday and then there were organised football 11 Book in 1086. The village of Lemsford was matches. Since 1970, the Lakes have 7 established in 1858. offered water sports, boating, fishing and 15Km areas for children’s activities. Nesting herons and egrets are regular visitors.

13

14 6 5

10Km

The path under the 2. Stanborough Reedmarsh A1(M) at 1 Stanborough 0/20Km 14. Lemsford Springs Managed by Herts & Middlesex Wildlife is prone to Trust, this reedmarsh is home to three flooding A detour to the bottom of the village takes hectares of rich wildlife habitat. It is the you to this beautiful nature reserve which third largest reedbed in Hertfordshire. A is managed by Herts & Middlesex Wildlife small detour off the walk takes you on a Trust and is an important habitat for wintering short loop of the area and returns you to birds as the natural spring-fed lagoons never the path. freeze over. The reserve used to contain vast watercress beds, a vital source of vitamin 3. Mill Green Museum and Mill 2 C for the population of London during the This Mill has stood in the Hatfield hamlet Victorian era. The site’s history also dates of Mill Green for eight centuries, grinding back to the Domesday Book. corn and wheat for the local community until 1911. Restoration work began in 1979 and was completed in 1986. You can now art by hilly: 07732 511526 [email protected] see a miller at work, grinding organic 5Km wheat into 100% wholemeal organic flour. The museum is situated in the original miller’s house and has three galleries with a changing programme of exhibitions. 4 It also delivers a full programme of Refreshments and facilities 3 Please check opening hours On the route: • Stanborough Park café • Tewin Bury Farm restaurant • The Red Lion • The Waggoners 8. Digswell Viaduct 11. Sherrardspark Wood Local Nature Reserve activities including bread making classes. There is an onsite café. For more A short diversion off the route: information see www.millgreenmuseum.co.uk. 13 million locally manufactured bricks were used to build this magnificent In the centre of this ancient woodland is the well-known Six Ways junction, • Mill Green Museum café • Moors Walk shops 4. The Commons Local Nature Reserve structure that opened in 1850. The viaduct was designed by architect Sir which was an 18th Century carriage-way meeting point. The volunteer William Cubitt. The bridge has 40 arches each spanning 40ft and 100ft wood wardens, who maintain this • The Hedgehog • Knightsfield shops An ancient 13.2 hectare woodland nature reserve which includes a variety high, and the viaduct still SSSI (Site of Special Scientific • The Sun at Lemsford of habitats of oak woodland, flower rich meadows, wet fens, ditches and carries trains to London. It Interest) woodland, also offer many • The Long and Short Arm, Lemsford ponds. This woodland is maintained by volunteers on behalf of WHBC. A is said that Queen Victoria guided walks on the flora, fauna ten-year grant-funded programme of habitat work was agreed during 2014. was too frightened to cross and geology of the woodland. Sometimes rare breed cattle are used on the reserve as a way of managing it on the day of opening and (sherrardsparkwoodwardens.org.uk) Accessible circuit the land in a natural way to maintain flower-rich meadows. insisted on being taken down 12. Brocket Hall We have created a wide, flat, surfaced circular track extending for 5. Tewin Bury Nature Reserve the valley and up the other side by horse-drawn carriage. This classical mansion was built a mile and incorporating part of The Commons Local Nature Reserve Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust in 1776, although there have been manage a small but diverse 9. Digswell Church buildings on this site dating back wildlife reserve nestling here in of St John to 1239. The golf courses are the Mimram Valley where a two An early 12th century church named Palmerston and Melbourne storey hide gives great views adapted over the centuries with its present refurbishment completed in in honour of these resident prime ministers, and Queen Victoria visited of the wildlife in the lagoon and 1962. The church contains a memorial plaque regularly between 1835 and 1841. It is worth a short detour to stand on the surrounding reedbeds. depicting St George dedicated to the 73 beautiful Palladian bridge and admire the hall from this vantage point. 6. Tewin Bury Farm Hotel Australian soldiers nursed in the Parish during WW1. The Australian flag is also on permanent An 18th century working farm with display. On the sanctuary floor of the old part buildings converted into a hotel of the church there is a brass memorial to Sir and conference centre. This farm John Perient, who was standard bearer to King has been owned and worked by the Williams family since the Depression Richard II. of 1929, when they drove their cattle down from their smallholding in Wales to the railway station and took them on the train to Paddington and on to 10. Digswell House Welwyn North. They opened a farm shop, followed by tea rooms and bed- There was originally a 15th century manor on this site. The grounds were and-breakfast accommodation in 1985, which has since been developed landscaped by Capability Brown in 1771-1773. Between 1805 and 1807, the into a 4-star hotel and restaurant. manor became a mansion built in the Neo-Classical style. During the first 7. Tewin Bury to Digswell concrete path world war, it served as a hospital for the Australian Auxiliary Forces. It was used as a conference centre, boarding house and retreat. After 1959, was It is said that this path was constructed by Italian prisoners of war after 1916. a venue for artists and sculptors, which became the Digswell Arts Trust. Remains of the concrete construction can still be seen. It is now a Grade II listed building converted into private apartments.