Welwyn Garden City
| Welwyn Garden City | |
|---|---|
| Population | 55,000 |
| OS grid reference | TL245135 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WELWYN GARDEN CITY |
| Postcode district | AL7, AL8 |
| Dialling code | 01707 (OLD: 0707) |
| Police | Hertfordshire |
| Fire | Hertfordshire |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
Welwyn Garden City is a town (not a city) in Hertfordshire, England. Welwyn Garden City, or traditionally Welwyn Garden to its residents, is also referred to in Council parlance as WGC or, somewhat incorrectly, "Welwyn". This can cause confusion as the village of Welwyn actually lies a few kilometres to the northwest of WGC.
The principal historic significance of the town lies in its planning. It is an exemplar of the physical, social and cultural ideals of the period in which it was conceived. In planning terms its significance is global, attracting visitors from around the world.
The visual amenity within the town centre is dominated by the central mall or scenic parkway, almost a mile long.
History
Welwyn Garden City, as its name suggests, is a garden city, founded by Sir Ebenezer Howard in the 1920s following his previous experiment in Letchworth Garden City, and designed by Louis de Soissons. Howard had called for the creation of new towns - of limited size, planned in advance and surrounded by a permanent belt of agricultural land - as a role model for lower-density suburban development. Howard believed that such Garden Cities were the perfect blend of city and nature.
Welwyn Garden City has, since local government reorganisation, been part of the greater Welwyn Hatfield District. While Hatfield has retained its own town council (albeit limited in responsibilities), Welwyn Garden City has not, and its position within the District is anomalous since the village of Welwyn also has its own parish council. However, there are indications that a change could be on the way with the establishment of Welwyn Garden City Council, so returning individuality and Garden City civic identity to the town.
One of the lesser known ideas of the city's architects was that all citizens of the town would shop in the same shop. Thus the Welwyn Store was established as a central landmark on the 'Campus' (a centrally-located green semi-circular area in the town). Commercial pressures have ensured much more competition and variety since, and the Welwyn Department Store is now part of the John Lewis Partnership group of stores.
Industry
Welwyn Garden City is well known by avid readers of the side of breakfast cereal boxes in Britain as the town where Shredded Wheat and Shreddies are made, at the former Nabisco factory (now part of Nestlé). The factory is due to close within the next few years, as Nestlé says that the current site is too small, and that production should be moved to Wiltshire.
One company that seems to be committed to Welwyn Garden City is Tesco, which has a substantial head office site in the north of the town (The company's main headquarters are in Cheshunt). The former supermarket chain Fine Fare (now part of Somerfield) had its head office in the town at one time.
Welwyn Garden City has a strong commercial base bringing much employment to the area with companies such as Xerox, Roche, Vega Group, Schering-Plough, Carl Zeiss, Danish Bacon, IBM, PayPoint, Threshers Group, Nikko, Baxter, Argos Direct, British Lead Mills and many others.
ICI Paints and Textiles used to be in Welwyn Garden City until the early 1990s.
Planning permission has been approved for the UK's largest datacentre to be constructed on the old SmithKline site at Mundells Roundabout (recently purchased for £10.8 Million.)
Interesting Facts
- The Boulting Brothers' crime classic Brighton Rock starring Richard Attenborough was made at Associated British Picture Corporation's Welwyn Garden City Studios.
- The BBC TV series Superstars was filmed on location in Welwyn Garden City throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
- The main shopping centre is known as The Howard Centre, after Sir Ebenezer Howard.[1] The centre also forms part of Welwyn Garden City railway station.
- Until a mistake in 2005, there were no street names with the word "street" in the town. [citation needed]
- An independent music store, City Sounds, was listed number 8 in the Top 10 independent stores in the country. [citation needed]
- In recent times the town has held occasional French and Italian markets, and a more diverse European market.
- Ebenezer Howard planted an apple tree in the garden of every original house. [citation needed]
- In 1929 Sir Henry Birkin built the first 'blower' Bentley at his engineering works in Broadwater Road.
- Following the establishment of Letchworth Garden City and prior to the commencement of Welwyn Garden City, Ebenezer Howard wrote "A city will arise as superior in its beauty and magnificence to our first crude attempt as the finished canvas of a great artist to the rough and untaught attempts of a schoolboy."
- George Bernard Shaw, a close friend and supporter of Howard, gave him the nickname Ebenezer the Garden City Geyser, in recognition of Howard's continual 'spouting forth' on the advantages of Garden City living.
- In 1948 The Times Newspaper printed the statement that "Welwyn Garden City made The New Towns Act possible."
- Welwyn Garden City has the unique distinction of being both Garden City and New Town.
- The town has its own exclusive environmental protection legislation - The Scheme of Management for Welwyn Garden City.
- Cambridge professor of architecture Andrew Saint has commented "Welwyn Garden City is one of modern Europe's greatest success stories in town-making."
- The problems of metropolitan and regional development and urban sprawl, and the need for harmony and ecology are prompting a current resurgance of interest in the Garden City ethos and the kinds of neighbourhoods and communities Howard advocated.[2]
People
Famous former and current Welwyn Garden City residents include ;
- Sir Ebenezer Howard father of the Garden City and founder of the Town & Country Planning Association, Guessens Road.
- Sir Frederic Osborn champion of the New Towns and chairman of the Town & Country Planning Association, Guessens Road.
- Sir Theodore Chambers chairman of Welwyn Garden City Limited, Guessens Road.
- Louis de Soissons architect of the town, Guessens Road and High Oaks.
- Dame Flora Robson stage and screen actress, Handside Lane.
- Lisa Sheridan royal photographer, Parkway.
- S*M*A*S*H, The Subways, The Bush The Tree and Me, The Astronauts, David James (England goalkeeper), Damien Hirst (artist), Nick Faldo (golfer), Lisa Snowdon (model), Mick Taylor (Rolling Stones), and FIFA Referee Mark Halsey.
Popular culture
References to Welwyn Garden City occur in popular culture, typically in a humorous context on account of its long and peculiar sounding name, or as an example of a typical suburban commuter town. Examples include Keep the Aspidistra Flying by George Orwell, as well as a sketch in Alas Smith and Jones. It is also mentioned in the show Porridge (TV series), as the place where the prison psychiatrist worked previously to Slade Prison. Singer/Songwriter Edwyn Collins released a tribute to the town as a B-side to his UK Top 40 single, "The Magic Piper Of Love".
References
- ^ Welwyn and Hatfield Times. "" Welwyn Garden City"". Retrieved 2007-03-01.
- ^ Schuyler, David: "Garden City to Green City" (Schuyler is Shadek Professor of Humanities and Professor of American Studies)