Letchworth

Letchworth Garden City, commonly known as Letchworth, is a town in the North Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire, England. It is special because it was the very first garden city in the world. In the year 2021, about 33,990 people lived in the town.

For most of its history, Letchworth was just a small village. But in 1903, a man named Ebenezer Howard and his friends bought land there. They wanted to build a new kind of town. This town would have homes, jobs, and parks all close together, so people could live comfortably without losing the beauty of the countryside.

The town was designed by two architects, Raymond Unwin and Barry Parker. They made sure there were plenty of green spaces. One of the first roundabouts in the United Kingdom, Sollershott Circus, was built there around 1909. Even today, Letchworth still has big areas for businesses and jobs. The town is about 32 miles north of London, making it a good place for people who work in the city but want to live outside it.

Because it was the first garden city, Letchworth helped shape how towns are planned all over the world. It inspired other places like Welwyn Garden City, Canberra in Australia, and many more.

History

Before the Garden City: Old Letchworth

The area now called Letchworth has been home to people since very old times. A fort from the Bronze Age, built around 700 BC, stood on Wilbury Hill next to an old road called Icknield Way. By the time of the Norman Conquest, Letchworth was a small village with just nine families. The village had a church built in the 12th century.

The early days of the Garden City

In 1898, a man named Ebenezer Howard wrote about a new way to build towns. He called them "garden cities." These towns would mix the best parts of cities and the countryside. In 1903, people bought land in Letchworth to build the first garden city. Architects Raymond Unwin and Barry Parker designed the town’s layout.

The first houses were built in 1904. The town was named "Letchworth (Garden City)" but later became just "Letchworth." A public hall was built in memory of Ebenezer Howard’s wife, who passed away before moving there.

Industry

Many different businesses started in Letchworth. One made special clothing items. Others made parachutes, publishing books, and machines for counting. A big power station was built in the 1920s but closed down in the 1970s.

Housing

The first houses were simple and close to the town center. After World War II, large areas of housing for families were built. Private houses were added later as rules about building changed.

UK's first roundabout

Letchworth had the United Kingdom’s first roundabout. It was built in 1908 at a place where several roads met. It was called Sollershott Circus.

Wider impact of garden city

Letchworth’s idea influenced many other places, like Welwyn Garden City in England and towns in Australia, Germany, Finland, and Latvia.

Letchworth today

The town is cared for by a special group. It has parks, a farm visitors can enjoy, and a cinema. Some parts of the town are well-kept, while others have had more challenges. The town’s name was changed to "Letchworth Garden City" in its centenary year.

Governance

Letchworth is managed by two main local governments: the North Hertfordshire District Council and the Hertfordshire County Council. In addition to these, Letchworth has a special private charity called the Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation. This charity looks after many parts of the town and helps with planning and giving grants, working alongside the local government.

Originally, Letchworth was a smaller village with a parish council. As the town grew, it became an urban district with its own council. Later, it joined with nearby areas to form North Hertfordshire. For a short time, from 2005 to 2013, Letchworth had its own town council, but it was later closed down. The Heritage Foundation has been managing the town’s land and buildings since 1995, making sure the town is kept in good condition for everyone who lives there.

Geography

Climate

Letchworth has an oceanic climate, which is typical for most of the United Kingdom. On 23 November 1981, the town was hit by a small tornado that was part of a big tornado event across the country that day.

Wildlife

Letchworth Garden City is home to one of the largest groups of black squirrels in the UK. These black squirrels were first seen in Letchworth in 1912. Scientists think they are a special type of the common grey squirrel with a gene that changes their colour. Black squirrels can now often be seen in Letchworth and nearby areas.

The town also has muntjac deer, which mainly live on Norton Common but can be spotted in other places too.

Sport and leisure

Sport has been important in Letchworth for a long time, with open spaces and playing fields built into the town's design. Many early businesses provided places for their workers to play and enjoy activities, following the garden city idea. The town has many sports clubs, most of which are run by volunteers. These clubs often compete in regional and national leagues. Some of the main sports in Letchworth include:

• Cricket - Letchworth Garden City Cricket Club started in 1905 and plays at Letchworth Corner Sports Club.
• Football - The town's football club is Letchworth Garden City Eagles, and there is also the Hertfordshire Football Association nearby.
• Golf - Letchworth Golf Club began in 1905 and has grown over the years.
• Hockey - Letchworth Hockey Club was founded in 1960.
• Rugby - Letchworth Rugby Club started in 1924.
• Running - North Herts Road Runners holds many running events and participates in the weekly parkrun.
• Swimming - Letchworth has both outdoor and indoor swimming pools and clubs.
• Tennis - Letchworth Sports and Tennis Club offers tennis, squash, and other activities.

Recreation routes

To celebrate the town's 100th anniversary in 2003, a path called the Greenway was built for walkers and cyclists. It is a 13.6-mile loop around the town. The Icknield Way Path also passes through Letchworth on its journey from Buckinghamshire to Suffolk.

Art gallery

The Broadway Gallery is an art gallery run by the Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation. It opened in 2016 and shows artworks from artists who lived in Letchworth.

Cinema

Letchworth had one of the first cinemas in the country, which opened in 1909 and closed in 1977. The town's current cinema is the Art Deco-style Broadway Cinema, which opened in 1936. It was taken over fully by the Heritage Foundation in 2008 and was extended in 2016.

Local media

Local news and television programs are provided by BBC East and ITV Anglia. Television signals come from the Sandy Heath TV transmitter. The town's local radio stations are BBC Three Counties Radio on 95.5 FM and Heart Hertfordshire (originally BOB FM) on 106.9 FM. The local newspapers are The Comet and Hertfordshire Mercury.

Town twinning

Letchworth has special friendships with towns in other countries. It is twinned with:

• Chagny, France (since 1978).
• Wissen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany (since 1983).
• Kristiansand, Norway (since the 1960s).

Schools

Letchworth has many schools, both run by the government and private ones. There are two main government secondary schools: The Highfield School and Fearnhill School.

Over the years, many schools have opened and changed names. Some older schools started in small buildings and later moved to bigger ones. As rules changed, schools were split into primary and secondary levels. Some schools closed down, while others were rebuilt. Today, there are also private schools like St Christopher School and St Francis' College, which offer both boarding and day options for students.

Notable residents

Letchworth has been home to many interesting people over the years.

John Allison was a comic writer, and Adrian Fortescue was a Roman Catholic priest and scholar who founded the Church of St Hugh of Lincoln in the town. Walter Henry Gaunt was an English transport engineer, and Harold Gilman was an artist and a founder of the Camden Town Group. Spencer Gore, another artist and the first president of the Camden Town Group, lived in Gilman's house and painted it.

W. F. Harvey was a horror writer who lived in Letchworth before his death. Annie Kenney, a suffragette, lived there for some years. Tom Killick was an international cricketer and later became rector of Willian. James Lovelock, the scientist who developed the Gaia Theory, was born in Letchworth. Frank Newman Turner was a pioneer in organic horticulture and also practiced osteopathy, naturopathy, and medical herbalism there.

Laurence Olivier, the famous actor, had a father who was Rector of Letchworth Parish from 1918 to 1924. Philip Purser was a television critic and novelist. William Ratcliffe was an artist and part of the Camden Town Group. Hans Redlich was a musicologist who founded the Letchworth Choral Society in 1941. Richard Smith was an English artist.

Frederick Tees was a sergeant in the "Dambusters" 617 Squadron and the only survivor from his bomber; he lived in Letchworth after the war. Peter Underwood was a parapsychologist and author born in Letchworth. Simon West directed the film Con Air, and Josephine Wiggs is a bass guitar player for The Breeders.

Letchworth in popular culture

The famous writer George Orwell lived near Letchworth in a village called Wallington during the 1930s. He wrote about places like Letchworth in his books, mentioning it as a place where things were changing.

A movie from 2013 called The World's End, directed by Edgar Wright and starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, was filmed in Letchworth. Many local shops and a cinema were used to show the pubs in the movie.

Letchworth is also a key location in the mystery book We Solve Murders by Richard Osman.