Stevenage

Stevenage is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, located about 28 miles (45 km) north of London. It sits east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M), between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south.

In 1946, Stevenage became very important as it was chosen to be the United Kingdom's first New Town under the New Towns Act. This helped plan and build new communities in a smart way. By 2021, the town had grown to a population of 94,456 people, making it a lively and developing place.

Toponymy

The name "Stevenage" might come from an old language called Old English. It could mean "place at the stiff oak."

Long ago, the town was called Stithenæce around the year 1060, and later it was named Stigenace in a very old book called the Domesday Book from 1086.

History

Pre-Conquest

Stevenage is close to an old Roman road connecting Verulamium and Baldock. When the town was being built, builders found old Roman items, like silver coins and toys. They also found parts of old wine jars and special pottery. Digs have shown there was a small Roman farm, a place to dry malt, and even an old Celtic house. There are also six old burial mounds called Six Hills near the old Great North Road, thought to be graves for a local family.

The first Saxon settlement was east of the Roman sites, where the church and village later grew. Other small settlements appeared in Chells, Broadwater, and Shephall. Before Stevenage became a larger town, Shephall was its own area, and Broadwater was split between Shephall and Knebworth.

In the 800s and 900s, the Saxon village in Stevenage was attacked often by Viking raiders. Stevenage was near the border of Danelaw. Archaeologists found a Viking spear near Ardeley.

Middle Ages

According to records from 1086, the leader of Stevenage was the head of Westminster Abbey. The village moved closer to the Great North Road. In 1281, it received special permission to hold a weekly market and a yearly fair, which still happen today in the High Street.

The oldest part of St Nicholas's Church dates back to the 1100s, though it may have been a place of worship even earlier. The list of church leaders goes back to 1213. By around 1500, the church was improved with wooden decorations and a higher roof area called a clerestory.

North of the old town is Jack's Hill, linked to the story of Jack O'Legs from Weston. Local tales say Jack stole food from Baldock bakers to help the poor, much like Robin Hood.

Remains of an old moated house from the Middle Ages were found in Whomerley Wood. This was likely home to Ralph de Homle. Pieces of old Roman and later pottery were also found there.

The oldest surviving house in Stevenage is Tudor House in Letchmore Street, built before 1500. In the 1500s, it was a shop for a butcher named Scott. Later, from 1773 to 1885, it was a school, and then became a place for the town's gas supply until 1936. After that, it was a private home.

Chells Manor, a big house built in the 1300s for the Wake family, stands three miles from the old town. It was built on the spot of an even older house mentioned in records from 1086. When the town expanded in the 1980s, more old Roman coins were found. Today, Chells is a part of New Stevenage.

Tudor, Stuart and Georgian eras

In 1558, Thomas Alleyne, the leader of Stevenage at the time, started a free school for boys called Alleyne's Grammar School. It stayed open until 1989, when it joined with Stevenage Girls' School to become the Thomas Alleyne School. The school is still at the same place at the north end of the High Street. Plans to move it to Great Ashby were stopped because of money problems.

The Cromwell Hotel, which is protected because of its history, is a farmhouse from the 1500s. It once belonged to a man who worked for Oliver Cromwell. It became a hotel in 1925.

During the 1600s, a house at 37 High Street belonged to Henry Trigg, who helped the poor. When he died in 1724, his coffin was hidden in a barn to keep his body safe. Later, the house became an old travel stop for the Royal Mail. From 1999 to 2016, it was a bank, and now it is a dentist's office.

Stevenage grew because of the Great North Road, which had tolls in the 1700s. Many travel stops line the High Street, and in 1800, 21 stagecoaches passed through Stevenage each day. During the 1600s and 1700s, the road now called Six Hills Way was where robbers would hide in ancient burial mounds. James Whitney, known as the Highwayman, was caught and executed in 1693 for stealing from travelers. He was born in Stevenage around 1660 and started as a butcher's apprentice in Hitchin before opening an inn in Cheshunt. When his business failed, he began robbing wealthy travelers and led a group of over 50 men.

In the early 1800s, an old poorhouse was one of the first places in England to give poor children a treatment for a serious disease, just 20 years after the treatment was discovered.

On July 10, 1807, a big fire in Stevenage destroyed 42 buildings in Middle Row, including an old poorhouse from 1501. The fire likely started when a young girl working at an inn threw hot ashes into the street. The ashes set fire to a shop's roof, and strong winds spread the flames. Firefighters stopped the fire by tearing down a house to break the spread of the flames. After the fire, the buildings were rebuilt with brick fronts and tiled roofs. Soldiers from the Hertfordshire Yeomanry helped the firefighters.

Victorian era to 20th century

In 1850, the Great Northern Railway was built, ending the time of stagecoaches. Stevenage grew slowly during the 1800s, and a second church, Holy Trinity, was built at the south end of the High Street. In 1861, Charles Dickens described the village street as quiet and sleepy.

At the turn of the century, two brothers named Albert and Ebenezer Fox were known for breaking the law in the area. While they were in jail, a police officer studied them to support his idea about using fingerprinting to solve crimes.

During the 1920s, Frank Dymoke played for Stevenage FC. Frank served in World War I and was there when the fighting stopped for Christmas in 1914.

In 1928, Philip Vincent bought a motorcycle company and moved it to Stevenage, making famous motorcycles there until 1955.

Stevenage New Town

Stevenage grew slowly until after World War II. Then, a plan called for creating new towns around London. On 1 August 1946, Stevenage became the first town in the United Kingdom to be named a New Town.

At first, many people in Stevenage did not like the idea. They protested and even changed signs to show their dislike. But the plans went ahead anyway. The town was designed with six neighborhoods, each meant to hold between ten and twelve thousand people. The first two areas built were Stoney Hall and Monks Wood, finished in 1951.

Stevenage also has special areas for jobs and shopping. The town centre was built without cars and was opened in 1959 by the Queen. Today, Stevenage is still growing, with new plans to improve the town centre and build more homes. In 2022, a new bus station opened closer to the train station.

Geography

Stevenage has an oceanic climate, which is similar to most of the United Kingdom.

The town includes several neighborhoods such as Bedwell, Bragbury End, Broadwater, Chells, Chells Manor, Pin Green, Poplars, Old Town, Great Ashby, Shephall, and Symonds Green.

Governance

Stevenage has two levels of local government: the Stevenage Borough Council and the Hertfordshire County Council.

Historically, Stevenage was part of a larger area called a parish. Over time, it became its own local government area. In 1974, changes brought parts of nearby areas together to form the modern Stevenage borough. Since then, the Stevenage Borough Council has been in charge of the town. The borough’s coat of arms shows symbols like an oak tree for the nearby woods, a sword from old landowners, and stars for the town's different neighborhoods. There is also a symbol of industry to show the town's work and growth.

Demographics

Stevenage started as a small village in the 1800s with only 1,430 people. By 1901, the population grew to 4,048.

When Stevenage became a new town in 1946 under the New Towns Act of 1946, many more people moved there. By 2001, the population was 79,715, and it kept growing to 83,957 by 2011. The most recent counts from the 2021–2022 United Kingdom censuses show Stevenage has about 89,495 people today.

Religion

The 2021 census showed the different types of religion that people in Stevenage follow.

Sport and leisure

King George's Field, named after King George V, is where Stevenage Cricket Club, Stevenage Hockey Club, and Stevenage Town Bowls Club play. The cricket games happen at Ditchmore Lane. Near this area is Stevenage Leisure Park, which has a cinema, clubs, and restaurants. The main shopping place is around Queensway and the Westgate. At the southern end of the town, there is a shopping area called 9Yards. It used to have an ice rink and bowling alley, but those were torn down in 2000 to make way for more shops.

Stevenage FC is the town's main football team. They play at Broadhall Way and were formed in 1976. They achieved an important win in the 2009–10 season and later moved up to League One, the third level of English football. The team has also won the FA Trophy and had exciting matches against famous teams like Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur.

Stevenage has many other sports clubs, including a women's football team and a rugby club. Famous sports stars from Stevenage include footballers Kevin Phillips and Ashley Young, Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton, and golfer Ian Poulter. Fairlands Valley is a big park with lakes where people can go boating and run every week in a Parkrun event. The town has many green spaces, trees, and woods, making it a pleasant place to live. There is also a basketball team called East Herts Royals.

Around Stevenage, there is a long walking path called the Stevenage Outer Orbital Path (STOOP). It is 27 miles long and was created in 2008. It goes through several nearby places and offers a great way for people to enjoy the outdoors.

Culture

Stevenage has a small arts centre in the Roaring Meg Retail Park. The Boxfield and Foyer Gallery is inside the Gordon Craig Theatre, which is part of the main Leisure Centre. The town’s museum is located under St. Andrew and St. George's church on St George's Way.

Local news and television come from BBC East and BBC London on BBC One, and from ITV Anglia and ITV London on ITV. TV signals are received from the Sandy Heath or Crystal Palace transmitters.

You can listen to local radio on BBC Three Counties Radio at 90.4 FM and Heart Hertfordshire at 106.7 FM.

The Comet is the town’s weekly newspaper.

Nearby attractions

North of Stevenage Old Town is Rooks' Nest, where the famous writer E. M. Forster lived from 1884 to 1894. He used this area as the setting for his book Howards End. You can still see places like Stevenage High Street and the Six Hills that are mentioned in the story.

To the south of Stevenage is Knebworth House, a grand old home that has hosted big music concerts since 1974. It was once the home of Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton, a well-known writer from the Victorian era.

There is also Astonbury Wood, a beautiful nature area managed by the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust. It is an old forest covering 54 hectares (130 acres).

In the Old Town, Six Hills Brewing offers tours where you can learn about how beer is made. Their taphouse, the Broken Seal, is located on Basils Road.

Transport

Stevenage has a special layout with many roundabouts and few traffic lights. There are separate paths for bicycles and some very tall street lights. The A1(M) motorway passes west of the town.

Buses are the main way to travel around Stevenage, with many routes going to nearby places like Luton, St Albans, and Welwyn Garden City. The town also has a busy railway station with trains going to London and Cambridge. In June 2022, a new bus station opened with comfortable waiting areas and shops.

Education

Stevenage has many schools. In the 1950s and 1960s, many schools were built because people from London moved to the town for homes. There are about 23 primary schools, and some children go to schools in nearby villages like Aston, Benington, Walkern, and Datchworth. The town also has several secondary schools and a central campus for North Hertfordshire College.

Places of worship

Stevenage has many places where people can gather to practice their faith. There are Christian churches from different groups, working together on projects for the whole town. The town also has a mosque and a Jewish synagogue. An Interfaith Forum helps people of different religions talk and share ideas.

Some of the places of worship in Stevenage include:

• All Saints Church (Anglican/Methodist Union)
• Bunyan Baptist Church
• Christ the King Church (Anglican)
• City of David Church (Redeemed Christian Church of God)
• The Cathedral of Saint George (Coptic Orthodox)
• Elim Pentecostal Church
• Grace Community Church (Newfrontiers)
• Great Ashby Community Church (Anglican/Baptist Joint Project)
• High Street Methodist Church
• Holy Trinity Church (Anglican)
• Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
• Longmeadow Evangelical Church
• Friends Meeting House (Quakers)
• Oak Church Stevenage – A youth-focused Anglican Church
• Roman Catholic Church of St Hilda
• Roman Catholic Church of St Joseph
• Roman Catholic Church of the Transfiguration
• Salvation Army Corps
• Church of St Andrew & St George (Anglican)
• Seventh-day Adventist Church
• Stevenage Liberal Synagogue (Liberal Judaism)
• Stevenage Muslim Community Centre
• St Hugh & St John Church (Anglican/Methodist Union)
• St Mary's Church (Anglican)
• St Nicholas' Church (Anglican)
• St Paul's Church (Methodist)
• St Peter's Church (Anglican)
• Stevenage Vineyard Fellowship
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – Stevenage Ward
• United Reformed Church
• Whomerley Spiritual Church & Centre

Notable people

Born in Stevenage

Stevenage has been home to many interesting people over the years. Some famous individuals born there include Omo Aikeremiokha, a trampoline gymnast, and Daniel Ballard, a footballer for Sunderland A.F.C. Other notable births include Harry Bates, a sculptor from the 1800s, and Lewis Hamilton, the famous 7-time Formula One World Champion. The town has also seen the birth of actors like Alex Pettyfer and Ed Westwick, as well as musicians and athletes in various fields.

Many other well-known people have lived in Stevenage at some point in their lives. This includes authors like Ken Follett and E.M. Forster, who spent time writing in the area. Actors such as Denholm Elliott and Leslie Phillips also called Stevenage home, along with sports figures like Wilf Mannion, a celebrated English footballer. The town’s history features a mix of creative minds, athletes, and historical figures who have all added to its rich cultural tapestry.

In popular culture

Stevenage has been featured in several films and TV shows. Movies such as Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush (1967) and Boston Kickout (1995) used Stevenage as their setting. Other films like Serious Charge (1959) and Spy Game (2001) were filmed there, with the latter pretending to be the Washington, D.C. area. A 2009 short film and web series called No Through Road tells the story of four teenagers who end up in a time loop near Stevenage. The 2015 BBC comedy series The Kennedys is set in a part of New Town Stevenage. The comedy series Saxondale from 2007 and Lee and Dean from 2018 were also filmed and set in Stevenage. In an episode of the UK quiz show Only Connect, a contestant jokingly linked Stevenage to a character from a novel by E. M. Forster called Howards End, which was inspired by a house in Stevenage where Forster once lived.

Twin towns