Welwyn Garden City combines a distinctive garden city heritage with nature, culture and activities on the water. Sir Ebenezer Howard founded the town in 1920 as the world’s second garden city. This offers a range of themes to consider when planning a stay: historic town planning, woodland and wildlife, water sports, and play and entertainment. You can search for a hotel that suits your own itinerary without reducing the town to a single theme.
Garden City and historic landmarks
Parkway illustrates the garden city design with its distinctive street layout. The picturesque avenue is about a mile long. Its two carriageways are separated by a green space lined with trees and hedges.
The Welwyn Garden City Heritage Walking Trail leads to important historic sites in the town centre. The Barn Theatre is another historic building: it dates from the 17th century and is Grade II listed. The town’s founding, planned streets, trail and theatre offer different perspectives on its heritage—from the garden city concept to historic sites and a specific building.
Nature and activities on the water
Sherrardspark Wood covers about 80 hectares. Its trees include oaks and hornbeams; the area is also home to a rich variety of wildlife and plant life, including birds, plants, mammals and fungi. The woodland offers a different focus from Parkway and the Heritage Walking Trail: here, the emphasis is on woodland and biodiversity.
The Stanborough Park Water Sports Centre in Welwyn Garden City offers sailing, paddleboarding and open-water swimming. The lakes in Stanborough Park offer opportunities for sailing and fishing, as well as rowing boats, pedal boats and model boating. Sailing is available at both; other activities range from paddleboarding and open-water swimming to fishing and boating. You can choose based on the specific activity you would like to include in your stay.
Play, markets and arrival
Splashlands in Stanborough Park North is a play area for wet and dry activities. It includes a meandering paddling stream, a splash-pad water play area and a nautically themed adventure playground. Campus West has a cinema, Roller City, live performances and Soft Play City. These different options give you practical ideas if you would like to include play, a film or events in your plans.
The Welwyn Garden City food and craft market takes place on the first and third Saturday of each month. Check the specific dates before travelling if the market is a firm part of your itinerary. Welwyn Garden City railway station is in the town centre. This way, your choice can reflect the stay you have planned rather than a generalised idea of the town.
Discover more destinations: Berkhamsted, Ardeley, Buntingford, Markyate, Harpenden, Borehamwood, Saint Albans, Little Berkhampstead
Return to the main travel overview: Hertfordshire.
