Discover Wonderful WGC

A bit of history about Wonderful Welwyn Garden City town centre

About Welwyn Garden City

"a town designed for healthy living and industry of a size that makes possible a full measure of social life but not larger, surrounded by a rural belt; the whole of the land being in public ownership, or held in trust for the community"

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Ebenezer Howard was a visionary and believed that nature was important to healthy living. He founded the international garden city movement and crated garden cities which were a perfect 'marriage of town and country' - a concept that seems more relevant now than ever before.

Welwyn Garden City is considered to be the finest example of the 140 garden cities across the world. Many garden city principles are still used in modern town planning.

Did you know Welwyn Garden City was the second Garden City. The first garden city was Letchworth Garden City?

Who was Sir Ebenezer Howard OBE?

British film and Welwyn Garden City

Welwyn Film Studios opened in 1983. Famous films made there include, The 39 Steps (1935) and Brighton Rock (1974)

Today the town and surrounding landmarks such as Brocket Hall, Hatfield House and the old Shredded Wheat Factory are still used for many films and tv shows including:

Eastenders
Tomb Raider
The Crown
The Worlds End
Batman
Fast and Furious

and new ITV drama 'Tell me everything' ITV's first original drama in 10 years.

British Film and Welwyn Garden City

You could easily be confused because of its name, but Welwyn Garden City is very much a town, not a city.

Louis de Soissons was the town's architect who interpreted Ebenezer Howard's vision. You can see a full size version of the plan next to the newly developed bus station.

He also designed distinctive kiosks to mark the Festival of Britain in 1951. They have recently bern fully restored by the WGC Civic Society. You can locate them on Howardsgate where you can discover more history of Welwyn Garden City.

A City Or A Town?

Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II opened the QE II hospital in 1963, the first ever purpose built hospital for the newly formed National Health Service (NHS)

To mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 a fountain was commissioned and erected on Parkway. The fountain is still one of the most iconic landmarks in Welwyn Garden City.

One of the most iconic images was captured in the big freeze in 1963, it was so cold the fountain completely froze.

The Royal Connection