Letchworth - Knowledge

661:"Letchworth (Garden City)". The company adopted this as its name for the town, but adoption of the name was not universal. The legal name of the civil parish and (after 1919) urban district remained simply "Letchworth". First Garden City Limited also gradually dropped the "(Garden City)" suffix from the name, partly reflecting common usage, and partly taking the view that as the town matured it should not permanently be seen as an experiment. Similarly, the town's railway station was initially called "Letchworth (Garden City)", but was renamed "Letchworth" in 1937. The station is now known as Letchworth Garden City, with direct trains to Brighton via St Pancras International and terminating trains to King's Cross to the South, and Cambridge and King's Lynn to the North. 1532: 1504:. The Rose family had taken control of Hotel York in 1957, and by 1960 all its properties had been sold. The town feared that such asset stripping might now happen to Letchworth, and the likelihood of the town gaining the financial benefit that Howard and the pioneers had originally envisaged was decreasing. Initial assurances from Mrs Rose about maintaining the integrity of the estate did not last long. During 1961 First Garden City Limited started auctioning freeholds of parts of the estate and the company proposed to the county council that much of the estate's agricultural belt could be developed, allowing the town to grow to 60,000 people rather than the 32,000 which had originally been envisaged. 1021: 1467: 736: 588: 777: 70: 1435:. The council was created following a petition organised by a group of people dissatisfied with how the town was being managed by the Heritage Foundation. Opponents felt that the town council itself was an unnecessary layer of administration. Those opposed to the town council won 22 of the 24 seats on the council at the election in 2009 and began the process of abolishing the council, which took over three years, including legal action being taken and public consultation. The parish of Letchworth Garden City and its town council were eventually abolished on 31 March 2013. 665: 1626:, which gave long leaseholders of homes the right to acquire the freehold. A "scheme of management" was therefore introduced to allow the corporation to control changes which could be made to properties which had been acquired freehold. Such permissions under the scheme of management operate in addition to any requirement for planning permission from the council. The scheme of management did not apply to the parts of the original garden city estate where the freehold had already been sold, notably including the Grange and Jackmans estates. 2373: 1203: 519: 709: 898: 630:. After examining several possible locations for establishing a garden city, the garden city pioneers settled on Letchworth as the chosen site. The Letchworth Hall estate had come up for sale, and although it alone was too small, secret negotiations with fourteen adjoining landowners allowed an estate of 3,818 acres (1,545 hectares) to be assembled and purchased for £155,587. A company called First Garden City Limited was established on 1 September 1903 to purchase the land and begin building the garden city. 2233: 951: 52: 2433:. The St Christopher School was founded in 1915 as "Arundale" by the Theosophical Educational Trust, which took over the vacated buildings of the short-lived independent Letchworth School on Barrington Road, built in 1909. A new school building was built at the junction of Spring Road and Broadway in 1919, when the school assumed its current name, with the Barrington Road building then being used as accommodation for boarders. There is a 2352: 768:. New inns also sprang up on the borders of the town, including the Wilbury Hotel which opened in 1940 just outside the town's border. The ban was finally lifted after a referendum in 1957, which led to the opening of the Broadway Hotel in 1962 as the first public house in the centre of the Garden City. Several other public houses have opened since then, but to this day the town centre has relatively few pubs for a town of its size. 2331: 1103:, the Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation, which is responsible for the management of many aspects of the garden city estate, having some planning and grant-making functions similar to those normally associated with local authorities. These functions derive from the Heritage Foundation's ownership of the estate and do not replace the usual local authority functions and responsibilities, but operate in addition to them. 2314: 1646:

directors, the Heritage Foundation also has a degree of democratic accountability with the directors reporting to a board of management, which includes local authority representatives. Six of the thirty governors of the Heritage Foundation are directly elected by residents, and ten governors are nominated to represent various groups in the town. The other fourteen governors are appointed by the board of trustees.

607:), in which he advocated the construction of a new kind of town, which he called a "garden city". The idea was summed up in a diagram called the "Three Magnets", showing how the mixed advantages and disadvantages of town or country living could be combined into a third option, "Town-Country", offering the advantages of both cities and the countryside while eliminating their disadvantages. Industry would be kept 77: 906:

housing was to the east of the nascent town centre, within walking distance of the main industrial area on the eastern edge of the town. Many houses were built in a modest cottage style, finished with cream painted render, green doors, and clay-tiled roofs. To the south-west of the town centre towards Letchworth village was an area of larger individually-designed houses for the upper middle classes.

1036:. The estate eventually started yielding a financial surplus which could be used for the benefit of the town in 1973. This led to investment in a number of town amenities, including a working farm tourist attraction opened at Standalone Farm (1980), the North Herts Leisure Centre (1982), and a free hospital, the Ernest Gardiner Day Hospital (1984). The Broadway 2403:. Pixmore School opened in 1913 on School Walk, followed by Westbury School on West View in 1925. These were elementary schools, catering for children from ages five to fourteen, which was the school leaving age at the time. Letchworth Grammar School opened in 1931 in prominent buildings in the town centre, with the name carved in the stonework over its doors. 2062:, which were first recorded in Letchworth in 1912. The origin of the colony is unclear, but a 2014 study at Anglia Ruskin University concluded that the squirrels are a variation of the common North American grey squirrel with a faulty pigment gene. The black squirrel is now a relatively common sight across Letchworth and the surrounding area. 1446:, having found they were unable to use the former coat of arms of Letchworth Urban District Council. The college issued the council's new arms in May 2010, by which time the process of abolishing the council was already underway. The design includes the three magnets from Ebenezer Howard's diagram on a green background with a black squirrel. 2145:- North Herts Road Runners was founded 1986. It hosts running events including the Standalone 10K, the Greenway Challenge, the First Saturday of the Month 5K, Santa Canta and Run Round the Garden. It was awarded the prize of England Athletics Club of the Year in the Eastern Region in 2019. Members regularly participate in Letchworth 574:"lycce weorth", meaning a farm inside a fence or enclosure. It appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Leceworde", when it was described as having nine households of villagers, four cottagers, one slave and one priest. The presence of the priest suggests that Letchworth was by that time a parish. Letchworth's 2628:, was filmed in both Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City. The film is structured around a pub crawl, and several premises in Letchworth were used to portray the pubs in the film, including shops and the Broadway Cinema (which appeared as "The Mermaid") as well as the small number of actual pubs in town. 1618:

until it was wound up in 1966. The level of compensation was eventually agreed at £3,115,000. Paying this compensation led to the Letchworth Garden City Corporation operating at a loss for its first few years, funded by loans from the urban district council. The debt was repaid in 1973 and the estate

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Shares in the company therefore became much more valuable. In 1960 a company called Hotel York Limited acquired a controlling interest in First Garden City Limited. Hotel York's chairman, Amy Rose (née Charles), became managing director of First Garden City Limited in January 1961. Hotel York Limited

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Until the Second World War, the company largely ran the emerging town, developing close working relationships with the Hitchin Rural District Council and (after 1919) Letchworth Urban District Council to ensure that any approvals needed were given when the company requested them. The company's layout

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on Broadway to act as its meeting place and offices. The building stands in a prominent position overlooking Broadway Gardens in the centre of the town. The urban district was enlarged on 1 April 1935 by the abolition of Willian parish (which had already been reduced in 1908), plus smaller areas from

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south of the town was significantly enlarged by the Lordship and Manor Park estates, begun in 1971. Following the completion of these developments in the 1980s, most new housing in the town has been on previously-developed land, as sites vacated by closed schools and businesses have been redeveloped.

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Despite the ban it is not entirely true to say that there were no pubs in the Garden City. Pubs that had existed from before the foundation of the Garden City continued to operate, including the Three Horseshoes in Norton and the Three Horseshoes and the Fox in Willian, and benefited from the lack of

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Ebenezer Howard's wife, Lizzie (Eliza Ann Bills), died in November 1904 in London, shortly before she had been due to move to a new house in Letchworth with her husband. As a memorial to her a public hall was built, paid for by public subscriptions. The Mrs Howard Memorial Hall opened in 1906 and was

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and schools were gradually separated into primary and secondary schools. The secondary part of Pixmore School relocated to new premises on the Jackmans estate in March 1962, becoming the Willian School. The junior part of Pixmore School kept the name, but later moved from School Walk to Rushby Mead.

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in 1935, now called Letchworth Outdoor Pool. As well as a 55-yard (50 m), eight lane main pool with a large trainer pool alongside, the facility includes an extensive sun bathing area, and parking facilities. A public indoor swimming pool opened at the North Herts Leisure Centre on Baldock Road

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is known to have been in use by 1910. When first built, traffic could circulate around the central island in both directions; the instruction to keep left was not added until 1921. It was named "Sollershott Circus" and is recognised as the first roundabout on a public road in the United Kingdom. Two

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Early housing development in Letchworth largely followed Unwin and Parker's masterplan. The first houses built after the founding of the garden city were a group of six houses called "Alpha Cottages" at 22–32 Baldock Road, where the first residents moved in during July 1904. Much of the town's early

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of First Garden City Limited in 1960 led to significant changes in how the company managed the town, which were opposed by the residents and local council who wanted the original garden city ideals retained. They secured an act of parliament which transferred ownership of the estate from the company

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had to use the old parish churches at Letchworth village, Willian or Norton on the edges of the estate. Many of the town's pioneers had non-conformist leanings, in keeping with the radical spirit of the early town. The first new place of worship to be built was the Free Church, built in 1905 (later

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won a competition for designing the town's layout, and were appointed as consulting architects to the company. Most of the pre-existing trees and hedgerows were preserved in the layout. Unwin took the alignment of the town's main avenue (Broadway) from three old oak trees which stood on the central

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to say that when the company was wound up only 10% of any surplus would be applied for the benefit of the town, rather than the 100% anticipated in 1903. The rest was to be distributed among the shareholders of the company. In 1956 limits on dividends to shareholders were removed, with the company

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painted Letchworth people as earnest health freaks. One commonly-cited example of this is the ban, most unusual for a British town, on selling alcohol in public premises. This was initially decided by a public vote in June 1907, in which 54% voted against allowing a licensed public house. This did

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Sport has played an important part in the town's history, with open spaces and playing fields being incorporated into the town's layout. Many early businesses in the town provided recreation facilities for their workers, in keeping with the ethos of the garden city movement. The town has numerous

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The Letchworth Garden City estate is therefore owned by a charity which is intended to act for the benefit of the town's residents. In 2020 its assets were valued at £193 million. The net income is reinvested for the benefit of the community in accordance with the Heritage Foundation's charitable

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Innovation in Letchworth was not confined to the design of buildings. The 1904 layout plan included a point on the main avenue where six roads converged, with the roads later being named Broadway, Spring Road, and Sollershott. Plans drawn up in July 1908 proposed a circular traffic island at this

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Private housing resumed more slowly after the Second World War, partly due to the tight controls on building materials and licences which were imposed and remained in force until 1954. As these restrictions eased, additional areas of private housing were built to the south of the town. This area

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was built in the 12th century, but likely on the site of an earlier building. The original dedication of the church is unknown, but it was rededicated to St Mary during the First World War. The village was along Letchworth Lane, stretching from St Mary's and the adjoining medieval manor house of

1614:. c. xxxix). The act created a public body, the Letchworth Garden City Corporation, which on 1 January 1963 took over the garden city estate as it had existed on 20 July 1961. Compensation for taking the company's assets had to be paid to First Garden City Limited, which continued to exist as a 660:

The first new houses were occupied in July 1904. The following month First Garden City Limited held a vote amongst shareholders and residents on what name the new garden city should take. Several options were proposed, including "Garden City", "Homeworth" and "Alseopolis". The chosen name was

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During the 1970s and 1980s many of the town's large manufacturing businesses closed. The Kryn and Lahy Steel Foundry closed in 1979. Spirella and ICL both closed their factories in 1989. Borg-Warner also closed its factory during this period. The town went through a period of relatively high

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The Heritage Foundation retains most of the former corporation's functions and responsibilities, and continues to operate the scheme of management for proposed developments on the estate. Although a private body, with a chief executive (Graham Fisher, appointed 2017) and a team of executive

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First Garden City Limited was founded in 1903 to purchase the land and develop the town. Once the garden city was substantially complete it was envisaged that the estate would be transferred to a public body which would manage it for the benefit of the community, and until then dividends to

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In 1905, and again in 1907, the company held "Cheap Cottages Exhibitions", which were contests for architects and builders to demonstrate innovations in inexpensive housing. The 1905 exhibition attracted some 60,000 visitors. The popularity of the exhibitions was significant in leading the

2601:", he said "The place to look for the gems of the future England is in light-industry areas and along the arterial roads. In Slough, Dagenham, Barnet, Letchworth, Hayes – everywhere, indeed, on the outskirts of great towns – the old pattern is gradually changing into something new." In 1161:

The civil parish of Letchworth was substantially enlarged on 1 April 1908 to take over the area of Norton parish, which was abolished, and the northern part of Willian parish. The detached part of Letchworth parish at Burleigh Farm was transferred to Knebworth at the same time. A

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unemployment in the early 1980s. Some of the vacated factory sites were redeveloped as business parks and serviced offices, and the town's economy shifted away from a small number of large manufacturing businesses to a large number of smaller office-based businesses.

1153:. Following the commencement of work on Letchworth Garden City in 1903, the area purchased for the new town straddled the parishes of Letchworth, Willian and Norton. An unofficial "Residents' Union" or "Residents' Council" for the town was established in June 1905. 652:

branch line, which crosses the middle of the garden city estate. Initially, services were irregular special trains for excursions and construction workers. A more substantial temporary wooden station was opened in 1905 with a regular passenger service. The current

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When work began on the garden city, there were pre-existing church schools in the villages of Willian and Norton. A "Garden City School" opened in November 1905 in temporary sheds near the railway. It transferred to a new building on Norton Road in 1909, becoming

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Since 2013 the town has therefore once again been an unparished area, directly administered by North Hertfordshire District Council, as it had been between 1974 and 2005. The 13 Letchworth councillors on the district council meet as the Letchworth Committee.

2103:(the "Bluebirds"), went out of business in 2002. The Hertfordshire Football Association is based at the former Letchworth Football Club ground (also on Baldock Road), now called the County Ground and used to host various county-wide and other competitions. 938:, a town which was itself inspired by the garden city movement. The idea was to minimise the impact of traffic by having houses face onto pedestrian-only green lanes and open spaces, with parking and servicing provided in garage courts behind the houses. 1066:

As the town approached its centenary, there was a campaign to change the name officially from Letchworth to "Letchworth Garden City", this time without the parentheses of the 1904 version of the name. Proponents of the change argued that as the later

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Broadway Gallery is a not-for-profit art gallery owned and managed by the Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation. Situated in the former Letchworth Art Centre, the Gallery opened to the public in 2016 with an exhibition of painter and prinkmaker

1348:. Letchworth Urban District Council was formed to replace the parish council and also took over district-level responsibilities from the Hitchin Rural District Council. The first urban district council had 15 councillors: nine "all party", four 1423:. North Hertfordshire District Council established its headquarters in Letchworth in 1975 at the newly-built Council Offices on Gernon Road, which had been built as part of the Central Area (later Garden Square) Shopping Centre redevelopment. 921:

from First Garden City Limited by Letchworth Urban District Council. In 1959 land to the south-east of the town was also compulsorily purchased for the development of the Jackmans estate, another large council estate, with funding provided by

611:, whilst the residents would have good access to parks and the countryside. The garden city would be contained in a belt of open countryside, providing land not just for agriculture, but also for children's homes, asylums, new forests and 1649:

Although many residential properties have been sold since the Leasehold Reform Act 1967, the Heritage Foundation remains the landlord of most of the town's industrial, office and retail premises and the surrounding agricultural belt.

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Letchworth today retains large business areas providing jobs in a variety of sectors, and the landlord's profits are reinvested for the benefit of the community by the Heritage Foundation. The town lies 32 miles (51 km) north of

2085:- Letchworth Garden City Cricket Club was established in 1905 and since 1996 has been based at Letchworth Corner Sports Club on Whitethorn Lane. The club has five men's teams, which all compete in leagues, and several junior teams. 407:. Their aim was to create a new type of settlement which provided jobs, services, and good housing for residents, whilst retaining the environmental quality of the countryside, in contrast to most industrial cities of the time. 2259:. From the 1990s the Heritage Foundation ran the cinema in partnership with its owners, before taking full control in 2008. The building was extended in 2016 to allow the main screen to be used as a both a cinema and theatre. 3702:

The five lowest ranking Lower Super Output Areas in North Hertfordshire in 2019 were 009C, 009B, both in Letchworth South East ward, 012C in Hitchin Oughton ward, 007B in Letchworth Wilbury ward and 003C in Letchworth Grange

2418:, Letchworth Grammar School changed its name to Fearnhill School in 1973 and moved to its current site on Icknield Way in 1976. Willian School closed in 1991. Norton School closed in 2002, having been run as part of 1071:

incorporated the "Garden City" within its official name, so too should the first garden city at Letchworth. The Letchworth campaign was successful, with the name of the railway station being changed in 1999 and the

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The relationship between the company and the council began to change after the Second World War, as more town planning functions were given to councils and utilities nationalised. In 1949 the company changed its

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body, the Letchworth Garden City Corporation, in 1963. The corporation in turn was replaced by a charitable body in 1995, the Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation, which owns and manages the estate today.

917:. To the north of the town work began on the Grange estate in 1947. The estate included its own primary schools, recreation ground, public house and a neighbourhood shopping centre. The land for the estate was 579:

Letchworth Hall up to the staggered crossroads of Letchworth Lane, Hitchin Road, Baldock Road and Spring Road. Letchworth was a relatively small parish, having a population in 1801 of 67, rising to 96 by 1901.

2109:- Letchworth Golf Club was founded in 1905 with a nine-hole course in the grounds of Letchworth Hall. The course was extended in 1910 to become a 6,000-yard (5,500 m) eighteen-hole course, designed by 2240:

Letchworth had one of the first purpose-built cinemas in the country, the Picture Palace (later the Palace Cinema) on Eastcheap, which opened in 1909 and closed in 1977. The town's remaining cinema is the

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of 1086. It remained a small rural village until the start of the twentieth century. The development of the modern town began in 1903, when much of the land in Letchworth and the neighbouring parishes of

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An Act to constitute the Letchworth Garden City Corporation, to transfer to that Corporation the undertaking of First Garden City Limited, to confer powers upon the Corporation; and for other purposes.

4105: 2113:. It was extended to become a 6,459-yard (5,906 m) par-71 course in 2003. Another golf facility in the town is the Letchworth Par 3 Golf Centre at Willian Way, which has a nine-hole course. 992:, founded in 1906 and also designed to a layout by Raymond Unwin and Barry Parker. Aspects of Letchworth's approach to blending town and county were subsequently used in the Australian capital 1602:

In response, the Letchworth Urban District Council began a campaign to restore the original ethos of the garden city to the estate. It enlisted the support of the local Member of Parliament,

2484:(1878–1914) – artist, first president of the Camden Town Group, lived in Gilman's house (100 Wilbury Road) after Gilman had left it, painting it as "Harold Gilman's House at Letchworth" 485:, which used a similar approach, and aspects of the principles demonstrated at Letchworth have been incorporated into other projects around the world including the Australian capital 972:

signs were erected on the roundabout in 2006 saying "UK's First Roundabout Built circa 1909" This was after a petition was made by Andrew White of Letchworth for a school project.

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The current arrangements have evolved from one of Letchworth Garden City's founding principles, that the profits from the town should be used for the benefit of the residents.

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power station was then built on the site, with two 70 MW turbines and two reinforced concrete chimneys. The first turbine was commissioned in 1978. Output peaked during the

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sports clubs, which are generally amateur in nature. Many of the clubs compete in regional and national leagues. The more prominent sports represented in the town include:

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The site vacated by the St Christopher School on Broadway became St Francis' College, a girls' school, in 1934. Both independent schools admit boarders and day-pupils.

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plan was not underpinned by any statutory town planning role, but was instead a statement of intent from a private landowning company laying out its land as it wished.

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The Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation Act 1995 replaced the public sector corporation with the Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation (LGCHF), an "

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was built in the 1920s on Works Road to supply electricity. There were two coal-fired generators, called Letchworth A and Letchworth B, with rated outputs of 8

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in November 1916 as part of articles accusing the town of being a haven for communists and conscientious objectors—claims which the town denied.

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Letchworth's founding citizens, attracted by the promise of a better life, were often caricatured by outsiders as idealistic and otherworldly.

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Gordon, D. I. (1977). A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Volume V: The Eastern Counties. Newton Abbot: David & Charles.

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Company, an American business, founded its British subsidiary in the town in 1910. In 1912 they built the first phase of a large factory, the

7680: 6818: 6712: 563:. Evidence for Bronze Age, Romano-British and late Iron Age settlement has also been found in the fields between Norton village and the A1. 69: 4730: 4690: 2119:- Letchworth Hockey Club was founded in 1960 and is based at Letchworth Corner Sports Club. It competes in the East Region Hockey Leagues. 6752: 5687:"Assistant Caretaker required at Fearnhill School (formerly Letchworth Grammar School)", Daily Mirror (London), 14 December 1973, page 22 2195:, a multi-user route for walkers, horse riders and off-road cyclists, passes through the town on its 110-mile (180 km) journey from 1622:

Having recently taken over the freehold of the garden city estate, the corporation tried unsuccessfully to secure an exemption from the

7705: 5412: 2136: 1345: 1190: 1149:. The 1894 Act also created parish councils, but Letchworth's population was below the threshold to be given one, and so it only had a 1047:

in recognition of their quality, but the town also contains four of the five poorest-scoring neighbourhoods in North Hertfordshire for

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in recognition of their quality, but the town also contains four of the five poorest-scoring neighbourhoods in North Hertfordshire for

6747: 6737: 5398: 2174:- Letchworth Sports and Tennis Club is based at Muddy Lane and has facilities for indoor and outdoor tennis, squash, gym and croquet. 6811: 4591:"Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation announces Toynbee Hall social reform charity head Graham Fisher as new chief executive" 2463: 2415: 918: 401:

and his supporters with the aim of building the first "garden city", following the principles Howard had set out in his 1898 book,

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shareholders were restricted to no more than 5% per annum. This made it a very unusual company, but it was otherwise an ordinary

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was extensively refurbished in 1996, and the Heritage Foundation has also supported several projects to enhance the town centre.

227: 5300: 3416: 466:, making it relatively popular with commuters. Residential areas in the town are mixed; large parts of the town are included in 325: 6722: 6700: 4139: 4026: 2155:- Letchworth's first outdoor swimming pool opened in 1908 in Howard Park and was rather basic, being filled from the waters of 1554: 859: 654: 646: 6214: 5998: 3554: 2441:. The school consolidated onto the Barrington Road site in 1928. It is noted for its distinctive vegetarian and Quaker ethos. 2245:

Broadway Cinema at the corner of Eastcheap and Gernon Road, which opened on 26 August 1936 with a black tie gala screening of

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on 11 December 1944. Over the course of its existence, the urban district council built nearly 5,000 homes in the town.

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finally started to yield a profit that could be used for the benefit of the town as Howard had originally envisaged.

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not stop the town having a "pub" however – the Skittles Inn or the "pub with no beer" which opened in March 1907.

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Westinghouse Morse Chain Company, making parts for engines, set up in Letchworth in 1920, later becoming part of

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Howard's ideas were mocked in some sections of the press but struck a chord with many, especially members of the

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which, despite much opposition from Hotel York Limited, became the Letchworth Garden City Corporation Act 1962 (

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Howard's depiction of the choice of town design as a contest between three magnets (select image for transcript)

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in 1982. Various clubs use the two public pools, including Letchworth Amateur Swimming Club, founded in 1934.

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on 1 April 1974. With over 30% of the population of the new district, Letchworth was too large to be given a

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The town attracted and developed a diverse range of industries. Other significant early businesses included:

111: 6107: 3587: 6695: 1420: 1328: 1092: 2899: 1020: 877:(MW) and 13 MW respectively. Letchworth A was decommissioned in 1968, followed by Letchworth B in 1974. A 7444: 6500: 6437: 3365:"Steeplejacks continue to chip away at chimneys which have been a town's major landmark for many years". 3068: 1120: 649: 22: 2533: 2419: 1163: 1048: 825:, a parachute factory established in the town in 1926 as the British subsidiary of an American company. 471: 402: 246: 5487: 4297: 3985:

Ministry of Health Order No. 80108: The County of Hertford Review Order, 1935, effective 1 April 1935.

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One of the most prominent industries to arrive in the town in the early years was the manufacture of

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in London. Contemporary evidence confirming the visit is lacking, but the claim was published in the

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Harrison, Roger; Walker, David (2006). David's Book of Letchworth. Letchworth: David's Bookshops.

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Letchworth has a mixture of independent and state schools. There are two state secondary schools:

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217 Icknield Way: Winner of best £150 cottage competition at the 1905 Cheap Cottages Exhibition.

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founded in 1915 by Belgian refugees, and which was a target for German bombers in World War II.

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As the world's first garden city, Letchworth has had a notable impact on town planning and the

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Howard, Ebenezer (1898). To-morrow: A Peaceful Path to Real Reform. London: Swan Sonnenschein.

2191:. The path, known as the Greenway, forms a 13.6-mile (21.9 km) loop around the town. The 2183:

The Heritage Foundation marked the town's centenary in 2003 by building a landscaped path for

980:

As the world's first garden city, Letchworth had a notable influence on town planning and the

587: 7613: 7505: 7429: 7404: 7374: 7354: 7274: 6993: 6958: 6953: 6707: 6548: 6510: 6475: 4070:, 10 July 1975, page 8810, council address given as Council Offices, Gernon Road, Letchworth. 2481: 2453: 2426: 2292: 2288: 2126: 2050:

on 23 November 1981, as part of the record-breaking nationwide tornado outbreak on that day.

1544: 1301: 923: 394: 5659: 4287:

The North Hertfordshire District Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) Order 2013

2732:

Plinston, Horace (1981). A Tale of One City. Letchworth: Letchworth Garden City Corporation.

2722:

Miller, Mervyn (2002). Letchworth: The First Garden City (2nd ed.). Chichester: Phillimore.

7243: 6973: 6028: 5853: 2637: 2387: 2339: 2160: 2092: 1360: 1087:

There are two tiers of local government covering Letchworth, at district and county level:

739:

The Skittles Inn, opened 1907. Became "The Settlement", an adult education centre, in 1925.

638: 415: 374: 127: 56: 2735:

Purdom, Charles Benjamin (1963). The Letchworth Achievement. London: J.M. Dent & Sons.

2099:, based at Pixmore Pitches on Baldock Road. Letchworth's previous semi-professional club, 1500:

had been founded in 1906 and had previously owned and run hotels in London, including the

8: 7660: 7587: 7414: 7389: 7253: 7173: 6660: 6495: 5012: 2657: 2515: 2284: 1476: 1404: 1284: 935: 828: 366: 135: 5570:"13 of Hertfordshire's most impressive twin towns around the world and how they compare" 4641: 642:

plateau of the estate and were incorporated into the central square (Broadway Gardens).

7093: 6942: 6670: 6485: 4021: 2469: 2407: 1611: 1593: 1559: 1116: 1079:

changing from Letchworth to Letchworth Garden City in 2003, the town's centenary year.

1068: 985: 981: 729: 664: 527: 526:

The area now occupied by Letchworth has been inhabited since prehistoric times. A late

482: 478: 429:. The layout for Letchworth incorporates extensive parkland and open spaces, including 163: 2496:(1879–1953) – suffragette, lived in Letchworth for some years before her death in 1953 7229: 7133: 6422: 6310: 6160: 5978: 5944: 5910: 5883: 5701: 5304: 5178:"North Herts Road Runners win England Athletics' regional award for Club of the Year" 4336: 3922: 3560: 3001: 2764:"Towns and cities, characteristics of built-up areas, England and Wales: Census 2021" 2739: 2723: 2713: 2700: 2690: 2680: 2670: 2372: 2204: 2192: 1993: 1349: 931: 796: 781: 720: 541: 4113:. Letchworth Garden City: North Hertfordshire District Council. 2004. Archived from 3756: 2827: 7562: 7339: 6897: 6225: 6006: 4616: 3955: 3882: 3781: 2521: 2459: 2392: 2247: 1408: 1167: 1060: 927: 910: 800: 556: 220: 6803: 5068: 1496:

declaring that "there is no binding obligation to carry out the original policy."

708: 7551: 7465: 7183: 7148: 7073: 6887: 6593: 6520: 5227: 4564: 4016: 2995: 2574: 2200: 2196: 2100: 1668: 1439: 1412: 684: 596: 567: 518: 398: 171: 5528: 4991: 4259:"The Arms and Crest of Letchworth Garden City Town Council, granted 17 May 2010" 4058:, 13 June 1975, page 7654, council address given as Grammar School Walk, Hitchin 3731: 2524:(1907–1989) – actor; Olivier's father was Rector of Letchworth Parish 1918–1924. 2069:

deer in the town, living principally on Norton Common, but also seen elsewhere.

803:, the factory was also involved in producing parachutes and decoding machinery. 7516: 7495: 7123: 7068: 7048: 6633: 5326: 2551: 2505: 2059: 1536: 1493: 1150: 1138: 1112: 897: 836: 381: 5806: 4845: 4080: 2669:

Briggs, Geoffrey (1971). Civic and Corporate Heraldry. London: Heraldry Today

1033: 988:, founded by Ebenezer Howard in 1920 using a similar model to Letchworth, and 7654: 7597: 7567: 7541: 7531: 7470: 7103: 7098: 6892: 6838: 6655: 6623: 6460: 6258: 6159:. Letchworth Garden City: North Hertfordshire District Council. p. 102. 6077: 6033: 3511: 2590: 2527: 2475: 2400: 2304: 2256: 2232: 2164: 1875: 1615: 1603: 1592:

as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from

1501: 1052: 1037: 950: 914: 870: 760:

alcohol to be had in the centre of the town, as did the pubs in neighbouring

744: 634: 446: 430: 411: 385: 370: 340: 327: 153: 90: 5438: 5279: 4924: 3090: 1629: 1470:

Estate Office, Broadway: First Garden City Limited's offices, built in 1913.

7455: 7364: 7058: 7053: 7008: 6983: 6872: 4333:

To-morrow: A Peaceful Path to Real Reform: Original edition with commentary

3907:

The County of Hertford (Letchworth Urban District) Confirmation Order, 1919

2738:

Ward, Stephen V. (2016). The Peaceful Path. Hatfield: Hertfordshire Press.

2712:

Johnson, Kenneth (1976). The Book of Letchworth. Chesham: Barracuda Books.

2617: 2578: 2539: 2493: 2487: 2438: 2356: 2252: 2110: 1572: 1443: 1432: 1368: 855: 701: 545: 6056: 4671:. Letchworth Garden City: Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation. 2020 3340: 1005: 498: 7582: 7526: 7409: 7304: 7239: 7113: 7023: 6927: 6917: 6862: 6618: 6578: 6563: 6553: 6543: 5546: 5202: 2509: 2499: 2434: 2422:

in Baldock for its final year. The Highfield School was rebuilt in 2016.

2276: 1059:

being two of the largest open spaces in the town, both of which hold the

878: 843: 571: 5413:"'Reunion': Richard Smith's colourful paintings come home to Letchworth" 3808: 2542:(1903–1968), musicologist, founded the Letchworth Choral Society in 1941 2490:(1885–1937) – horror writer, lived in the town from 1935 until his death 854:, which moved from London to Letchworth in 1920. In 1958 it merged with 570:, Letchworth was established as a village. The name is derived from the 397:

was purchased by a company called First Garden City Limited, founded by

7521: 7163: 7033: 7013: 6907: 6558: 5667:

The Development of School Construction Systems in Hertfordshire 1946-64

5529:"Sandy Heath (Central Bedfordshire, England) Full Freeview transmitter" 5399:"Art enthusiasts flock through doors of refurbished Letchworth gallery" 4945: 4820: 4473:

Letchworth Garden City Corporation Act 1962 (10 & 11 Eliz. 2 c. 39)

2625: 2621: 2563: 2272: 968: 810: 691:, who was reputed to have visited during May 1907 whilst attending the 679: 616: 612: 419: 51: 4716: 4401:. London: Civitas: Institute for the Study of Civil Society. p. 4 4395:

Land of Make-Believe: Compensating landowners for what might have been

2058:

Letchworth Garden City is home to one of the UK's largest colonies of

1438:

Shortly before the 2009 election, the town council had petitioned the

1374: 1174:

Member of Parliament, being the first chairman of the parish council.

7618: 7480: 7460: 7434: 7419: 7344: 7324: 7314: 7208: 7078: 7003: 6877: 6867: 6645: 6639: 6608: 6583: 6505: 6490: 5352: 5257: 2689:

Hall, Peter (1996). Cities of Tomorrow (2nd ed.). Oxford: Blackwell.

2287: (originally BOB FM) on 106.9 FM. The local newspapers are 2156: 1131:, some 6 miles (9.7 km) to the south of the rest of the parish. 1128: 1076: 1028:

Ownership of the estate passed from First Garden City Limited to the

832: 530: 459: 205: 6412: 5974:

Resting Places: The Burial Places of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons

5373: 5152: 5131: 5047: 4518:. Letchworth Garden City: Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation 3941:

Conservatives honour their chairman: Mr. C. F. Ball's Long Service,

7475: 7329: 7294: 7289: 7219: 7188: 7178: 7063: 7028: 6968: 6902: 6882: 6598: 6573: 4731:"Research explains the mystery behind Letchworth's black squirrels" 2268: 2242: 2188: 1638:" registered with the Registrar of Friendly Societies with "exempt 1123:. The parish also had a detached portion at Burleigh Farm, between 1029: 1001: 997: 993: 822: 792: 490: 486: 441: 4331:

Howard, Ebenezer; Hall, Peter; Hardy, Dennis; Ward, Colin (2003).

657:

was built in 1912 in a prominent location at the end of Broadway.

7623: 7536: 7279: 7269: 7234: 7198: 7168: 7118: 7108: 7088: 7083: 7043: 6963: 6857: 6846: 6665: 6603: 6538: 6515: 6480: 4966: 3061:"Lenin in Letchworth, Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation" 2568: 2343: 2330: 2208: 2184: 2146: 2066: 1507: 1388: 1384: 1135: 765: 761: 627: 494: 187: 4869: 4017:"The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972" 2462:(1874–1923) – Roman Catholic priest and scholar who founded the 2279: TV transmitter. The town's local radio stations are 1177: 7592: 7369: 7309: 6568: 2360: 2351: 2335: 2322: 2313: 1009: 788: 608: 502: 455: 3642:"Mežaparks in Riga – One of the First Garden Cities in Europe" 3475:

Listing Selection Guide: Domestic 4: Modern Houses and Housing

7153: 6922: 6650: 6338:"Pub crawl movie The World's End filmed in former 'dry town'" 2560:(1923–2014) – parapsychologist and author, born in Letchworth 2478:(1876–1919) – artist, founder member of the Camden Town Group 1426: 688: 6283:. Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation. Archived from 4140:"'We don't want a town council' - Letchworth residents vote" 2502:(1907–1953) – international cricketer, and rector of Willian 839:

which was founded in the town in 1922 and traded until 1991.

813:, publishing house, moved to Letchworth from London in 1907. 693:

Fifth Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party

683:

to launch the Ideal Home Exhibition (which later became the

377:. The population at the time of the 2021 census was 33,990. 874: 687:), in 1908. One possible visitor to the fledgling town was 42: 6408:

They don't make them like they used to (Guardian, 1/12/03)

5644: 5642: 5640: 5424: 5422: 3850:

Local Government Board Order 51691, Effective 1 April 1908

967:

in Paris, which Unwin wrote about in 1909. The Letchworth

5033: 5031: 5029: 4780: 4778: 4002: 4000: 3459: 3457: 3040:. London: The Country Gentleman and Land and Water. 1905. 2267:

Local news and television programmes is provided by

1630:

Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation (1995–present)

1100: 1073: 954:

Sollershott Circus, the United Kingdom's first roundabout

513: 6379:"The World's End team thank Letchworth for warm welcome" 6078:"Died in Germany: Mr. F. N. Turner was on business trip" 4512:

Scheme of Management under the Leasehold Reform Act 1967

3424:. Letchworth: North Hertfordshire District Council. 2001 3307:"British Power Stations operating at 31 December 1961". 2597:

in the 1930s. In his polemic essay on wartime Britain, "

2536:(1870–1955) – artist and member of the Camden Town Group 1461: 1156: 5977:(3rd ed.). Jefferson, NC: McFarland. p. 323. 5637: 5513:"Stage is set for Broadway with exciting times ahead". 5419: 2406:

The school leaving age was raised to fifteen under the

1590:

Text of the Letchworth Garden City Corporation Act 1962

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