Hertfordshire ~ England

About the County

Set in south-east England, with the southern border just 12 miles from the centre of London. The county is full of contrast, with lively modern towns interspersing historic market towns. Country lanes and picturesque villages are never far away. The close proximity of London provides employment opportunities with commuters making the most of the fast train links into central London. The largest town in Hertfordshire is Watford, situated within the M25 motorway and with a thriving shopping centre and business parks. Other large, historic towns include St Albans, Hitchin and Hertford. New towns include Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City. Hertfordshire is a green county, with half of the county designated by the government as Green Belt. Picturesque woodland, river valleys, and open farmland make up a beautiful and varied landscape. The Chiltern Hills to the west and north-west of the county are designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Places of Interest

The county has many interesting museums and historic buildings, including Knebworth House, Gardens & Park, Woburn Abbey, St Albans Cathedral, Hertford Castle, Museum of St Albans , and Hertford Museum. There is a wealth of wildlife parks and children's zoos, the most famous being Whipsnade Wild Animal Park and Woburn Safari Park. For walkers, there are some wonderful parks and woodlands to explore, and more than 1,800 miles of public paths and rights of way, including the The Hertfordshire Way. The county also has a number of designated cycle paths. The rivers and lakes provide opportunities for a number of water sports such as sailing and canoeing as well as the more gentle boat cruises that depart from various points through Hertfordshire

Living in Hertfordshire

The county has an excellent travel network, with a comprehensive local and national rail and bus service, and is just 30 minutes train journey from central London and about a 1 hour drive from Cambridge and Oxford. Hertfordshire is also very nearby to London Heathrow, London Luton and London Stansted airports. Hertfordshire has a very strong education infrastructure, from schools, colleges, universities, to ongoing adult learning.

Hertfordshire has a large number of schools, giving plenty of choice of location, fees, opening hours and requirements for special needs. Four regional colleges provide thousands of higher education courses to students throughout Hertfordshire, Oaklands College, North Hertfordshire college, West Herts College, and Hertford Regional College. The University of Hertfordshire dominates the further education market. It offers over 400 degree and diploma courses and is spread across 4 campuses. A number of other universities are situated just outside of Hertfordshire and can be reached quickly by train. For a good selection of high street retailers, try Welwyn Garden City or Watford. St Albans has many specialist shops and boutiques. There are some large out of town retail parks and shops, including Marks and Spencer in London Colney and also in Cheshunt. Street markets can be found in some towns, such as St Albans. Further afield, large shopping centres in Bluewater and also Lakeside offer excellent indoor shopping. And the shopping delights of London are just a short train ride away. There is an extensive range of sports facilities in the county, with numerous clubs, offering tennis, squash, swimming, gymnasiums, fitness classes and much more. In addition, there are over 50 golf clubs in the county.

Cities, towns and villages within Hertfordshire