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56-510: The A602 is a road linking Hitchin in Hertfordshire , England , with A10 at Ware in Hertfordshire , via Stevenage . The course of the road has changed significantly since the 1960s with the construction of several bypasses and relief roads. In Hitchin, the road starts at a junction with the A505 , and follows a relief road round the south of the town centre, before re-joining the course of

112-739: A coat of arms on 25 November 1936. Hitchin Urban District was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 , becoming part of the district of North Hertfordshire on 1 April 1974. No successor parish was created for the town, and so it became an unparished area . Hitchin railway station is on the East Coast Main Line Great Northern Line , and is also on the Cambridge Line as the last stop before it diverges towards Cambridge, 1.42 kilometres (0.88 mi) to

168-720: A few years later and adopted its present name, Girton College . Hitchin is in the district of North Hertfordshire . There is no town council in Hitchin, which is an unparished area , administered directly by North Hertfordshire District Council , with higher order functions provided by Hertfordshire County Council . Residents elect 13 members to the North Hertfordshire District Council . There are five electoral wards in Hitchin: Bearton , Highbury , Oughton , Priory and Walsworth . The 13 Hitchin councillors on

224-624: A friary (now known as Hitchin Priory ) were established, both of which closed during Henry VIII 's Dissolution of the Monasteries . They were never reformed, although The Biggin was for many years used as almshouses . The British Schools Museum in Hitchin is home to the world's only surviving complete Lancasterian Schoolroom , which was built in 1837 to teach boys by the Lancasterian method ( peer tutoring ). This unique community project demonstrates

280-641: A left to bypass the village of Watton-at-Stone . At the eastern end of the Watton-at-Stone bypass (constructed in the late 1980s) it reaches another roundabout. In the 1970s, the road continued from this point straight ahead down what is now the A119 to Hertford , and then travelled along the course of what is now the B1197 through Hertford Heath to Hoddesdon . With the opening of the A10 Hoddesdon and Ware bypass in

336-455: A major centre for grain trading after the Corn Exchange was built in the market place in 1853. Hitchin was also a centre for manufacturing products from the lavender which was cultivated in the surrounding area, with multiple lavender distilleries operating in the town. The latter half of the 20th century has also brought great changes in communication to Hitchin. Motorways have shortened

392-415: A northern bypass for the suburb of Broadwater (the old Hertford Road through Broadwater has been closed to motor vehicles since the 1990s, to prevent rat-running). The next 3 km of road is the only remaining original piece of the route, travelling through the villages of Bragbury End and Hooks Cross . The next feature is a roundabout, and the road once again diverges from its original course and takes

448-521: A reputation for "giant-killing". County town The concept of a county town is ill-defined and unofficial. Some counties in Great Britain have their administrative bodies housed elsewhere. For example, Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire , but the county council is in Preston . Due to the creation of unitary authorities , some county towns in Great Britain are administratively separate from

504-508: A voluntary group with their community development programme. Hitchin Town F.C. was established in 1865 and later reformed in 1928. It is one of only three clubs who competed in the inaugural FA Cup , paying the then £25 entry fee (£2,892 in 2019 adjusted for inflation), and continue to compete. They claim to be the second oldest club in English football, but some dispute this due to the reformation in

560-742: A yarn festival. Music plays a very big part all year round with many venues hosting regular gigs. Hitchin Folk Club is one of the longest running and most respected clubs in the country meeting at The Cricket Pavilion, Lucas Lane on Sunday evenings; Hitchin Light Orchestra, Hitchin Symphony Orchestra and Hitchin Chamber Orchestra give regular concerts often in St Mary's Church and Hitchin Band perform around

616-532: Is a professional theatre, has a year-round programme including comedy plays, thrillers, historical shows, jazz nights and cocktail evenings. The Market Theatre is known for its annual Adult Panto (running between December and May) which also tours nationally. Additionally, the Queen Mother Theatre hosts the town's Bancroft Players, Big Spirit Youth Theatre and occasional visiting companies as well as Hitchin Films in

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672-452: Is also the venue for the annual Duck Race during Hitchin Festival. The town centre has a wealth of independent retailers in food and drink and fashion and the historic core is a place to find niche boutiques. Since 1995, Hitchin has benefited from award-winning town centre management and in 2009 established one of Hertfordshire's first Business Improvement Districts. In 2019 the town's centre

728-449: Is evidence of how Hitchin prospered from the wool trade. It is the largest parish church in Hertfordshire . Most of the church dates from the 15th century, with its tower dating from around 1190. During the laying of a new floor in the church in 1911, foundations of a more ancient church building were found. In form, they appear to be a basilican church of a 7th-century type, with a later enlarged chancel and transepts , perhaps added in

784-526: Is housed in original Edwardian and Victorian school buildings. In March 2013 a poll in The Times voted Hitchin the 9th best town in the UK in which to live. Hitchin hosts an annual Arts and Music Festival with over 100 events taking place during the month. Hitchin Festival includes picnics, concerts, theatre, ghost walks, art exhibitions, comedy club, talks, summer fetes and fireworks. Since 2014, Hitchin has hosted

840-854: Is well served by local buses including Arriva, Centrebus, Grant Palmer, Stagecoach and Uno. There are several primary schools in Hitchin. Secondary education is provided at Hitchin Girls' School , Hitchin Boys' School and the Priory School . There is a campus of the North Hertfordshire College in Hitchin, and it is also the home of the Benslow Music Trust which provides music education for adults, while North Herts Music School adjoined to Hitchin Girls' School delivers music lessons & activities for children & young people. The Emil Dale Academy

896-456: The sokemen , but the manor of Hitchin was unique in levying inward. Evidence has been found to suggest that the town was once provided with an earthen bank and ditch fortification, probably in the early tenth century but this did not last. The modern spelling of the town first appears in 1618 in the "Hertfordshire Feet of Fines" . The name of the town also is associated with the small river that runs through it, most picturesquely in front of

952-473: The 10th century. This makes the church older than the story (not recorded before the 15th century) that the church was founded by Offa , king of Mercia 757-796. In 1697, Hitchin (and the nearby village of Offley ) were subject to what is thought to have been the most severe hailstorm in recorded British history. Hailstones over 4 inches in diameter were reported. In the High Medieval Period

1008-558: The 1920s. The side currently compete in the Southern League Premier Division Central , the seventh tier of English football. The club play at 4,554-capacity ground Top Field, in the north of the town, and came close to achieving promotion in the late 2010s, but have recently come into a more troubled spell. Their highlights include wins in the F.A. Cup against higher ranked sides Hereford United in 1994 and Bristol Rovers in 1995 during which period they developed

1064-563: The Hitchin Local Board was held on 2 May 1850. The board proceeded to build a waterworks and install new sewers for the town, which had previously used the River Hiz as a public sewer. However, the board quickly became embroiled in legal disputes with Joshua Ransom, owner of Grove Mill, who complained about the flow of water and sewage at his mill. No solution could be found which would allow the board to continue to operate, and gradually all

1120-601: The Richard Whitmore Studio. Hitchin Market remains one of the largest in the area with general markets every Tuesday and Saturday, a bric-a-brac and collectables market on Fridays, and a Sunday Car Boot. There are also Local Produce and Crafts specialist markets on the last Saturday of each month. A Lifestyle market is held on every second Saturday of the month, while infrequently there are occasional Art Markets. Hitchin Markets

1176-608: The River Hiz Valley, believed to have been used for trade between the Danes and English in the Anglo-Saxon age. It is also likely that Hitch Wood, which lies some six miles (ten kilometres) south of the town also derives its name from the Hicce tribe, who gave their name to Hitchin. St Mary's Church is remarkably large for a town of its size and was once a minster . The size of the church

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1232-421: The ancient counties and county towns were restored. (Note: not all headquarters are or were called County Halls or Shire Halls e.g.: Cumbria County Council's HQ up until 2016 was called The Courts and has since moved to Cumbria House.) Before 1974, many of the county halls were in towns and cities that had the status of a county borough i.e. a borough outside the county council's jurisdiction. The follow lists

1288-449: The board members resigned. By December 1857 the board only had three members, at which point it effectively ceased to function. New members were elected in March 1858, but none was prepared to take the declaration of office unless Ransom accepted an offer of settlement which had been put to him. He did not accept the offer and so the board became defunct, and the town was once again governed by

1344-569: The centre of Norman power within the new county (Caernarfonshire named for Caernarfon, Monmouthshire named for Monmouth) others were named after the previous medieval Welsh kingdoms (Ceredigon becomes Cardigan, Morgannwg becomes Glamorgan). The 1535 Laws in Wales Act established the historic counties in English law , but in Wales they were later replaced with eight preserved counties for ceremonial purposes and

1400-410: The construction of a bypass at Hooks Cross but this remains in the early proposal stage. In 2006 the estimate cost of the whole strategy was given as between £14.3 and £15.8 million. Each individual scheme is intended to be brought forward as and when funding becomes available. The section between Sacombe Pound and Watton-at-Stone gained planning permission for work to commence in summer 2007 though work

1456-466: The council built a new Town Hall on the opposite side of the street, incorporating a large public hall. The older building became known as Old Town Hall, but continued to serve as office space for the council in addition to the new Town Hall. On 1 April 1921, Walsworth parish was abolished and the area was incorporated into Hitchin Urban District. Hitchin Urban District Council was granted

1512-470: The country in brass band championship competition as well as the home town. An independent music venue, Club 85, hosts an "eclectic mix of contemporary bands and DJs" in the area. There are three theatres in the town. The Factory Playhouse is located on Wilbury Way and is the theatre of Emil Dale Academy . They host several full-scale musicals each year with professional producers, directors, choreographers and West End musicians. The Market Theatre, Hitchin

1568-587: The county. For example, Nottingham is separated from the rest of Nottinghamshire , and Brighton and Hove is separate from East Sussex . On a ceremonial level, both are in their own respective counties geographically. This list shows towns or cities which held county functions at various points in time. Following the Norman invasion of Wales , the Cambro-Normans created the historic shire system (also known as ancient counties). Many of these counties were named for

1624-587: The district council meet as the Hitchin Committee. The town is represented in Parliament by the constituency of Hitchin . The incumbent Labour Party MP for the former Mid Bedfordshire comstituency Alistair Strathern was elected in 2024 . Before 1997 Hitchin was included in the constituency of North Hertfordshire . From 1997-2024 it was in the constituency of Hitchin and Harpenden . The ancient parish of Hitchin covered an extensive rural area as well as

1680-518: The east end of St. Mary's Church , the town's parish church. The river is noted on maps as the River Hiz . Contrary to how most people now pronounce the name, that is to say as spelt, the 'z' is an abbreviated character for a 'tch' sound in the Domesday Book (as in the name of the town). It would have been pronounced 'River Hitch'. The Hicca Way is an eight-mile (thirteen-kilometre) walking route along

1736-538: The first meeting of representatives of the fledgling Christian churches of Anglo-Saxon England , to hold annual synods of the churches as Theodore attempted to consolidate and centralise Christianity in England. By 1086 Hitchin is described as a Royal Manor in Domesday Book : the feudal services of avera and inward , usually found in the eastern counties, especially Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire , were due from

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1792-412: The foundation of education for all. Girton College – a pioneer in women's education – was established on 16 October 1869 under the name of College for Women at Benslow House in Hitchin, which was considered to be a convenient distance from Cambridge and London. It was thought to be less 'risky' and less controversial to locate the college away from Cambridge in the beginning. The college moved to Cambridge

1848-539: The journey time and brought Luton , a few miles away on the M1 , and the A1 (M) even closer. By the close of the 20th century, Hitchin had developed a strong commuter interest being midway between London and Cambridge. Hitchin also developed a fairly strong Sikh community based around the Walsworth area. During the medieval period, both a priory (Newbigging, now known as The Biggin) and

1904-695: The late 1970s, the A602 temporarily terminated at the A414 in Hertford. In 1987, with the opening of the Tonwell bypass, the road was completely re-routed along the course of the B1001 from Watton-at-Stone to meet the modern A10 at Ware . The B1001 itself remains for a short distance, linking the modern A10 with the old road in the town centre (now known as the A1170 ). Due to the old nature of

1960-604: The local voluntary group actively consulting with train companies on behalf of local people. The A505 , A600 and A602 roads intersect in Hitchin, which is about three miles (5 km) from the A1(M) motorway and about ten miles (16 km) from the M1 motorway . Hitchin is about 14.48 km (9.00 mi) from Luton Airport, with a direct bus service linking the two. The connections are provided by National Express (number 787) and Arriva in Herts and Essex (100 Saphire services). Hitchin

2016-456: The location of the administration of each of the 31 local authorities in the Republic of Ireland, with 26 of the traditional counties. Note – Despite the fact that Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland, it is not the county town of any county. Greater Belfast straddles two counties – Antrim and Down. Jamaica's three counties were established in 1758 to facilitate the holding of courts along

2072-481: The main line just north of Hitchin, which therefore became an important junction station. The A1 motorway passes Hitchin a short distance to the east. The town's historic character and accessibility make it popular with commuters . Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce people, a tribe holding 300 hides of land as mentioned in a 7th-century document, the Tribal Hidage . Hicce, or Hicca, may mean

2128-454: The market town for the surrounding agricultural area, which was primarily arable with some sheep farming. Lavender has long been grown in the fields around the town, and an early industry in the town was lavender distilleries. The Great Northern Railway built its main line from London King's Cross to York through the town; Hitchin railway station opened with the line in 1850. The Cambridge line opened shortly afterwards, diverging from

2184-497: The north-eastern end of the Chiltern Hills . It is 16 miles (26 km) north-west of the county town of Hertford , and 35 miles (56 km) north of London . The population at the 2021 census was 35,220. Hitchin grew around a market place and the adjoining parish church of St Mary on the western banks of the River Hiz. At the southern end of the town centre is Hitchin Priory , a former monastery dating back to 1317, which

2240-603: The northeast of Hitchin. The station is a call on services provided by Govia Thameslink Railway under its Great Northern and Thameslink brands. These provide direct connections to Cambridge , Letchworth Garden City , Peterborough and London Kings Cross ; as well as St Pancras International , Gatwick Airport , Three Bridges and Brighton . Journeys to London and Cambridge typically take 33 minutes. Journeys to Stevenage take 5 minutes, Peterborough 45 minutes, and Gatwick Airport 78 minutes. Hitchin Rail Users Group serves as

2296-503: The original route for 0.9 miles (1.4 km). The village of Little Wymondley is bypassed by a dual carriageway route to the A1 junction at Corey's Mill. In Stevenage , the road takes two courses through the town – the first is a concurrency with the A1 round the new town to the junction at Langley Sidings. The second is a route through the town itself, following closely the route of the old Great North Road. The two routes converge and form

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2352-452: The parish vestry alone. The Times was scathing of the Hitchin Local Board's inability to negotiate a solution, saying "...they simply resigned, like rustics of unfertile brains...". Legal action continued for some years afterwards trying to resolve who was liable for the old board's debts. In August 1872 sanitary districts were established, with public health and local government responsibilities being given to boards of guardians of

2408-554: The people of the horse. The tribal name is Old English and derives from the Middle Anglian people. The ancient Icknield Way runs just north of Hitchin, passing through the neighbouring village of Ickleford . It has been suggested that Hitchin was the location of ' Clofesho ', the place chosen in 673 by Theodore of Tarsus the Archbishop of Canterbury during the Synod of Hertford ,

2464-537: The poor law unions for all areas which did not have urban authorities (including local boards). As Hitchin's previous local board was defunct, the town therefore became part of the Hitchin Rural Sanitary District, governed by the Hitchin Board of Guardians. On 31 October 1872 a meeting was held in the town with the aim of securing a new board to allow the town to govern itself independently. A new board

2520-496: The road it suffers from congestion, substandard structure and a high level of accidents. As such a series of developments along much of its stretch where proposed in the 2006-2011 Local Transport Plan. These comprise a number of different schemes but are put forward together under the collective title of 'A602 Corridor Improvements'. The various schemes involve work on junctions, road re-alignment to make severe bends safer, structural maintenance and road safety schemes. It also considers

2576-495: The town itself, including Langley , Preston and St Ippolyts ; the latter became a separate parish in the middle ages. The parish of Hitchin was administered by its vestry , in the same way as most rural areas; no borough corporation was established for the town, despite some limited moves in that direction in the thirteenth century. Hitchin also gave its name to one of the hundreds of Hertfordshire. The Hitchin Poor Law Union

2632-438: The town was surrounded by open arable fields, divided into shotts and narrow strips, that survived into the early 19th century. The town flourished on the wool trade, the sheep being pastured on the high hills to the south. By the 17th century the town was a staging post for coaches coming from London . By the middle of the 19th century the railway had arrived, and with it a new way of life for Hitchin. Hitchin established itself as

2688-740: The twenty two principal areas are used for administrative purposes. Neither of these subdivisions use official county towns, although their administrative headquarters and ceremonial centres are often located in the historic county town. With the creation of elected county councils in 1889, the administrative headquarters in some cases moved away from the traditional county town. Furthermore, in 1965 and 1974 there were major boundary changes in England and Wales and administrative counties were replaced with new metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties . The boundaries underwent further alterations between 1995 and 1998 to create unitary authorities , and some of

2744-674: Was a finalist for England in the Visa / UK Government Great British High Street Awards. There are a number of organisations for young people, including 1066 Hitchin Squadron ATC , Hitchin Army Cadets , Sea Cadets Letchworth and Hitchin , as well as various scouting groups. The main burial ground for the town is Hitchin Cemetery on St. John's Road. Hitchin is twinned with: Hitchin Rugby Club

2800-545: Was established in 1835, covering the parish of Hitchin and many of the surrounding parishes in north-western Hertfordshire, plus the parish of Holwell which was in Bedfordshire. In 1891 the parish had a population of 9,510. In 1850 a local board of health was established for the town. Such boards were created under the Public Health Act 1848, and were focussed on improving public health in towns. The first election to

2856-464: Was eventually granted, with the first meeting being held on 24 December 1873 at the (old) Town Hall. Under the Local Government Act 1894 , urban sanitary districts became urban districts on 31 December 1894. Hitchin Local Board therefore became Hitchin Urban District Council. The act also stipulated that a parish could not be partly in an urban district and partly outside it. The old parish of Hitchin

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2912-550: Was formerly located on Wilbury Way in Hitchin before moving to Letchworth . EDA is a drama school where students train and study for a BA (hons) degree in Musical Theatre in partnership with the University of Bedfordshire. The school also has a sixth form and a weekend school. North Hertfordshire Museum has an extensive collection that tells the story of the town and wider area from prehistoric times. The British Schools Museum

2968-432: Was founded in 1954 and competes in rugby union at all age levels within the Hitchin area. This includes teams at ages 7 to 12, 13 to 17, under 19s, seniors, over 35s, and a Ladies side. The club's highlights have included playing at Twickenham in the final of the national Junior RFU Cup in 1993 and the establishment of the country's first Academy. Currently membership stands at over 500 people. The club are also active as

3024-519: Was never started, so all sections remain at the proposal stage. 51°52′23″N 0°09′05″W  /  51.8731°N 0.1513°W  / 51.8731; -0.1513 Hitchin Hitchin ( / ˈ h ɪ tʃ ɪ n / ) is a market town in the North Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire , England. The town dates from at least the 7th century . It lies in the valley of the River Hiz at

3080-401: Was partially rebuilt into a large country house with extensive parkland following the dissolution of the monasteries . The ancient parish of Hitchin covered a large rural area as well as the town itself, including several hamlets which subsequently became separate parishes, including Langley , Preston , St Ippolyts and Walsworth . The town's economy was historically based on serving as

3136-467: Was therefore split, with the parts outside the urban district becoming the three separate civil parishes of Langley, Preston, and Walsworth with effect from their first parish meetings on 4 December 1894. The three new rural parishes were all included in the Hitchin Rural District . The Urban District Council took over the existing Town Hall on Brand Street, which had been built in 1840. In 1900

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