A self-guided audio walk

Welwyn Garden City

A walk through the second garden city

In 1919 Ebenezer Howard bought the fields for a new town with money he didn't have. This walk follows what he and his friends built: the railway that placed it, the factory that gave it work, the street where the founders lived, the first house in the mud, and the long green avenue at its heart.

1.6 mi2.5 km loop

70–90minutes

10stops

Audionarration

Start at Welwyn Garden City station. The map follows you, and each stop's story plays as you arrive. Narrated in the filmmaker's own voice, recreated with AI.

Before you go

Getting there

Start outside the Howard Centre on Howardsgate, at Welwyn Garden City station, on the line north from London King's Cross. The station is inside the shopping centre: follow the signs for Howardsgate and go out through the centre's main doors. The walk ends in Howardsgate, a few minutes' walk from where it began.

Your phone

Tap Save for offline before you set off, in case the signal drops. Keep the screen on while you walk: the page keeps it awake for you, and the map uses your location only on your phone. Headphones, or one earbud, make the narration easier to hear beside the main road at the start.

Opening times

The walk goes into nothing that closes: every stop is on a street or a public green, and can be seen at any time. The Howard Centre is open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5.30pm, and Sundays and bank holidays 10am to 4pm (howardcentre.co.uk). John Lewis, at stop 4, keeps its own hours. The houses on the walk are private homes: please look from the pavement.

Access, toilets and safety

The ground

Pavements and paved paths all the way, and no steps on the route itself. Parkway climbs gently to The Campus, and Handside Lane slopes a little. The station has lifts to all platforms.

Toilets and food

Toilets, including an accessible toilet and baby change, on the first floor of the Howard Centre, during its opening hours; there are toilets in the station too. John Lewis (stop 4) has toilets and a restaurant on its first floor. Cafés and pubs line Howardsgate, at the start and the end of the walk.

Traffic

Bridge Road, at stops 2 to 4, is a busy dual carriageway: stay on the pavement and use the light-controlled crossings. Parkway is two one-way roads with a green between them; look the right way at each crossing. The road round The Campus is busy, and the crossing to the green at stop 5 has no lights. Handside Lane is narrow, with parked cars.

For families: Spot it!

Every stop has one thing to find. Tap Spotted it when you've seen it, and see how many you've found at the end. Some are easy. One or two will need sharp eyes.

Walk complete

If you have more time:

Sources and credits

Facts were checked against the sources below. Where they disagree, or a story is only tradition, the narration says so.