Stevenage: The commuter new town that is reinventing itself
Posted 7 November 2016 by
Ben SalisburyStevenage is around 33 miles from London and just 23 minutes direct to London Kings Cross making it a commuters’ dream town.
It was designated the UK’s first New Town in 1946 aimed at easing the housing pressure on the capital following the devastation caused by the Second World War and was planned with six self-contained neighbourhoods retaining the old town.
Today, almost 70 years on from the conception of the new town, Stevenage has grown to be a large, established town, home to more than 85,000 people. As well as being in close proximity to numerous shopping facilities, residents can also access quaint market towns and rural countryside.
Stevenage Borough Council is currently working on plans to transform the shopping, leisure and housing in the town centre. The town has a number of notable historic buildings including the partly 12th century church of St Nicholas and the remains of a medieval moated homestead in Whomerley Wood. Stevenage can claim renown as having the first traffic-free shopping zone in Britain, with its pedestrianised town centre officially opened by the Queen in 1959.
The town has good employment opportunities being home to the UK’s first open innovation bioscience campus adjacent to GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) research centre providing extensive collaboration between universities, charities, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
A state-of-the-art, large-scale Cell Therapy Manufacturing Centre is due to open on the Bioscience Catalyst in 2017. Managed by the Cell Therapy Catapult (based at Guy's Hospital in London), this facility should generate £1.2bn of revenue by 2020.
Stevenage’s main shopping centre is Westgate which is next to the new town high street which has a great choice of chain stores and independent retailers, eateries and pubs. The Old Town high street also has a wide selection of restaurants, cafés and a couple of local supermarkets including a large Waitrose and Marks & Spencer. Old Stevenage has a huge number of restaurants, eateries and cafés on its doorstep.
The Stevenage Art and Leisure Centre houses the Gordon Craig Theatre which includes a gallery, restaurant and café and the leisure Centre with a sports hall, indoor bowls hall, squash courts, gymnasium and dance studio. Other leisure facilities include an IMAX cinema and Fairlands Valley Park which is equipped with a sailing centre, café and 20 acres of lakes and ideal for walking and cycling.
Many schools were built in the 1950s/60s due to an influx of Londoners to affordable terraced housing in areas such as Shephall, Broadwater, Chells and St Nicholas. The town has around 23 primary schools including Benington Church of England Primary and St Margaret Clitherow Catholic Primary. Some pupils attend schools in the surrounding villages. Stevenage also has a number of secondary schools including the Marriots School, Nobel School and the central campus for North Hertfordshire College. St Christophers is an independent co-ed school from ages 3 to 18 in nearby Letchworth.
A monthly season ticket to London costs £462.80 from Stevenage (£4,820 annually) with the fastest journey time to Kings Cross 23 minutes, though most services take a bit longer. Trains to Hatfield take 16 minutes (£139.10 monthly, £1,448 annually); Welwyn Garden City takes 9 minutes (£92.20 monthly, £960 annually); Peterborough fast trains take 29 minutes (£306.90 monthly, £3,196 annually).
Stevenage is 1 hr 16 minutes’ drive to London; 50 minutes to Heathrow Airport via the M25; 1 hr 23 minutes’ drive to Gatwick Airport; Luton Airport is around 30 minutes while Stanstead is just over 50 minutes. Bus and coach services provide links to Welwyn Garden City, Hemel Hempstead, Luton, Letchworth and Hertford.
Here’s a round-up of great new homes to buy in Stevenage:
George House (McCarthy & Stone) - Located on Primett Road in the desirable location of Old Stevenage, this modern retirement living development of one- and two-bedroom homes will appeal to those seeking stylish apartments in Hertfordshire. Features include a club lounge and roof terraces with stunning views. Find out more about George House from McCarthy & Stone |  |
Astonia Lodge (Churchill Retirement Living) - This stylish development of 38 one- and two-bedroom retirement apartments feature fitted kitchens with built in oven, hob, fridge and freezer. Camera entry system and 24-hour Careline support system are standard in each energy efficient home. Prices from £268,950. Find out more about Astonia Lodge from Churchill Retirement Living |  |
Constance Place (McCarthy & Stone) - This development offers a collection of stylish one- and two-bedroom retirement apartments exclusively for the over 60s and is set within beautiful surroundings as part of a thriving village in North Hertfordshire with easy access to Stevenage. Prices from £399,950. Find out more about Constance Place from McCarthy & Stone |  |
Vincent Court (Keep Moat) - Nestled within a quiet residential setting is this prestigious development of luxurious homes just 30 minutes from London by train. Each of the 37 homes two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes has been uniquely styled to reflect the character of the surrounding area. Prices from £374,995. For more information visit www.keepmoat.com; 01438 893934 |  |
Madden Gardens (Barratt Homes) - Only a few four-bedroom homes built to Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 remain on this development in Letchworth Garden City, south of Stevenage. Just 28 minutes from London by rail yet surrounded by green spaces and farmland the homes are within easy reach of great schools. Prices from £519,950. Visit www.barratthomes.co.uk; 08442 733991 |  |