Best to places to live in/around Welwyn

[chummymummy7]

Tips and local experience please!

We need to move within a 5-mile radius of Welwyn village. We'd like easy access to a town (or vibrant village?) for cafes/shops/meals out etc. We visited Hitchin and really liked it. We'd also need non-trafficy access to the A1.

Budget is 700K max, and we need a 3-4 bed with a garden. There's not much coming up in Welwyn village itself, and we'd prefer not to live in Welwyn Garden City.

Any tips would be hugely appreciated!

Slightly over 5 miles from Welwyn is fine and would love to hear thoughts/experiences of Bengeo if anyone lives there.

Welwyn village is a bit cut off and boring.

Hitchin is awesome, as is Ware, Harpenden, St Albans and Hertford. WGC is a really fab town but not a good choice of secondary schools.

Old Stevenage is really nice too.

@MrsBaublesDylan thanks - we defo don't want cut off and boring so that's useful information. Will look into Old Stevenage too.

Bengeo and Hertford are lovely but also expensive. When you say non trafficy access to the A1, do you mean every day? That stretch of the A1 is notoriously busy in the rush hours with frequent accidents It will take you some time in the rush hours to get in and out of Hertford or Bengeo but can be as little as 20 minutes out of rush hour. What kind of house are you looking for?

Hertford is vibrant but is currently having a shopping wharf built and a new theatre so looks a bit dowdy at the moment.
Tewin is also lovely and Hitchin is nice too.

The Oaklands area near Welwyn village is popular with families. We're on the edge of Mardley Heath Nature Reserve, walking distance into Welwyn village which has couple of decent restos. Local shops at Knebworth & short drive to WGC/Stevenage/Hertford. Close to A1 so great road links & 20mins in to KingsX on fast train from Welwyn North station. Good schools locally too. Tewin & Datchworth are lovely villages close to Welwyn. Codicote & Woolmer Green less so, IMO but are more affordable. Have loved living in this area. Good luck with your search.

Hiya

Non traffic access to A1 within 5 miles of Welwyn - not sure anywhere could guarantee that!

Not sure why you are discounting wgc? Hitchin is a good option.