Blue Plaques in Welwyn Garden City

Celebrating local history

By Jenny Oxley

There are currently 11 blue plaques in Welwyn Garden celebrating places and people who have played an important part in the town's history. 

They include plaques to Ebeneezer Howard, Founder of the Garden City Movement, garden city pioneers including C.B. Purdom and Sir Frederic Osborn and famous local artist Flora Robson.     

A full list of the welwyn Garden City blue plaques can be found at: http://www.lemsfordonline.co.uk/Blueplaques.html#blueplaques

A new plaque was unveiled on the 23 October 2010 to celebrate the 90th birthday of Welwyn Garden City.  It commemorates that 43 Handside Lane, was the first house which was recorded to have been occupied in the new Welwyn Garden City on 6 December 1920.

The plaque itself was the first to be put in place as a result of the current initiative by the Welwyn Hatfield Heritage Forum & Welwyn Hatfield Museum Service and was funded by the 90th birthday committee.  They are inviting recommendations from the public for sites for new plaques within the Borough.  For an application form go to www.welhat.gov.uk/museum or ring Jenny Oxley at Mill Green Museum on 01707 271362