Community Exhibition

Hertfordshire Archives & Local Studies

Community Exhibition for the Centenary

As part of a National Lottery Heritage funded project, Hertfordshire Archives & Local Studies have been working with a small group volunteers from Welwyn Garden to co-create a community exhibition to mark the centenary.

The exhibition will look at how the town changed after the war when it became one of the first ‘New Towns’. It is a story illustrated by memories of those who moved here from London or abroad, people who have made the town what it is today.

We will explore the impact of New Town designation – what they took from garden city principles, where and why they diverged.

We’ll explore contemporary developments and various views surrounding these. We’ll also think about what garden cities can offer the 21st century.

Memories of Postwar Welwyn Garden City

As part of our research and planning for the exhibition a volunteer working on the project, Darren Harte, conducted some audio interviews with local residence. Here are some short excerpts from their oral history interviews which will be available in more detail when the exhibition is revealed.