23 Facts About Hitchin

1.

Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce people, a tribe holding 300 hides of land as mentioned in a 7th-century document, the Tribal Hidage.

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2.

In 1697, Hitchin were subject to what is thought to have been the most severe hailstorm in recorded British history.

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3.

Town flourished on the wool trade, and located near the Icknield Way and by the 17th century Hitchin was a staging post for coaches coming from London.

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4.

The corn exchange was built in the market place and within a short time Hitchin established itself as a major centre for grain trading.

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5.

Hitchin developed a fairly strong Sikh community based around the Walsworth area.

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6.

British Schools Museum in Hitchin is home to the world's only surviving complete Lancasterian Schoolroom, which was built in 1837 to teach boys by the Lancasterian method .

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7.

Girton College – a pioneer in women's education – was established on 16 October 1869 under the name of College for Women at Benslow House in Hitchin, which was considered to be a convenient distance from Cambridge and London.

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8.

Between 1983 and 1997 Hitchin was included in the constituency of North Hertfordshire.

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9.

Ancient parish of Hitchin covered an extensive rural area as well as the town itself, including Langley and Preston.

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10.

The parish of Hitchin was administered by its vestry, in the same way as most rural areas; no borough corporation was established for the town, despite some limited moves in that direction in the thirteenth century.

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11.

Hitchin gave its name to one of the hundreds of Hertfordshire.

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12.

Hitchin did not accept the offer and so the board became defunct, and the town was governed by the parish vestry alone.

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13.

The old parish of Hitchin was therefore split, with the parts outside the urban district becoming the three separate civil parishes of Langley, Preston, and Walsworth with effect from their first parish meetings on 4 December 1894.

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14.

A505, A600 and A602 roads intersect in Hitchin, which is about three miles from the A1 motorway and about ten miles from the M1 motorway.

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15.

Hitchin is well served by local buses including Arriva, Centrebus, Grant Palmer, Stagecoach and Uno.

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16.

Hitchin Festival includes picnics, concerts, theatre, ghost walks, art exhibitions, comedy club, talks, summer fetes and fireworks.

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17.

The Market Theatre, Hitchin is a professional theatre, has a year-round programme including comedy plays, thrillers, historical shows, jazz nights and cocktail evenings.

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18.

Hitchin Market remains one of the largest in the area with general markets every Tuesday and Saturday, a bric-a-brac and collectables market on Fridays, and a Sunday Car Boot.

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19.

Hitchin Markets is the venue for the annual Duck Race during Hitchin Festival.

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20.

Since 1995, Hitchin has benefited from award-winning town centre management and in 2009 established one of Hertfordshire's first Business Improvement Districts.

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21.

Side count Hitchin-born England international Jack Wilshere among their supporters.

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22.

Hitchin is home to Blueharts Hockey Club, a leading club since 1946, with 7 men's teams and 7 women's team plus a thriving junior section.

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23.

Hitchin Running Club was formed in 2008 and is one of the most popular clubs in the town.

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