26 Facts About Stevenage

Stevenage is a large town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, about 27 miles north of London.

Stevenage is east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1, between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south.

In 1946, Stevenage was designated the United Kingdom's first New Town under the New Towns Act.

Oldest surviving house in Stevenage is Tudor House in Letchmore Street, built before 1500.

In 1558 Thomas Alleyne, then the Rector of Stevenage, founded a free grammar school for boys, Alleyne's Grammar School, which, despite becoming a boys' comprehensive school in 1967, had an unbroken existence until 1989, when it was merged with Stevenage Girls' School to become the Thomas Alleyne School.

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Stevenage's prosperity came in part from the Great North Road, which was turnpiked in the early 18th century on the site of the Marquess of Granby pub.

On 10 July 1807, the Great Fire of Stevenage destroyed 42 properties in Middle Row, including Hellard's almshouse of 1501.

Stevenage grew only slowly throughout the 19th century and a second church was constructed at the south end of the High Street.

Stevenage produced the legendary motorcycles, including the Black Shadow and Black Lightning, in the town until 1955.

Slow growth in Stevenage continued until just after the Second World War, when the Abercrombie Plan called for the establishment of a ring of new towns around London.

On 1 August 1946, Stevenage was designated the first New Town under the New Towns Act.

Stevenage was succeeded by Evelyn Denington, Baroness Denington, who joined the Board in 1950.

Stevenage holds a number of annual events, including Stevenage Day and Rock in the Park.

In past years Stevenage Carnival has been held, with a number of attempts to revive it.

In June 2022, Stevenage Day returned to the King George Playing Fields to celebrate the platinum jubilee of Elizabeth II.

In 2016, Stevenage "celebrated" its seventieth anniversary as a New Town.

Stevenage was an ancient parish in the hundred of Broadwater.

Stevenage Museum is located under the St Andrew and St George's church on St George's Way.

Claxton was of the view that Stevenage should contain as few traffic lights as possible, hence his preference for roundabouts to regulate traffic flow.

Stevenage was so adamant about roundabouts that he had a house built for himself on the gyratory system in the Old Town.

Stevenage has a number of secondary schools and the central campus for North Hertfordshire College.

Stevenage has an active network of Christian churches of many denominations.

Alongside "Churches Together in Stevenage", Stevenage has an "Interfaith Forum" dedicated to dialogue between different religious presences in the town.

Stevenage was the setting for two feature films, Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush and Boston Kickout .

Stevenage was the filming location, though not the on-screen setting, for two other films, Serious Charge and Spy Game, standing in as the Washington, D C area for the latter film.

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In one episode of UK quiz show Only Connect, one of the contestants made a frivolous mention of Stevenage, playfully suggesting that that could be where the literary character Mrs Malaprop comes from.