Situated a mile from the Hertfordshire village of Welwyn, the Garden
City was founded in 1920. It was the vision of Ebenezer Howard, founder
of the garden city movement that aimed to combine the benefits of living
in a town with those of living in the country. The French-Canadian Louis
de Soissons was appointed as architect and planner and ensured the
project's success.Welwyn Garden City's historic significance in town and
social planning is global, attracting study and visits from tourists and
representatives of civic organisations from abroad. It became one of the
UK's first new towns in 1948 and its success led to the creation of
towns including Harlow, Stevenage and Milton Keynes. Over the decades,
it has grown in size and many residents now commute to London and
elsewhere. Increasing car usage and other social changes mean that
Ebenezer Howard's vision has had to adapt to the demands of modern
living. In this book Paul Rabbitts and Peter Jeffree highlight a wide
range of buildings and structures, which reveal the history and
development of Welwyn and its Garden City neighbour. The latter features
one of the finest collections of English domestic architecture of the
early twentieth century.Illustrated throughout, 'Welwyn & Welwyn Garden
City in 50 Buildings' will appeal to residents, visitors and those
interested in the garden city movement.
