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Knebworth

Coordinates: 51°51′58″N 0°11′02″W / 51.866°N 0.184°W / 51.866; -0.184
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Knebworth
Knebworth House, Knebworth
Knebworth is located in Hertfordshire
Knebworth
Knebworth
Location within Hertfordshire
Population4,496 (2011 Census)[1]
OS grid referenceTL252201
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townKNEBWORTH
Postcode districtSG3
Dialling code01438
PoliceHertfordshire
FireHertfordshire
AmbulanceEast of England
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Hertfordshire
51°51′58″N 0°11′02″W / 51.866°N 0.184°W / 51.866; -0.184

Knebworth is a village and civil parish in the north of Hertfordshire, England, immediately south of Stevenage. The civil parish covers an area between the villages of Datchworth, Woolmer Green, Codicote, Kimpton, Whitwell, St Paul's Walden and Langley, and encompasses the village of Knebworth, the small village of Old Knebworth and Knebworth House.

History

There is evidence of people living in the area as far back as Neolithic times and it is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 where it is referred to as Chenepeworde (the farm belonging to the Dane, Cnebba) with a population of 150. The original village, now known as Old Knebworth, developed around Knebworth House. Development of the newer Knebworth village started in the late 19th century centred a mile to the east of Old Knebworth on the new railway station and the Great North Road (subsequently the A1, and now the B197 since the opening of the A1(M) motorway in 1962).

At the turn of the century the architect Edwin Lutyens built Homewood, southeast of Old Knebworth, as a dower house for Edith Bulwer-Lytton.[2] Her daughter, the suffragette Constance Lytton also lived there, until just before her death in 1923.[3]

Knebworth has, since 1974, been famously associated with numerous major open air rock and pop concerts at Knebworth House, including Queen's final live performance which took place on 9 August 1986 and drew an attendance estimated as high as 300,000, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Oasis playing to a quarter of a million people for 2 nights in 1996 and more recently Robbie Williams, who for three nights in August 2003 performed to the largest crowds ever assembled for a single performer.

Twinning

On 16 June 1990 the village was twinned with the commune of Châtelaillon-Plage in France.

Facilities

Education and leisure

  • Knebworth Primary and Nursery school
  • The Roebuck Inn, its oldest public house (now in Stevenage), which dates back to 1420
  • The Lytton Arms (public house in Old Knebworth), an early Victorian building
  • The Station, a public house, built in 1883, but closed since Feb.2017
  • Recreation ground, incorporating football pitches, tennis courts, bowling green and children's play equipment

Places of worship

Sport and leisure

Knebworth has a Non-League football club Knebworth F.C. who play at Knebworth Recreation Ground. Knebworth Tennis Club and Knebworth Bowls Club are also based at the Recreation Ground.

Knebworth Park Cricket Club play at their ground in Knebworth Park. Green Dragon Bowmen, an archery club, are also based in the Park.

Nature reserve

Knebworth Woods is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Transport

Knebworth railway station

Knebworth has a railway station, which has four platforms, running on the East Coast Main Line. Southbound services run towards London King's Cross while northbound services run towards Cambridge and Peterborough. The station and its train services are operated by Great Northern.

Employment

Many of Knebworth's residents are retired, commute to London or work in the surrounding towns and villages but there is employment in the village:

  • A D Bly
  • The Redeemed Christian Church of God administration centre
  • Corehard Limited

Statistics

Statistics from UK Census:[4]

  • All Residents: 5,247
  • Number of households: 2,203
  • Average household size: 2.30
  • Residents in households: 5,136
  • Residents in communal living: 111
  • Area (hectares): 1,958
  • Population density (people per hectare): 2.70

The developed part of Knebworth around the railway station is approximately 120 ha. This gives a density of approximately 17 dwellings per hectare.[5] Recent developments such as New Close, Kerr Close, Peter's Way and Woodstock and (the extension of) Wadnall Way have significantly increased this average density. The population of Knebworth has approximately doubled since 1970.[6]

Notable inhabitants

Twin towns

Knebworth is twinned with:

Local publications

The Knebworth Parish News is published monthly and delivered to around 800 homes in Knebworth. It is published on paper only. Although it contains secular articles, the cost of production is underwritten by the Parochial Church Council, which has editorial control of the publication.

The Stevenage Comet is delivered to a small number of homes in the village.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  2. ^ Historic England. "Homewood (1000911)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  3. ^ Jenkins, Lyndsey (2015). Lady Constance Lytton: Aristocrat, Suffragette, Martyr. London: Biteback Publishing. pp. 228–30. ISBN 978-1-84954-795-6.
  4. ^ UK Census Data for Knebworth
  5. ^ Google Maps area tool.
  6. ^ Private communication
  7. ^ Royal Academy Dictionary of Exhibitors: Summer Exhibition catalogue archives
  8. ^ "British towns twinned with French towns". Archant Community Media Ltd. Archived from the original on 2013-07-05. Retrieved 2013-07-11. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
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