20 Attractions to Explore Near St Paul's Walden Bury

Knebworth House was the former Home of the Lytton family for over 500 years, Knebworth was transformed in 1843 from a red brick Tudor house into a veritable feast of Victorian Gothic turrets, gargoyles and gryphons, by writer-statesman Edward Bulwer-Lytton. Other notable family members include Lady Constance Lytton, Hertfordshire’s own Suffragette and the Edwardian architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, who married into the Lytton family.

Shaw's Corner was the primary residence of the renowned Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw; The house was designed very much in the Arts and Crafts style with stained glass windows and hearts cut into the banisters. It tells the story of his life and gives a great description of much of his life. The Arts and Crafts interiors are small yet beautiful. The garden contains a revolving summerhouse where Shaw used to work.

Fairlands Valley Park is renowned for its wide range of water sports facilities, with sailing, windsurfing, angling, kayaking and dragon boating taking place on the 11 acre Main Lake. It was situated within the heart of Stevenage and covering 120 acres of beautiful parkland, Fairlands Valley Park provides extensive leisure facilities for all.

Someries Castle is one of the biggest and earliest surviving brick buildings of this type in England and is therefore of great significance. The house is unique in that it is regarded as one of the first brick buildings in England. Demolished in the 1700s, the fine brickwork can still be seen in the remains of the gatehouse. A unique place to visit and you can spend some good time in the history of England.

The British Schools Museum in Hitchin bills itself as the 'Home of the Education Revolution', a bold claim but one that has a great deal of truth about it. The museum is built around an authentic early Victorian school established in the 1830s and is remarkably unaltered since it was opened. It includes a monitorial schoolroom based on the educational theories of Joseph Lancaster for 300 boys, which opened in 1837, and a rare galleried classroom, dating from 1853.

Welwyn Roman Baths is a 3rd-century bath complex that formed part of the Dicket Mead Roman villa. The baths lie directly underneath the A1(M) motorway, protected by a steel vault. The baths were a small part of the Dicket Mead villa, which was originally built in the 3rd century AD.

Oughtonhead Common is a Local Nature Reserve with a wide variety of wildlife habitats. The River Oughton flows alongside the common. Park seats are installed at various locations by the riverside making it a pleasant place to relax and enjoy. The site has a variety of habitats, including wet and dry woodland, the river margin and fen areas. Willow, reed and rush were formerly grown and harvested in the wetter areas, and there was a corn mill at the eastern end. Birds include kingfishers, water

Luton Hoo Estate is a traditional privately owned Country Estate that continues to trust in its history and values. A traditional Estate that once included one of England's finest stately homes. Today, the Estate boasts an arable farm (with environmentally-friendly systems incorporated within its techniques), parkland, residential properties, commercial units, a historic model farm and a local food hub.

Rothamsted Park is a huge 56-acre public park adjacent to the world-famous Rothamsted Experimental Research Centre, which includes a sports centre, a paddling pool and an indoor swimming pool, the park is much loved for its wide-open spaces which provide opportunities for walking and relaxation. There is also a popular children’s play area and the District’s only purpose-built skateboard Park.

Wardown House, Museum and Gallery is situated in the beautiful landscaped Wardown Park, on the outskirts of Luton town centre. The house was formerly the home of the Scargill family, then a military hospital and is now a museum and gallery. It was one of two free admission museums situated in Luton which are part of the charitable trust, Luton Culture.

Wardown Park is one of seven district parks in Luton, providing a green refuge within walking distance of the town centre. It provides the setting for Wardown Park Museum and offers a wide range of opportunities for formal and informal recreational activities. With its outstanding features and is one of the most visited parks in Luton. It provides an oasis of calm within walking distance of the town center.

Pegsdon Hills and Hoo Bit is a 79-hectare nature reserve in Pegsdon in Bedfordshire. It offers some of the best views in the county. In spring, moschatel, or town-hall clock, named after the arrangement of its flowers, can be found in the woodland, while dingy and grizzled skipper butterflies flutter around in the grassland.

There’s so much to discover at Stockwood, which includes Beautiful gardens, interactive exhibitions and the largest carriage collection in Europe. The discovery centre displays collections of local social history, archaeology, geology and rural crafts. It also houses the biggest collection of horse-drawn carriages in Europe, the Mossman Collection.

Stockwood is a public park made from the grounds of what was a stately home from 1740-1964. The former walled vegetable garden now has a set of well-maintained period gardens'. They include a Victorian garden, a cottage garden and a knot garden. The surrounding landscape garden has a sculpture by Ian Hamilton Findlay. The park was originally the estate and grounds to Stockwood House, which was demolished in 1964.

Hitchin Lavender is a lavender farm attraction close to both London and Cambridge. The farm has some spectacular views of rural Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire and there are many interesting walks in the surrounding area. It attracts a lot of tourists here and also this picturesque spot is also a good venue for film shoots too.

Heartwood Forest is an extraordinary and special place that has transformed a vast area of former farmland in London’s greenbelt. It is home to over half a million new saplings, stunning ancient woodland, a native arboretum and a community orchard. Incredibly, it takes just 12 years to turn bare land into flourishing native woodland, complete with a diverse range of wildlife and towering trees.

Benington Lordship Gardens is a seven-acre garden surrounding a lovely Georgian manor house. Beside the manor are the ruins of a Norman castle keep, surrounded by a moat. The magnificent neo-norman folly, comprising a gatehouse, summer house and adjoining curtain wall, was completed in 1838 by James Pulham of Broxbourne.

Howard Park and Gardens is a vital green space in the heart of the town surrounded by mature trees and with formal gardens around the bowls area. It also has quiet areas for reading or relaxation. Created as a central part of the world’s first garden city in Letchworth the park continues to play an important role in the life of Letchworth and makes a significant contribution to the quality of life of those who live and work in or visit the town.

A majestic and beautiful countryside park, with 2 lakes covering an area of 126 acres, on the outskirts of Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. Home of Stanborough Park Activity Centre, on the South Lake you can experience Sailing, Kayaking, Canoeing and Stand Up Paddleboarding in one of our many activity sessions. The whole park is completely man-made from an old quarry site creating the lakes and the hills around them.

Norton Common is a 25.7-hectare park and Local Nature Reserve in the centre of Letchworth Garden City. It is a park which is perfect for walks and picnics and it also offers 63 acres of unspoiled grass and woodland, tennis courts, bowling green and outdoor pool.