20 Attractions to Explore Near Fairlands Valley Park

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.

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.

Cromer Windmill, restored in four stages between 1967 and 1998, is a Grade II* listed post mill at Cromer, Ardeley, Hertfordshire, England. It stands on an artificial mound just outside Cromer, near Ardeley, in which parish a windmill has stood for nearly 800 years. The mill is fully restored, including its machinery for grinding corn, but cannot actually grind. However, when the wind is right the sails will turn and the mill comes to life again.

St Paul's Walden Bury is a notable landscape garden, laid out in the early 18th-century, covering about 50 acres. It is the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. The surrounding estate, with its arable and livestock farm and its ancient woodland, is a traditional country estate set in the heart of the beautiful Hertfordshire countryside.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Standalone Farm is a great place to take the kids for a day out. A small working show farm set in 170 acres of Hertfordshire countryside. A delightful small working show farm set in 125 acres of farmland on the outskirts of Letchworth. The sights and sounds of newborn lambs, calves, and chicks delight the visitors. Ducks waddle around the farmyard and paddle happily in Pix Brook, which meanders through the farm.

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.

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

Panshanger Park is a 1,000-acre site situated between Welwyn Garden City and Hertford. It was a heaven for the prople and wildlife. The park contains the largest maiden oak in the country, with a circumference of 7.6 meters. It is believed to have been planted by Queen Elizabeth I. Acorns from the tree have been used as seedlings for notable oaks in other parts of the country, such as the Prince Consort Oak in the Forest of Dean. Winston Churchill planted a sapling from the tree in the park and

A majestic working watermill with three fully accessible floors and an adjacent 8.5-acre Local Nature Reserve. Milling demonstrations on open days. visitors can watch the millstones grinding flour and learn about the process from exhibits and demonstrations as they explore the building. The Mill stands in a local nature reserve with riverside and woodland walks.

Hartham Common is a large well established public open space in the center of Hertford, comprising wildlife-rich river corridors, cattle-grazed meadows, and a network of paths and various recreational facilities. It is now owned and managed by East Herts Council. Next, the leisure centre is a popular fenced children's playground. There is also a skate park which is similarly popular with teenagers.

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.

Hertford Museum was established by brothers Robert Thornton Andrews and William Frampton Andrews in 1903. The Museum cares for in excess of 100,000 objects. Collections include archaeology, paper ephemera, ethnography, fine art, geology, natural history, photographs, social history and the Hertfordshire Regiment collection.

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.

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.

Mill Green Museum is a restored 18th century working flour mill powered by water to produce flour and demonstrate historic milling practices. Its heart is a working watermill, with 18th and 19th century wooden machinery restored to full working order. It is in regular use to grind organic wheat for a local bakery and for retail sale. Visitors can explore the mill, see it working and chat to the miller on duty. Flour is sold in various sizes.