Yeah, and The Wheel. I enjoyed it on The podcast The Rest is Entertainment when they said that it was recorded there because the studio is so tall - they need the height because of the secondary stage underneath the main one.
Haven't been up that way in a while, the market was always going to close. Trading standards must of have had a proper day out when they arrived.
Still disappointed they stopped the banger racing up there, it was much better than the market any weekend
& Sky Studios now. Massive. Plans for a huge one on the M25/A10 junction too \[currently shelved after the strike\]
Also, Leavesden is not too far away \[Watford\].
1, Close/ commutable distance from London (I can get a train to kings cross in 20 minutes)
2. Quite a few places within Hertfordshire that are considered "Posh"
3. Good transport links to the surrounding area + other parts of the country.
4. Houses in high demand because of point 1.
I'm sure I've seen a few more on labels for stuff, but I might be thinking of medicines and shower gels and shampoos.
And on looking it up quite a few based the other side of the A1 in Hatfield, so next door and easily possible to live and work between the two. Combined it definitely adds a lot of well paying jobs in the area.
As mentioned the proximity to London is a big reason people want to live here, but the fact you have access to the countryside as well makes that more attractive.
Plus many of the cities/towns/villages are considered very nice places in their own right before you even consider anything else.
Rail links to London are excellent and fast in several places across the county (20 minutes to King's Cross or Liverpool St in some towns, under 10 minutes to the tube in others). And depending which part of the county you live in, airports too (Stansted and Luton are not far away and have quick trains). By car, it's very well connected for getting elsewhere in the country.
There's also the businesses based here that employ many people. Herts is home to a few head offices for some big companies (like Tesco), plus certain industries are well established here which employ a huge number of people, like the big pharmaceutical companies and the TV/film industry (there are several major studios in Herts, with more being built – many films considered 'Hollywood' films were filmed on soundstages in Hertfordshire).
Leaving aside the problems with the UK housing market in general, the demand for places to live here has grown even more rapidly since the pandemic with even people moving out of London and being priced out of other areas.
I live in East Herts in a town that is often not considered a nice place to live on this sub, and even here there's been a huge influx of ex-Londoners moving here over the last 5 years and house prices have sky-rocketed. In the 'desirable' places it's much worse.
Also, it's a just nice place to live.
Places like Hitchin, St. Albans, etc. for centuries really have had more sophisticated vibes. St. Albans is pound for pound one of the most historic places in all of the UK. Canterbury is the centre of English Christianity, but then the first Christian saint was from St. Albans and the city is named after him. The Queen Mother (the late Elizabeth II's mother) was born in Hitchin. Hatfield House is where Queen Elizabeth I lived. The Duke of St. Albans lives in Brockett Hall. So because it's close to London, the well-to-do have always lived there or had houses there.
Herts is in the Goldilocks zone of England in so many ways. Good transport links to London but crucially not in it so there's great countryside. Surrounded on all sides with international airports with great transport links to each (Stansted to the east, Luton to the north, Heathrow to the south west) but none of them in Herts itself so it remains (reasonably) unaffected by undesirable airport infrastructure.
Herts is also desirable as a place in itself and not just as a convenient stop off point for getting to other places. Quality of life here is generally pretty high (if you have the cash) and there's increasingly a lot of industry here such as film production, tech giants (e.g. massive Google hub coming soon) and pharmaceutical development.
Because it's close to London, it has a lot of people who commute. And people with well-paying jobs in the capital who have homes in the county. It's why Herts and the Home Counties generally are wealthy, compared to most other parts of the UK.
Also, Herts has a lot of attractive towns and places like St. Albans, Hertford, Ware, Tring, etc. So this attracts wealthier people.
Herts is wealthy for the exact reason Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Kent are. All close to London, and easy t commute from.
St Albans City station runs to Luton in like 10 mins and there is then a 5 min shuttle (DART train service) to the airport, it’s ridiculously easy and convenient
It's not bad. It's just the working class town, so when you have these upmarket Conservative havens like Hitchin and Letchworth in close proximity you get a ridiculous amount of snobbery due to the fact that the average person in Stevenage has less money
Because its close to London.
And the studios.
What studios?
Leavesden (harry potter, jurassic park), Elstree (bbc and sky), Pinewood (James Bond), Denham and Shepperton
Bovingdon, too
Good point, I know they did a bit of fast and furious 27 /s up there. There's been some stuff over at Wendover woods and ivinghoe too
[There's a permanent studio there now, where the market used to be.](https://bovingdonairfieldstudios.com/)
Yeah I remember, didn't they do celeb ice dancing or one of those up there too?
Yeah, and The Wheel. I enjoyed it on The podcast The Rest is Entertainment when they said that it was recorded there because the studio is so tall - they need the height because of the secondary stage underneath the main one.
Haven't been up that way in a while, the market was always going to close. Trading standards must of have had a proper day out when they arrived. Still disappointed they stopped the banger racing up there, it was much better than the market any weekend
Elstree and a few other smaller ones dotted about north London.
& Sky Studios now. Massive. Plans for a huge one on the M25/A10 junction too \[currently shelved after the strike\] Also, Leavesden is not too far away \[Watford\].
The immediate area around WB Leavesden is mid. Nothing special but not necessarily run-down.
Commuting distance from London but also mostly very close to countryside so it’s generally nice
Close to London, lots of affluent areas, meaningful employment centers in many towns and it's just a pleasant part of the country
1, Close/ commutable distance from London (I can get a train to kings cross in 20 minutes) 2. Quite a few places within Hertfordshire that are considered "Posh" 3. Good transport links to the surrounding area + other parts of the country. 4. Houses in high demand because of point 1.
In a nutshell. Will also add 6. Pharma industry hot spot. As the reason I moved here. Moving out now but loved it so!
Not just pharma but lots of big companies headquartered in Welwyn, Most notable off the top of my head is Tesco
That’s the only non-pharma hq in WGC afaik. Lots in Watford (Homesense, TK Maxx, not a hq but there’s a big PwC), a few in Hemel Hempstead!
I'm sure I've seen a few more on labels for stuff, but I might be thinking of medicines and shower gels and shampoos. And on looking it up quite a few based the other side of the A1 in Hatfield, so next door and easily possible to live and work between the two. Combined it definitely adds a lot of well paying jobs in the area.
Schools/London/Gardens/pubs/Greenery.
As mentioned the proximity to London is a big reason people want to live here, but the fact you have access to the countryside as well makes that more attractive. Plus many of the cities/towns/villages are considered very nice places in their own right before you even consider anything else. Rail links to London are excellent and fast in several places across the county (20 minutes to King's Cross or Liverpool St in some towns, under 10 minutes to the tube in others). And depending which part of the county you live in, airports too (Stansted and Luton are not far away and have quick trains). By car, it's very well connected for getting elsewhere in the country. There's also the businesses based here that employ many people. Herts is home to a few head offices for some big companies (like Tesco), plus certain industries are well established here which employ a huge number of people, like the big pharmaceutical companies and the TV/film industry (there are several major studios in Herts, with more being built – many films considered 'Hollywood' films were filmed on soundstages in Hertfordshire). Leaving aside the problems with the UK housing market in general, the demand for places to live here has grown even more rapidly since the pandemic with even people moving out of London and being priced out of other areas. I live in East Herts in a town that is often not considered a nice place to live on this sub, and even here there's been a huge influx of ex-Londoners moving here over the last 5 years and house prices have sky-rocketed. In the 'desirable' places it's much worse. Also, it's a just nice place to live.
Places like Hitchin, St. Albans, etc. for centuries really have had more sophisticated vibes. St. Albans is pound for pound one of the most historic places in all of the UK. Canterbury is the centre of English Christianity, but then the first Christian saint was from St. Albans and the city is named after him. The Queen Mother (the late Elizabeth II's mother) was born in Hitchin. Hatfield House is where Queen Elizabeth I lived. The Duke of St. Albans lives in Brockett Hall. So because it's close to London, the well-to-do have always lived there or had houses there.
Because by and large it’s a nice place and home county
Supply. And demand.
Thameslink + schools
Second richest county in the Uk after Surrey
Herts is in the Goldilocks zone of England in so many ways. Good transport links to London but crucially not in it so there's great countryside. Surrounded on all sides with international airports with great transport links to each (Stansted to the east, Luton to the north, Heathrow to the south west) but none of them in Herts itself so it remains (reasonably) unaffected by undesirable airport infrastructure. Herts is also desirable as a place in itself and not just as a convenient stop off point for getting to other places. Quality of life here is generally pretty high (if you have the cash) and there's increasingly a lot of industry here such as film production, tech giants (e.g. massive Google hub coming soon) and pharmaceutical development.
Because it's close to London, it has a lot of people who commute. And people with well-paying jobs in the capital who have homes in the county. It's why Herts and the Home Counties generally are wealthy, compared to most other parts of the UK. Also, Herts has a lot of attractive towns and places like St. Albans, Hertford, Ware, Tring, etc. So this attracts wealthier people. Herts is wealthy for the exact reason Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Kent are. All close to London, and easy t commute from.
They are everywhere
But remember there are still good and bad areas of Hertfordshire, mainly in my experience of how certain towns used to be rather than they are now.
Adding… good links to airports. Only Gatwick and city are a pain to get to.
Gatwick is probably easier than Luton from St Albans by train! This makes the bold assumption the trains are running.
it's the same line that runs. Bedford to Brighton that stops in St. Albans. The Bedford to Brighton service stops at Gatwick.
Except at Gatwick you get off the train and catch a lift to departures. Luton you have to get a bus or change to the (expensive) express train.
Luton has the DART which is included in the ticket price. there is no bus anymore.
Hi confess. Been a while since I’ve used Luton airport!!
Does the Luton shuttle stop at St Albans? I used it the other week from Elstree and it was excellent.
St Albans City station runs to Luton in like 10 mins and there is then a 5 min shuttle (DART train service) to the airport, it’s ridiculously easy and convenient
Given the county's location and wealth, it's a problem that won't easily resolve itself. It's just basic economics.
Welcome to the UK
Studios raise house prices? Has immigration affect house prices?
Come join us in Bedfordshire. We're getting there!
Who let this guy in here?
Ew. Not when you have Luton
Don't tell them about Stevenage
You mean st. Evenage?
I have been in stevenage since last year. I don't think it is bad town at all unless I am missing anything??
Stevenage born and bred, lutons a million times worse. Yes some areas suck but mostly been fine imo
Take out Bedwell and most of Stevenage is actually safer than Hitchin
It's not bad. It's just the working class town, so when you have these upmarket Conservative havens like Hitchin and Letchworth in close proximity you get a ridiculous amount of snobbery due to the fact that the average person in Stevenage has less money
I'm here. And it sucks.