Old Welwyn, a good place to live?

Old Welwyn, a good place to live?

Author
Discussion

heisthegaffer

Original Poster:

3,857 posts

213 months

Wednesday 5th February 2014
quotequote all
Hi all

Thinking of moving soon and we're looking at Old Welwyn, probably by the hospital. Does anyone live here currently or has done in the past? What are your opinions?

Edited by heisthegaffer on Wednesday 5th February 14:19

magooagain

11,709 posts

185 months

Wednesday 5th February 2014
quotequote all
I used to until she moved,so i then loved in Hertford.

markiii

4,037 posts

209 months

Wednesday 5th February 2014
quotequote all
in herts?

its not old Welwyn if your near the hospital, I assume you mean the QE2?

heisthegaffer

Original Poster:

3,857 posts

213 months

Wednesday 5th February 2014
quotequote all
markiii said:
in herts?

its not old Welwyn if your near the hospital, I assume you mean the QE2?
No, definitely Old Welwyn by the QVM. I guess it's more of a rehabilitation unit than QE2.

heisthegaffer

Original Poster:

3,857 posts

213 months

Wednesday 5th February 2014
quotequote all
magooagain said:
I used to until she moved,so i then loved in Hertford.
What was your opinion of Old Welwyn as a place to live?

AMST09

570 posts

195 months

Wednesday 5th February 2014
quotequote all
Quiet place, couple of good pubs, got everything you need there really though
Centre is walkable from most places
Depends if you want to be able to get out without driving though as no train and all buses in herts are rubbish

markiii

4,037 posts

209 months

Wednesday 5th February 2014
quotequote all
if you truly mean Old Welwyn as in the village and surrounding area I would say very good

you are 30 mins from London by train, have access by car to Knebworth, Stevenage, Welwyn North, Welwyn Garden and Hatfield stations in no more than 15 mins.

Can walk to Welwyn North Station of your in the mood though more like 30 min walk.

your 5 mins from the A1

Its a relatively affluent area.

downsides, traffic at rush hour is a pain as the whole B197 down to the A1 jams up. And there is a camp just near the A1.

that said touch wood crime is pretty low.

Old Welwyn village has enough pubs/doctors/restaurants and shops to be self sufficient if you don't want/need to travel

will you be commuting?

shim

2,050 posts

223 months

Wednesday 5th February 2014
quotequote all
In my latest email spam from the Local Hatfield/Welwyn PCSOs Neighbourhood watch they sited Welwyn Village High street as an area of concern due to the louts hanging around!

lost in espace

6,384 posts

222 months

Wednesday 5th February 2014
quotequote all
The village is known as Welwyn, not Old Welwyn! /pedant I am up the road in Oaklands.

It seems to be a good place to come too from Harpenden/St Albans if you want a big house for your money. Traffic can be busy at commute time. Roadworks to commence soon at J6 A1, traffic coming off northbound will have its own lane (land 1) and two lanes will continue with the current pinchpoint 3>2 lanes being removed. Highways Agency seem to think this will help, I doubt it. £2 million being spent.

Oh the BP station is currently being refurbished and we will have our own M&S one stop shop in a few weeks.

AMST09

570 posts

195 months

Wednesday 5th February 2014
quotequote all
Its always known as old welwyn now though as everyone shortens welwyn garden city to welwyn now

heisthegaffer

Original Poster:

3,857 posts

213 months

Wednesday 5th February 2014
quotequote all
Thanks all, I do mean Welwyn as the village, not WGC. I'm looking forward to it for lots of reasons, and with the addition of an M & S even more so now.

I'll let you know how I get on when I settle in, maybe meet a couple of PH'ers at some point.

Thanks all.

g7jhp

7,017 posts

253 months

Friday 7th February 2014
quotequote all
lost in espace said:
The village is known as Welwyn, not Old Welwyn! /pedant I am up the road in Oaklands.

It seems to be a good place to come too from Harpenden/St Albans if you want a big house for your money. Traffic can be busy at commute time. Roadworks to commence soon at J6 A1, traffic coming off northbound will have its own lane (land 1) and two lanes will continue with the current pinchpoint 3>2 lanes being removed. Highways Agency seem to think this will help, I doubt it. £2 million being spent.

Oh the BP station is currently being refurbished and we will have our own M&S one stop shop in a few weeks.
Welwyn or Old Welwyn are both used locally. Welwyn is the village name, but people tend to refer to it as Old Welwyn in content to Welwyn Garden City. It's a nice looking village, some good pubs and restaurants. As others of said transport links are good, but you do need a car (should be OK as you're on PH's). High street is quite narrow and an be a bottleneck at peak times.

If you're looking in the area I'd choose Codicote over Welwyn.





markiii

4,037 posts

209 months

Friday 7th February 2014
quotequote all
reckon it depends on budget but your Codicot call is good, also up the B197 toward Knebworth.

However the only think I'd change from where we are (which is slightly up the B197 toward Knebworth) would be walking distance to the village.

getting the right house with parking in the village itself is challenging though

vankypanky

526 posts

200 months

Sunday 9th February 2014
quotequote all
Welwyn is a great village with nice pubs and places to eat. It is very expensive in comparison to Codicote but you can tell the difference easily enough as to why.
There is little or no crime there and well policed. As regards kids hanging around, they are just kids and most are off to university soon so we aren't talking ghetto gangs here.
Very little social housing. Rail links are good but you will need to drive wherever. it is close enough to Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City but far enough away if you are not a towny. Some parts of it can be VERY close to the motorway and some can sit above it so can be noisy in your garden.
When you get to know all the back lanes you can get anywhere in quick time.
The petrol station is being redeveloped to now include a mini M&S although the village has a tesco express. Has one of the best doctors surgeries in the county IMO. Schools can be a bit hit and miss depending.
Not much not to like but like all places like this, it all comes at a price.
if you are near the QVM then it is a very short walk down school lane into the village and then a lurching staggering longer one home

Edited by vankypanky on Sunday 9th February 10:10

g7jhp

7,017 posts

253 months

Friday 14th February 2014
quotequote all
vankypanky said:
Welwyn is a great village with nice pubs and places to eat. It is very expensive in comparison to Codicote but you can tell the difference easily enough as to why.
Why?

Justin Cyder

12,624 posts

164 months

Friday 14th February 2014
quotequote all
Because ten years ago, Welwyn was full of old pubs which one by one were closed & turned into expensive gastro eateries. IMO the place lost it's character when that happened.

markiii

4,037 posts

209 months

Friday 14th February 2014
quotequote all
it feels nicer and upmarket, and everything is closer, older and quainter

shim

2,050 posts

223 months

Friday 14th February 2014
quotequote all
lost in espace said:
The village is known as Welwyn, not Old Welwyn! /pedant I am up the road in Oaklands.

.
Oaklands I better known as Ville according to some!

Justin Cyder

12,624 posts

164 months

Friday 14th February 2014
quotequote all
I lived in Oaklands between 1976 & 1978. Did not like it one bit. We did not fit in at all round there.

vankypanky

526 posts

200 months

Saturday 15th February 2014
quotequote all
i don't live in Oaklands but whats so bad about it.
looks ok to me although the pub isnt the best but certainly now better than it was before. nice houses, pretty peaceful.