'Knebworth' is a
village in the north of
Hertfordshire,
England. It lies on the old
Great North Road, between
Stevenage and
Woolmer Green.
History
There is evidence of people living here as far back as
Neolithic times, and it is mentioned in the
Domesday Book of
1086 where it is called Chenepeworde (the farm belonging to the
Dane, Cnebba) with a population of 150.
Ownership of the
manor passed through various hands, until it was passed to
Robert Lytton in
1492. The original village (now called Old Knebworth) grew up around
Knebworth House.
The village expanded in the late
19th century, mainly due to the arrival of the
railway in
1884. This new community around the main road and railway station, which is what is now known as Knebworth, has grown to a population of over 4,000.
Recent
The completion of the
A1(M) motorway in
1962 relieved much congestion from the narrow village
High Street.
The village is famously associated with
numerous major open air rock and pop concerts which have been held in the grounds of the nearby
Knebworth House since
1974. In
1996, Knebworth played host to the largest gathering of people England had ever seen, when rock band
Oasis played two sold out shows in front of 250,000 fans. (Over 3.5 million fans applied to attend the concert, meaning the possibility of 12 sold out nights.) The event was a milestone in British music.
Facilities
★ Churches
★
★ St Martin’s designed by
Sir Edwin Lutyens and consecrated in
1915
★
★ A
Roman Catholic church
★ A primary school
★ Public Houses
★
★ The ''Roebuck'', its oldest public house (now in Stevenage) dating back to 1420
★
★ The
''Lytton Arms'' (in Old Knebworth) which is an early
Victorian building
★
★ The ''Station Hotel'' which was built in
1883
★ Various shops and businesses in and around the High Street
★ A large recreation ground incorporating football pitches, tennis courts, bowling green and adventure playground
External links
★
Knebworth Village
★
Knebworth Parish Plan
★
Knebworth Primary School
★ Clubs and societies
★
★
Knebworth Amateur Theatrical Society
★
★
Knebworth Golf Club
★
★
Knebworth Football Club
★
★
Knebworth Park Cricket Club
★
★
Knebworth Players Amateur Dramatics
★
★
Knebworth Youth Football Club