** Updated 19Apr2025 for the final test. The walk’s expected end time really is 18:00, it won’t finish much earlier. Please plan your evening accordingly. If you are at a loose end, how about an early evening meal in Letchworth? Please see the separate event entry for the evening meal. Alternatively, there is a break point after lunch, at roughly 15:30. **

A guided tour over 8 miles around the Western world's first Garden City.

The tour narrates a history of the politics, philosophy, economics, architectural and environmental designs and spirituality, before, during and after Letchworth Garden City. Letchworth’s story is packed with juicy details, some of which will ooze into the narrative of the tour. Much of the narrative will challenge the modern audience.

The tour narrates:

• the problems that the Garden City movement sought to solve, including a contemporary description of poverty in London in 1882 and some circumstantial themes that likely contributed to the severity of the poverty;
• the philosophy behind, and the pragmatism of, the Garden City movement;
• the planning and design approaches that Letchworth Garden City pioneered, both of purpose and of buildings;
• the major achievements of Letchworth Garden City… and some of the “unforeseen consequences”;
• the extent to which design choices of Letchworth Garden City continue to influence building design today;
• the twists and turns of the town’s objectives, caused by its challenging governance between 1903 and 1963;
• a brief history of Ebenezer Howard;
• a brief prequel to the story of Welwyn Garden City;
• a brief history of the three Saxon manors whose land Letchworth Garden City acquired.

Wear comfortable shoes, sturdy trainers will do. You will be standing for prolonged periods during this event. Walking boots are not required for this walk. Most of the route is on hard-standing, with the occasional patch of grass. Similarly, if you have a portable seat – such this or this – this tour would be a good use of it (but don’t rush out our and buy one just for this event).

Wear windproofs and waterproofs. All of the route is exposed. It’s April: expect showers.

Bring drinking water.

Lunch and coffee are available from various shops in the town. Please buy food and drink before the meeting time of 11am. Alternatively, bring packed lunch.

Public toilets are few and far-between in the town. There are public toilets at the first narration stop (use strongly recommended); the next toilets will then be over 1 hour away.

Optional pub stop – actually, an optional brewery stop – at the end of the walk.

Optional follow-on event: an informal evening meal.

The start point is accessible by public transport.

This event shall depend on the weather. If the weather is forecast to be either continuously raining during the day, or with a maximum temperature lower than 10°C, then this event shall be postponed to another day. The event will proceed if there are only a few, light, sporadic showers forecasted.