51°55N 0°14W, pop (2001e) 77 700. Town in Hertfordshire, SE England, UK; 45 km/28 mi N of London; the first new town, 1946; railway; wide range of light industries.
| Borough of Stevenage | ||
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Shown within Hertfordshire |
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| Geography | ||
| Status: | Borough | |
| Region: | East of England | |
| Admin. County: | Hertfordshire | |
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Area: - Total |
Ranked 342nd 25.96 km² |
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| Admin. HQ: | Stevenage | |
| Grid ref: | TL2424 | |
| ONS code: | 26UH | |
| Demographics | ||
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Population: - Total (2005 est.) - Density |
Ranked 297th 79,000 3,043 / km² |
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| Ethnicity: |
94.6% White 2.1% S.Asian 1.2% Afro-Carib. |
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| Politics | ||
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Stevenage Borough Council http://www.stevenage.gov.uk/ |
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| Leadership: | Leader & Cabinet | |
| Executive: | Labour | |
| MP: | Barbara Follett | |
Stevenage is a town and district in Hertfordshire, England.
Its population was 1,430 in 1801, 4,049 in 1901 and 79,724 in 2001 - the biggest rise being in the 1950s and 1960s, after becoming a new town.
Place-name meaning
Stevenage may derive from Old English stiþen āc / stiōen āc / stithen ac (various Old English dialects cited here) meaning '(place at) the stiff oak'.
History
The present site of Stevenage lies near a Roman road that ran from Verulamium to Baldock. Some Romano-British remains were discovered during the building of the New Town, and a hoard of 2,000 silver Roman coins was discovered in 1986 during new house building in the Chells Manor part of Stevenage.
The earliest part of St Nicholas Church dates from the 12th century, but it was probably a site of worship much earlier.
For a description of the medieval manorial records, and details of Stevenage's history from the Tudor period to the Victorian era - see the external history link.
In 1281 Stevenage was granted a twice weekly market and an annual fair.
It was in the 16th century (1558) that Thomas Alleyne founded the free Grammar School — the school (no longer grammar) still exists on its original site at the north end of the High Street.
Stevenage's prosperity came in part from the North Road, which was turnpiked in the early 18th century.
In 1928, Philip Vincent bought the HRD Motorcycle Co Ltd out of receivership, immediately moving it to Stevenage and renaming it the Vincent HRD Motorcycle Co Ltd.
Modern Stevenage
This slow growth continued until, after the Second World War, the Abercrombie Plan called for the establishment of a ring of new towns around London.
The pedestrianised town centre was the first traffic-free shopping zone in Britain, and was officially opened in 1959 by the Queen.
Next to the Town Gardens, the Church of St George and St Andrew is an example of modern church design, and houses Stevenage Museum in its crypt.
A distinctive feature of Stevenage is its urban landscape.
Stevenage has a King George's Field in memorial to King George V
The Stevenage Leisure Centre contains the Gordon Craig Theatre and many facilities for sports.
In 1999 a millennium countdown clock was mounted on the town centre clock tower, displaying the time remaining until the year 2000.
Adjoining the residential parts of the town is the Industrial Area.
Stevenage Borough F.C., the town's major football team, plays in the Nationwide Conference and is based at Broadhall Way, grid reference TL24412279
Stevenage holds a number of annual events, including the Stevenage Town Show (formerly Stevenage Day), Rock in the Park and Stevenage Carnival.
Famous inhabitants
Kevin Phillips, the premiership footballer Ian Poulter, the international golferSchools
Many schools were built in the 1950s/60s due to a massive rush of Londoners to affordable terraced housing in areas such as Shephall, Broadwater, Chells and St Nicholas. Letchmore Rd Ashtree St Nicholas C of E Featherstone Wood Broom Barns Fairlands Peartree Spring St Margaret Clitherow RC Roebuck Longmeadow Shephallbury Park Primary School (amalgamated with Shephall Green Infant School, September 2005) Woolenwick
Nearby
Walkern Aston St Mary's C of E Graveley Benington C of E Weston and KnebworthSpecial schools
Larwood Lonsdale Redemption Academy Greenside The Valley School Barnwell (containing the VIBase for the Visually impaired pupils and the SPLD Base for Pupils with specific learning difficulties)Secondary schools
In Stevenage
Barnwell School Barnwell, SG2 9SW (September 2006 Barnwell school took in the students from Collenswood School after the closure of the school students now remain on two sites: Barnwell East and Barnwell West) The Barclay School, Walkern Rd, Stevenage, SG1 3RB The Heathcote School, Shephall Green, Stevenage, SG2 9XT John Henry Newman RC Hitchin Road, Stevenage, SG1 4AE Marriotts, Telford Avenue, Stevenage, SG2 0AN The Nobel School, Mobbsbury Way, Stevenage, SG2 0HS The Thomas Alleyne School, High Street, SG1 3BEChurches
Stevenage has an active network of churches of many denominations.
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