Hertfordshire is one of England’s Home Counties, the others being Surrey, Kent, Essex, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. The county shares borders with Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Essex. Hertfordshire lies to the north of London; indeed its southernmost extremities blur into the expanding sprawl of Greater London. Due to Hertfordshire’s location, its motorway network (the A1, M1 and M25 all run through the county) and rail services, it makes a popular place for the capital’s commuters to live. Yet there is much more to Hertfordshire than dormitory towns and mile after mile of motorway and train tracks; the county is steeped in history, offers beautiful scenery and a host of landmarks and attractions.

There is evidence of considerable activity in Hertfordshire during the Roman occupation of Britain, and Verulamium, near where the town of St Albans now stands, was very important during this era. The Roman roads of Ermine Street and Stane Street passed through the county, and are now in parts described by the routes of the A10 and A120. The much older Icknield Way, one of the oldest roads in Britain, also passes through Hertfordshire en route from Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire to Norfolk. After the departure of the Romans, Hertfordshire later became part of the Anglo Saxon Kingdom of Mercia, and during the rule of King Edward the Elder a castle was built to fortify the town of Hertford, a charming place that is now Hertfordshire’s county town.

Hertfordshire has a large number of historic towns and villages, but in the late 20th century, with the need to re-house many of London’s inhabitants after the Second World War, New Towns began to spring up. The very first of these was Stevenage in 1946, and several others including Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth soon followed, all in Hertfordshire.

Hertfordshire also has some of the South of England’s top attractions, including Knebworth House, which has become as famous for being a rock concert venue as for its grand architecture and elaborate interior. Other places to visit in the region include the likes of the Paradise Wildlife Park and Willows Farm Village while there are also a number of different museums dotted around the county too. There is also a host of excellent hotels, restaurants and traditional pubs and inns across the county, and with so many great family days out to be had Hertfordshire is just waiting to be discovered.