Hertfordshire is a county where thriving modern towns connected by fast transport links go hand in hand with sleepy villages and picturesque countryside.
Located just to the north of London, Hertfordshire is bordered by Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Essex to the east. Around one million people live in Hertfordshire, in historic market towns, modern industrial towns, new towns, commuter villages or rural villages.
The county is extremely well connected with four motorways and is within easy reach of Luton, Stansted and Heathrow Airports. Five main train lines run into London and out into East Anglia, the Midlands, the north and Wales.
Today, the computer industry, pharmaceuticals, the film and media sectors and financial services are major employers of a highly skilled workforce. Hertfordshire is supported by some of the best facilities for education in the country. Some 418 primary schools and 76 secondary and middle schools offer exceptional facilities and deliver results, with children in Hertfordshire gaining more GCSE passes and taking more A Level qualifications than the national average. The county also offers over 45 independent schools and four further education colleges including Oaklands College and the University of Hertfordshire.
Outside of work, there is plenty to do and see. Step back through the millennia at Roman Verulamium in St. Albans or the Welwyn Roman Baths. Spend a day at Knebworth House, Hatfield House or George Bernard Shaw’s former home in Ayot St Lawrence. You can shop until you drop at the wide range of shopping malls and outlets, traditional markets, smaller speciality shops and antique centres. You can also enjoy an evening out at bars, pubs, clubs and restaurants across the county. Perhaps you may wish to be a spectator at a Saracens rugby game in Watford, play a round of golf at a number of fantastic courses across the county or use a number of health and leisure clubs open to members and the public across Hertfordshire.
If you want to escape the crowds, you don’t have to go too far, with nearly two thirds of Hertfordshire’s rural area designated as Green Belt. Explore more than 5,200 public rights of way, and venture off the beaten track on foot, bicycle or horseback. You will soon discover a network of villages and farms nestling among tranquil woodland, river valleys and fields connected by hedgerow lined lanes. The Chiltern Hills to the west and North West of the county are designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Please see below for a list of useful external links:
www.hertfordshire.com – Tourist information in Hertfordshire.
www.hertsdirect.org - Hertfordshire County Council Website.
www.hertsdirect.org/scholearn - Information on state schools in the Hertfordshire area.
www.isc.co.uk – Information on Independent Schools in Hertfordshire and London.