Hitchin, Hertfordshire is a small, market town of just over 30,000 residents, with records of its existence dating back around 1000 years. The historic town centre boasts pretty cobbled streets lined with a mixture of buildings from the Tudor and Georgian periods, housing a surprisingly high number of independent cafes, restaurants and shops.
A small river, the River Hiz, flows lazily alongside St Marys Church, the largest parish church in Hertfordshire, creating a pretty and tranquil setting. In fact, much of Hitchin’s town centre is calm & peaceful and therefore a lovely place to window shop, people-watch and relax over an artisan coffee.
Many tourists visit the area for nearby Hitchin Lavender and often skip the town itself. This though is a mistake, for Hitchin has plenty to offer visitors who are looking to complement their day out in the lavender fields with a bit of shopping and perhaps a bite to eat.
The best things to do in Hitchin
While most visitors come for the Lavender, Hitchin has plenty of other attractions worth seeing.
Hitchin Lavender
Address: Arlesey Rd, Ickleford SG5 3UA
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People come from all over the world to visit Hitchin Lavender, and rightly so. In peak flowering season (Jun-Aug), a carpet of purple flowers bloom in breathtaking style over picturesque rolling fields. Admission includes use of a pair of scissors so that you can cut and keep as much Lavender as you can carry in your bag. The on-site cafe serves tea, cake and good-quality lunches in a lovely rustic barn or outside in the garden.
Plenty of free on-site parking. If you’re car-less, get a taxi.
Hitchin Lido
Address: Fishponds Rd, Hitchin SG5 1HA
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Hitchin Lido, part of the Swimming Centre, opened in 1938 and retains all of the character and style of that era. The 50 metre-long pool is heated and is simply gorgeous on a sunny day. Many visit just to lie in the sunshine and enjoy an ice cream whilst watching more athletic visitors swim lengths. Entry is a little on the steep side, but if you spend an hour or two here, it’s worth it. If it’s chilly, there’s also a 25m indoor pool open year round.
Outdoor pool open May-Sept.
St Mary’s Church
Address: Churchyard, Hitchin SG5 1HP
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This 14th-15th century church sits in the heart of Hitchin town centre and is Hertfordshire’s largest parish church. The church is notable for how spacious it is inside and, thanks to the window’s being unstained, how bright it is. It’s particularly lovely on a sunny day! When you visit, look up to admire the beautiful wooden ceiling and carvings.
At selected times of year, it’s possible to scale the clock tower for great views of the town. Check out the website for more information on this.
Admission is free, though a donation would be gratefully accepted.
North Hertfordshire Museum
Address: Brand Street, Hitchin SG5 1JE
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North Hertfordshire Museum’s very existence has been tumultuous. Thankfully, after years of delays and land disputes, the museum is now fully open. On the ground floor, a small gallery of historic artefacts tells the history of the district, whilst an adjacent gallery houses visiting collections on a variety of themes and topics. On the first floor, two more galleries bring the county’s local history to life. There’s now also a cafe serving drinks and light lunches.
Admission is free.
Nights Out in Hitchin
While party animals might be a bit disappointed, culture-vultures and socialites will be delighted by Hitchin’s nighttime offerings.
The Victoria (The Vic)
Address: 1 Ickleford Rd, Hitchin SG5 1TJ
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A brilliant and welcoming pub that has firmly embedded itself into the local community through its programme of themed food evenings, live music events and quiz nights. What was formerly a car park is now a sizeable beer garden which plays host to happy revellers, particularly during the summer months.
Club 85
Address: 74 Whinbush Rd, Hitchin SG5 1PZ
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A packed programme of live music from across the musical spectrum can be enjoyed in this small, open-minded and independent music venue. Monthly jazz series, ‘JazzUp‘ is ever popular and there’s even occasional live wrestling by Fallout Pro Wrestling. Tickets are good value and can be purchased in advance via the website.
Club 85 is an easy ten minute walk from the town centre.
The Queen Mother Theatre
Address: Woodside, Walsworth Road, Hitchin SG4 9SP
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A modern theatre hosting amateur productions and concerts. In the adjoining studio, art house and indie films are shown twice a month, making up for Hitchin’s lack of a cinema. Tickets for the theatre can be purchased in advance from QMT website, while tickets for film showing can be bought from the Hitchin Films website.
Plenty of parking on-site (pay & display up until 6pm)
Live Music at Hermitage Rd Bar & Restaurant
Address: 20-21 Hermitage Rd, Hitchin SG5 1BT
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Enjoy live music in a relaxed, modern setting every weekend (Fri, Sat & Sun evenings) throughout the year. Best of all, entry is completely free and you can just show up without having to buy a ticket. Check out their website to see what’s on.
Plan & Book your visit to Hitchin
In this section, we’ll go through how you can plan and book your visit to Hitchin.
Trains to Hitchin
Hitchin station is served by trains operated by Great Northern and Thameslink between London and Peterborough/Cambridge. Trains to Hitchin depart from both St Pancras International and London Kings Cross.
For spur of the moment visits from London, we recommend visiting Kings Cross primarily, as departures from both Kings Cross and St Pancras International are displayed on the departure boards. Tickets can be purchased right before you travel from ticket offices or self-service machines.
Once you’ve arrived in Hitchin, the town centre is a 15 minute walk from the station. Metered taxis are normally waiting outside the station if you’d rather get a lift.
Buses to Hitchin
Hitchin is served by a variety of buses and long distance coaches. National Express runs coach 777 from Stansted Airport to Birmingham and coach 787 from Heathrow Airport (T5) to Cambridge calling at Hitchin town centre.
More locally, Stagecoach run bus 9a & 9b to/from Bedford and Arriva runs Sapphire 100 & 101 buses between Stevenage and Luton/Luton Airport.
Getting to Hitchin by road
Hitchin lies a few miles west of junction 8 of the A1(M).
There are plenty of pay & display car parks in Hitchin with cheaper rates after 3pm and free parking on Sundays. You should check for free parking along Hollow Lane (one side of the road is restricted to a maximum of two hours, the other side is unrestricted), though it’s a popular option for locals. Otherwise, we recommend Woodside Car Park (card or mobile payments only) on Walsworth Road as it’s pretty good value and not far from the centre.
Getting around Hitchin
Hitchin is a small town and can be easily traversed on foot.
Wheelchair users and those with limited mobility may have a little difficulty on the cobbled streets of the historic centre and in traversing the steps alongside the river near St Mary’s Square car park. There is a ramp from the market area to the car park behind the public toilets but it’s not signposted.
For attractions outside the town centre (like Hitchin Lavender), we recommend calling local cab company, Tiny’s on 01462 888 888. Uber also operate a limited service in the area.
