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If you need to borrow toys or books to while away the hours, let the kids go sport crazy, register with a local doctor or find someone who might help you understand your teenager, then take a look below for everything you need to know about family-friendly Welwyn Garden City.
Welwyn Garden City really is a wonderful place to live. The aptly named Wonderful WGC site is run by WGC BID. The Welwyn Garden City BID brings together all the businesses of Welwyn Garden City town centre to make the town a better place to live, work and enjoy. They run events, this year focusing on the towns centenary, and also produce a local lifestyle magazine featuring local businesses. They are a really friendly team.
Welwyn Garden City is home to Hertfordshire Police Headquarters, which is on Stanborough Road. However, it is the administration base for the force and not a police station, so does not have a counter service for members of the public. We do have Welwyn Garden City Police Station which is at Roseanne House, Bridge Road, Welwyn Garden City AL8 6UB. WGC Police Station does not operate a front counter service. If you wish to speak to police officers on your local Safer Neighbourhood Team, you should now dial 101 instead of heading to the station. You can also call the non emergency number on 01707 35400 if you would prefer. I didn’t realise until putting together research for this page that a 101 call rate is charge at a flat rate of 15p but if you get free calls calling the 01707 number would be free. The closest Police Station with a counter service for the public is Hatfield Police Station, which is situated on Comet Way (across the road from the Galleria Car Parks (the ones by McDonalds), and next to KFC if that helps!) And this station is open 24 hours a day seven days a week.
Welwyn Garden and Welwyn are home to three Libraries which is great considering we are not the biggest of towns! The main town library is situated at Campus West and is open 7 days a week. Monday to Friday its open 0900-1900, Saturdays 1000 - 1700 and Sundays 1300 -1700. The library is wheelchair & buggy accessible, has toilets with baby change facilities, has a lift, and free wifi. They also have a visual story document that can be used by visitors to the diary with autism or learning difficulties.
A small community Library can be found in Woodhall on Cole Green Lane, and also in Welwyn Village at The Civic Centre. These two libraries are open on more of a part time basis. They are accessible for wheelchairs and buggy but do not have toilets or baby change. For details of their opening hours please click here.
The local Family Centre’s are a great source of information for local families, whether you are newly pregnant, a new mum, or an experience Mama Bear of several. The main hub for our Family Centre’s is Creswick Family Centre, which can be found on Sir John Newsom Way, WGC AL7 4FL. Activities are held across WGC at numerous centres and they can be found here. There is a printable link of all the Spring 2020 activities and that can be found here.
There is a laundrette in the parade of shops at Woodhall, which is on Cole Green Lane, which is always handy for those duvet washes after a dreaded sick bug - we’ve all been there - the joys of motherhood!
Welwyn Garden City is a commuter town so both WGC Station and Welwyn North get very busy during commuter times. Welwyn Garden City Station can be accessed via the Howard Centre in the town centre. There is a manned ticket office open seven days a week and also several self serve ticket machines. Toilets can be found on platforms 2 & 3 but there are no baby change facilities or disabled access toilets. However both of these can be found in the Howard Centre during opening hours. There is lift access to the platforms and also a coffee shop on Platform 2. Welwyn North Station is located in Digswell, which is confusing for non locals, it’s the village where the Viaduct is, and the postcode is AL6 0AS. The station has a car park on both sides of it, and a bridge connecting them with stairs - its not so buggy friendly. If travelling towards London, the trains go from the same side as the ticket office, which makes things easier. Travelling towards Cambridge trains go from the other side, so if needing a ticket you would need to then cross the bridge and its only accessible by steps and not with a slope to walk up. You can walk around via the road, if needed, its only a couple of minutes walk so is totally do-able. The station has a toilets on platform 1 (ticket office side) and a friendly coffee shop.
Young people aged 11-18 who live in Hertfordshire and are in full-time education can get half-price bus travel with a SaverCard. There is a one-off fee of £15 (correct as of March 2019)
The main Bus Terminal is in the town centre outside the Howard Centre. A link to Arriva with bus timetables can be found here and they also have a bus app which has timetables and services on it. All the details can be found on the Arriva site.
If you have reached the door-slamming and life being "so unfair" stage then you will probably be ready for Youth Connexions. This service, for 13 -19 year olds (up to 25 years for young people with disabilities), parents and carers allows you to access advice, information and support in all areas of teenage life from education and career paths to guidance for those with anxieties about life's challenges.
Citizens Advice give free, independent, impartial and confidential advice and information on a range of subjects including: Benefits, housing and council tax benefits, Consumer Rights and issues, Debt and money advice, Family and relationships, Housing, Legal issues and Employment. The Welwyn & Hatfield CAB is based at 1st Floor, Queensway House, Hatfield AL10 0LW and they have drop in sessions on a Monday, Tuesday and Thursday between 0930 & 1400.
