Welham Green
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Welham Green | |
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| Population | 3,639 (2001 Census) |
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| OS grid reference | |
| District | Welwyn Hatfield |
| Shire county | Hertfordshire |
| Region | East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | St Albans |
| Postcode district | AL9 |
| Dial code | 01707 |
| Police | Hertfordshire |
| Fire | Hertfordshire |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | Welwyn Hatfield |
| European Parliament | East of England |
| List of places: UK • England • Hertfordshire | |
Welham Green is a village in the parish of North Mymms, Hertfordshire, England. It is situated close to the Great North Road coaching route that used to run to York and the north. It is now by-passed by the A1(M). Even so, Welham Green has developed into a large village over the last 20 years, helped by the opening of its own railway station, between Brookmans Park and Hatfield on the East Coast main line, in 1986. Recently it has been threatened with housing developments that would have joined the village to the neighbouring town of Hatfield, but these have been resisted strongly by residents, who would like to maintain Welham Green's village character.
[edit] Vincenzo Lunardi
On the corner of Huggins Lane and Parsonage Lane is a stone plinth. This marks the point where, in 1784, balloonist Vincenzo Lunardi made his first landing whilst on a pioneer flight, namely that of the first hot air balloon flight in England. On landing he handed a cat and a dog, which had accompanied him from London, to a local woman, and re-ascended to continue northward.
The text of the plinth reads:
NEAR THIS SPOT AT 3.30 IN THE AFTERNOON OF SEPTEMBER 15TH 1784 VINCENZO LUNARDI THE ITALIAN BALLOONIST MADE HIS FIRST LANDING WHILST ON HIS PIONEER FLIGHT IN THE ENGLISH ATMOSPHERE. HAVING HANDED OUT A CAT AND DOG THE PARTNERS OF HIS FLIGHT FROM LONDON HE RE-ASCENDED AND CONTINUED NORTH EASTWARD
