Walsworth

Walsworth was originally a village about a mile north east of Hitchin in Hertfordshire, England. It has now been incorporated into the town, although it is still often referred to as a village by some locals. The Walsworth festival is held annually on Walsworth Common. Hitchin Walsworth is one of five wards for the purposes of electing councillors to North Hertfordshire District Council. The ward includes the Purwell neighbourhood, south of Walsworth, which is named after the River Purwell.

Walsworth has a primary school – Highover Primary School, and a community centre. Another primary school, Purwell JMI, is within the ward, in the Purwell neighbourhood.

Walsworth also has three pubs: The Sailor (formerly the Sailor Boy) on Woolgrove Road, opposite a playing field (Walsworth Common), The Millstream (formerly known as the Ship) on Cambridge Road next to the River Purwell and the Anchor also on Cambridge Road, about 100M to the East of the Millstream. All three pubs have been renovated in recent years.

St Faith's Church lays at the centre of the ward at the crossroads on the A505 with Willian Road and Woolgrove Road. Built in the 1890's by the Rev'd Gainsford as a Mission Church.

There is a nature reserve at Purwell Meadow.[1]. The areas along side the River Purwell were once notorious for regular flooding although in recent years, drainage improvements associated with house building appears to have alleviated the problem. However heavy rain has caused flooding at the Walsworth cross roads as recently as September 2011 causing the road to be closed by the college. Flooding to a depth of approximately 8cm affects the entrance Chaucer Way with the meadows ajoining Chaucer Way and Purwell Lane regularly becomming flooded to a depth of 20cm.

Since the construction of housing along the flood plane the river can completely dry up during periods of drought.