Hertfordshire

ounty of Southeast England. Hertfordshire County Council - Stevenage Borough Council - St Albans District Council - Watford Borough Council
owns and cities	Hertford (administrative headquarters), Bishop's Stortford, Hatfield, Hemel Hempstead, Letchworth (the first garden city; followed by Welwyn in 1919), Stevenage (the first new town , designated in 1946), St Albans, Watford, Hitchin
rea	1,630 sq. km / 629 sq. miles
opulation	975,800 (1991)
opography	Hertfordshire is bounded to the north by Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, and Luton; to the east by Essex; to the south by Greater London; and to the west by Buckinghamshire. The landscape is hilly, with parks and woodlands. The rocks, principally chalk, date mainly from the Upper Cretaceous period. The Grand Union Canal passes through part of the county. Rivers include: Lea, Stort, Colne; part of the Chiltern Hills
ommerce	Industries: aircraft; computer electronics; electrical goods; engineering; paper and printing; plastics; pharmaceuticals; plastics; tanning; sand and gravel are worked in the south Agriculture: barley for brewing industry; dairy farming; market gardening; horticulture
amous people	Henry Bessemer, Cecil Rhodes, Graham Greene
ttractions	St. Albans cathedral is a superb example and has the shrine of St. Alban, the first Christian martyr in Britain, executed in AD 303. St. Albans also has the Roman City of Verulamium. Hatfield House, one of the finest Jacobean houses in Britain. The village of Westmill is a fine example of old English village with 12th Century church and Tudor cottages. Hatfield House; Knebworth House (home of Lord Lytton); Brocket Hall (home of Palmerston and Melbourne); home of G B Shaw at Ayot St Lawrence; Berkhamsted Castle (Norman); Rothamsted agricultural experimental station. In 896 a battle took place in Hertfordshire between Alfred and the Danes. During the Wars of the Roses the battles of St Albans and Barnet were fought here. Elizabeth I was at Hatfield palace when she heard of her accession.