Knebworth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Knebworth |
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 Knebworth House, Knebworth |
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 Knebworth
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| Population | 4,496 (2011 Census) |
| OS grid reference | TL252201 |
| District |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | KNEBWORTH |
| Postcode district | SG3 |
| Dialling code | 01438 |
| Police | Hertfordshire |
| Fire | Hertfordshire |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament |
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Knebworth is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. It is located just south of Stevenage. The Knebworth area includes the main village, the smaller Old Knebworth, and the famous Knebworth House.
Contents
History of Knebworth
People have lived in the Knebworth area for a very long time. It was even mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086! Back then, it was called Chenepeworde. About 33 families lived there. The name 'Knebworth' might mean 'the farm belonging to Cnebba' or 'village on the hill'.
The first village, now called Old Knebworth, grew around the Church of St Mary and St Thomas. This stone church was built around 1120. Before that, there might have been an older wooden church.
Around 1492, the Lytton family took over the manor (a large estate with a house). They rebuilt the manor house into a beautiful Late Gothic style. The house stayed mostly the same until the 1800s. Then, it was changed into the Tudor Gothic building you see today.
Knebworth used to be a farming community. Farmers mainly grew wheat and barley. It was easy to transport their crops to London using the Great North Road.
The Railway Arrives
In the early 1800s, Knebworth had only about 250 people. But the Industrial Revolution and the arrival of the railway changed everything! The new Knebworth village started to grow around the railway station. This was about a mile east of Old Knebworth.
Lord Lytton helped make sure the railway would go through Knebworth. He also arranged for a station to be built there. The Great Northern Railway opened the Knebworth station in 1884. This created a brand-new settlement. It was first called Knebworth Station, then New Knebworth, and now just Knebworth. The original village became known as Old Knebworth.
Lord Lytton even started a company to build homes near the railway. People from London and other areas moved to Knebworth to work in the new settlement.
Famous Buildings and Concerts
Around 1900, a famous architect named Edwin Lutyens built many important buildings in Knebworth. These include Homewood, the Bank, St Martin's church, the Golf Clubhouse, and the telephone exchange.
Since 1974, Knebworth has been famous for huge outdoor rock and pop concerts at Knebworth House. Many legendary bands have played there:
- In 1976, the Rolling Stones and Lynyrd Skynyrd played to almost 250,000 people.
- Queen played their very last live show there on August 9, 1986. About 125,000 fans attended.
- Pink Floyd performed in 1990. This show was later released as a live album in 2021.
- In 1996, Oasis played two nights to a quarter of a million people. Over 2.5 million people wanted tickets!
- In 2003, Robbie Williams performed for three nights. This was the largest crowd ever for a single performer at Knebworth.
Local Government
Knebworth is part of different levels of government.
North Hertfordshire District Council
Knebworth is in the North Hertfordshire local government area. Two councillors represent Knebworth Ward: Mandi Tandi (Conservative Party) and Lisa Nash (Liberal Democrat). These councillors help make decisions for the local area.
Hertfordshire County Council
Knebworth is also part of the Knebworth and Codicote Division for Hertfordshire County Council. Richard Thake (Conservative Party) is the councillor for this area. County councillors deal with bigger services like education and roads.
Parliamentary Representation
The village is represented in the UK Parliament by Stephen McPartland MP (Conservative Party). He was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Stevenage in 2010. An MP represents the local people in the national government.
Town Twinning
On June 16, 1990, Knebworth became twinned with the town of Châtelaillon-Plage in France. Town twinning means two towns in different countries become friends. The Knebworth Twinning Association helps schools, sports clubs, and social groups from both towns connect and become friends. They also organize fun events throughout the year.
Knebworth is twinned with:
Châtelaillon-Plage, France
Facilities in Knebworth
Knebworth has many useful places for its residents:
- Knebworth Post Office
- Doctors Surgery
- Knebworth Village Hall
- Lytton Mausoleum
Education and Leisure
- Knebworth Primary and Nursery school, Swangleys Lane
- Raja Tandoori, a restaurant and takeaway
- The Roebuck Inn, a very old pub (from 1420)
- The Lytton Arms, a pub in Old Knebworth
- The Station, another pub built in 1883
- Recreation ground, with football pitches, tennis courts, a bowling green, and a children's play area
Places of Worship
- St Martin's, a Church of England church designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.
- St Mary's, another Church of England church with parts dating back to 1120. It's the traditional burial place for the Lytton family.
- St Thomas More, a Roman Catholic Church built in 1962.
- Trinity Church, a Methodist Church and United Reformed Church that opened in 1996.
Sport and Leisure
Knebworth has several sports clubs:
- Knebworth F.C. is a football club that plays at Knebworth Recreation Ground.
- Knebworth Tennis Club and Knebworth Bowls Club are also at the Recreation Ground.
- Knebworth Park Cricket Club plays at its ground in Knebworth Park.
- Green Dragon Bowmen, an archery club, is also based in the Park.
Nature Reserve
Knebworth Woods is a special area known as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. This means it's protected because of its important plants, animals, or geology.
Transport
Knebworth has its own railway station with four platforms. It's on the East Coast Main Line. Trains going south travel towards London King's Cross. Trains going north travel towards Cambridge and Peterborough. The train services are run by Great Northern.
Knebworth in Numbers
Here are some facts about Knebworth from the UK Census in 2011:
- Total Residents: 5,247
- Number of Homes: 2,203
- Average Family Size: 2.3 people
- Area: 1,958 hectares (a hectare is about the size of a sports field)
- Population Density: 2.7 people per hectare (how many people live in each hectare)
The population of Knebworth has roughly doubled since 1970!
Notable People from Knebworth
Many interesting people have lived in Knebworth, including:
- A. Duncan Carse, a painter
- Barbara Follett, a politician
- David Ensor, a lawyer and politician
- Members of the Lytton family, who owned Knebworth House
- James Oswald, an 18th-century composer
- Ken Follett, a famous author
- Robert Wilson, who started Music for Youth
- Tony Byworth, a country music journalist
Local Publications
The Knebworth Parish News is a monthly newspaper delivered to about 800 homes in Knebworth. It has local articles and news. The Stevenage Comet is another newspaper that is delivered to some homes in the village.
See also
In Spanish: Knebworth para niños
