Area focus: North Herts Small-town charm and big business ambition Pioneering North

Hertfordshire blends market squares, natural beauty and sleek, progressive industry

North Hertfordshire is home to the world’s first garden city – and that pioneering spirit and dynamism endures today in its diverse and thriving business scene.

Hitchin, Royston and the original garden city of Letchworth all have impressive commercial areas, representing a wide range of sectors. Letchworth and Royston in particular are developing into hubs for biotech and advanced engineering, with global leaders such as Mettler Toledo in Royston and Ogle in Letchworth. Many North Herts businesses also benefit from their proximity to the major multinationals in nearby Stevenage.

But it isn’t just about the big companies. All four of North Hertfordshire’s leafy and attractive market towns – Hitchin, Letchworth, Royston and Baldock – are packed with small independent businesses. And all of them are connected by miles of walking and cycling routes through the beautiful Green Belt countryside landscape between them, which is dotted with about 40 villages and hamlets.

North Herts has good road and rail links to London and Cambridge, as well as being near Luton and Stansted airports. Natural attractions include Therfield Heath, a Site of Special Scientific Interest on the chalk escarpment near Royston, and Hitchin Lavender, which has become a tourist magnet due to the flower’s cultural significance in East and Southeast Asia.

Hitchin’s riverside market is one of the largest outdoor markets in the region, with more than 150 covered stalls every Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, while Royston’s market is every Wednesday and Saturday. Baldock’s is every Wednesday, and Letchworth’s is held every third Saturday of the month.

Major developments planned in the district include North Herts Council’s proposed regeneration of Churchgate Shopping Centre in the heart of Hitchin, and the new housing and commercial sites set out for Baldock in the 2011-2031 Local Plan.

Ogle Models and Prototypes, which provides world-class 3D printing and modelmaking service to companies around the world, moved into its Letchworth premises in 1960. Although the business has grown exponentially since then, it has remained a part of the North Herts industry landscape.

Director Philip Martin, who took over from his father, Len, in 2018, said there has never been a reason to move. “We’re now celebrating our 70th year and the majority of that time has been spent on the same site. Although we have added new machines and increased our team, we have always managed to make these premises work for us.

“We are so well established here and have a close network of partners who are just down the road from us, we wouldn’t consider changing location. While our customers come from all over the UK, we’ve found being located within arm’s reach of London and Cambridge puts us in the perfect spot.”

Nestled in an attractive rural corner of North Herts near Royston is the stable-block office of Strand PR. Strand was founded by Laura Pearce back in 2012 as a one-woman operation, but she now heads a close-knit team of former journalists, digital specialists and marketing professionsals.

Laura said: “Strand PR is based on a private estate in the North Herts countryside. The team’s wellbeing is important and I know they appreciate being able to step outside for a lunchtime walk surrounded by greenery rather than grey concrete.

“And an extra bonus is that, in spite of our rural location, we still have easy access to London or Cambridge, so it really is the best of both worlds.

“Strand PR has clients across the UK, and I feel so proud when they visit us and see our location; for a team of creatives, it really couldn’t be much better. There’s a great enterprising spirit in this area as well and I love that we are a part of that.”

Founded in 2012, Edge IT works with a diverse mix of customers providing IT services and solutions from its Hubspace base in Letchworth.

CEO and co-founder Jermaine Gibson said: “This building, which used to be called the Devonshire Business Centre, has given us an ideal home, as we have been able to move to bigger offices as we have grown. Initially, it brought us close to our first customers.

“Our customer base has expanded now, so having the A1 and A505 close by enables us to reach them quickly.

“It’s a lovely town and most of our team are within a five- to 10-mile radius. We’re only a short walk from the town centre and the retail park. Between them, there is plenty of choice for client meetings if we want to go for a meal or a coffee.

“It’s a green area as well, which is so much better than being built-up.”

We are so well established here and have a close network of partners who are just down the road from us, we wouldn’t consider changing location.