Access Guide
Overview
- There are 4 main streets, Stonehills, Howardsgate, Frethern Road and Church Road in the town centre shopping area.
- Howardsgate has two sides separated by a wide central garden area.
- The facilities on these streets are shops, cafe's, restaurants, public houses, bars, a shopping centre, a train station and bus station.
Getting Here
- The town lies to the east of the A1M. The A6129 connects the town centre to both the north and southbound junctions of the A1M.
- The town centre has on-street parking including Blue Badge bays, open air and multi storey car parks. The train station and some supermarkets and stores have car parking.
- For more information onhttps://www.welhat.gov.uk/car-parks/wgc-carparks please click here (opens new tab).
- There is a bus stop within 150 metres of the shopping centre.
- Buses arrive and depart at the bus station from towns throughout Hertfordshire.
- For more information on bus times and services please click here (opens new tab).
- The nearest Railway Station is Welwyn Garden City.
- From London and the south there are commuter trains from London Kings Cross Station.
From the north there are commuter trains from Cambridge or Peterborough stations. - For more information on Welwyn Garden City Train Station please click here (opens new tab).
- For more information on National Rail please click here (opens new tab).
- For more information on Blue Badge parking, please click the link below.
- To view the web page described above click here (opens in new tab).
- For more information on buses bus services in Welwyn Garden City, please click the links below.
- To view the web page described above click here (opens in new tab).
- To view the web page described above click here (opens in new tab).
- To view the web page described above click here (opens in new tab).
General Accessibility
- Parking
- The roads are double yellow lined, except where there are defined single or multiple marked bays allocated for parking.
- Parking in the standard bays is for a maximum of 1 hour, with no return within 1 hour.
- On Street Blue Badge bays are available in all roads, apart from Church Road.
- The Blue Badge bays are single or for multiple cars and consequently measurements vary.
- Parking in the Blue Badge bays is for a maximum of 3 hours, with no return within 1 hour.
- Blue Badge parking is for an unlimited time in the on street standard bays.
- Parking is free in both the on street standard and Blue Badge bays within the time limits.
- Paths and Pavements;
- The pavements are generally concrete paving slabs, the roads Tarmac and road crossings block paving.
- The paving is predominantly good but with some cracked or uneven slabs.
- Mostly the paving has a camber towards the kerbside.
- Both the East and West of Howardsgate are on a steep incline.
- Church Road is on a lesser slope.
- Stonehills and Frethern are generally flat.
- Street Furniture
- The street furniture on the pavements includes concrete bollards, lamp posts, litter bins, advertising, directional and parking signs.
Stonehills
- Stonehills runs between Osbourne Way and Howardsgate and is approximately 150 meters in length.
- The road is a dead end at Osbourne Way.
- Vehicular access into Stonehills is from Howardsgate only.
- Pedestrians can access from either end.
- There is on street parking on both sides of Stonehills.
- There are 5 Blue Badge bays spaced along the road.
- The Blue Badge bays are various sizes with the minimum being 640cm in length x 280cm wide.
- The pavements are concrete paving stones.
- There is an uncontrolled crossing with no audible or visual signals at the junction where Stonebank dissects Stonehills.
- There is a slight slope at both crossing pavements, the slopes have tactile markings.
- The crossing surface is block paved.
- The general width of the pavements are over 150cm except on the west side pavement which is reduced to 75cm due to construction hoarding.
- In addition to the usual street furniture, the east side pavement has bicycle stands and restaurant or café table and chairs.
- There is an uncontrolled crossing with no audible or visual signals at the junction of Stonehills/Howardsgate/Fretherne Road.
- The crossing is block paved with some uneven blocks and with sloping tactile pavements either side.
Access Guides Available For (Stonehills)
-
Shopping
View
- Currency Exchange Corporation - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Savers - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Isabel Hospice Shop - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Messages Party Shop - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Eating and Drinking View
-
Other Services
View
- Wrights - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Haart Estate Agents Welwyn - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Nationwide - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- NatWest - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Stonehills Hairdressing - To view the DisabledGo access guide please click here (new tab).
- Welwyn Garden City Bus Station - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
Howardsgate - Parkway to Stonehills
- Howardsgate runs between Parkway and the Stonehills/Fretherne Road junction and is approximately 200 meters in length.
- It is one-way traffic from Parkway, east to west on a downhill slope.
- The first marked bays at the top of Howardsgate are two electric charging and payment point bays.
- These charging bays measure 190cm wide x 490cm in length.
- There is on street standard parking for 1 hour next to the kerb.
- There is a Blue Badge bay for 2 cars halfway down this road.
- The Blue Badge bay measures 200cm wide x 1035cm in length.
- There is an uncontrolled crossing with no audible or visual signals approximately halfway down at the junction with Wigmores North.
- This crosses Wigmores North and Howardsgate to the central gardens reservation leading to the west side of Howardsgate.
- The sloping pavements are tactile with the crossing block paved.
- Generally the concrete paved pavements are good and wide, typically 460cm, the narrowest point being 140cm.
- In addition to the usual street furniture the west side pavement includes flower beds, trees, a telephone kiosk, cycle racks, tables and chairs.
Access Guides Available For (Howardsgate - Parkway to Stonehills)
-
Shopping
View
- CEX Entertainment Exchange - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Carpetright - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Londis Howardsgate - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Specsavers - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Snappy Snaps - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Vision Express - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- The Works - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Cancer Research - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
-
Eating and Drinking
View
- Cote Brasserie - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Two Willows - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Postino Lounge - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Caffè Nero - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Simmons - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- McDonald's - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
-
Other Services
View
- Welwyn Garden City Post Office - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Greys Hairdressers - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Scrivens Opticians & Hearing Care - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Mail Boxes etc. - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
Howardsgate - Parkway to Fretherne Road
- Howardsgate runs between Parkway and Fretherne Road and is approximately 200 meters in length.
- It is one-way traffic from Fretherne Road, east to west on an uphill slope.
- There is on street parking.
- Parking in standard bays is for a maximum of 1 hour, with no return within 1 hour.
- There are 2 Blue Badge bays midway on this road.
- The Blue Badge bays measure 200cm wide x 1350cm in length, accommodating 2/3 cars.
- Parking in Blue Badge bays is for a maximum of 3 hours, with no return within 1 hour.
- There are two pedestrian crossings with no audible or visual signals near each other midway on this road.
- The crossings give access to the central reservation gardens area.
- The crossings have a slight slope with tactile markings.
- Generally, the concrete paved pavements are good and wide, typically 350cm, the narrowest point being 240cm.
- In addition to the usual street furniture the west side pavement includes flower pots, and tables and chairs.
Access Guides Available For (Howardsgate - Parkway to Fretherne Road)
-
Shopping
View
- Sue Ryder - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Kall Kwik - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Holland & Barrett - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Tapi Carpets - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Waterstones - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Jeremy Soloman - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Salvation Army - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Superdrug - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
-
Eating and Drinking
View
- Pizza Express - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Bill's - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- La Mesa Family Restaurant - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Costa Coffee - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Waterstones - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
Fretherne Road
- Fretherne Road runs between Parkway and Church Road and is approximately 180 meters in length.
- There is two-way traffic.
- There is a taxi rank outside Welwyn Garden City Train Station and Howardsgate Shopping Centre.
- There is on street standard parking, with a maximum stay of 1 hour, with no return within 1 hour on the east side of the tarmacked road.
- There is a Blue Badge bay midway on this road.
- The Blue Badge bay measures 265cm wide x 680cm in length.
- Parking in the Blue Badge bay is for a maximum of 3 hours, with no return within 1 hour.
- There are uncontrolled crossings with no audible or visual signals at either end of the road and a midway crossing between Iceland and KFC.
- The slightly sloping pavements are tactile with the crossings block paved.
- The Church Road junction crossing has a level, tactile resting point halfway on the road.
- Generally, the concrete paved pavements are good and wide sloping towards the kerb.
- The narrowest point on the east side pavement is 190cm the west side is 230cm reducing to 150cm approaching Church Road.
- In addition to the usual street furniture the west side pavement includes flower beds, and tables and chairs.
Access Guides Available For (Fretherne Road)
-
Shopping
View
- Iceland - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Isabel Hospice - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Johnsons Cleaners - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Timpson - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Howard Shopping Centre - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Oxfam - To view the access guide please click here (new tab).
- Eating and Drinking View
- Other Services View
Church Road
- Church Road runs between Fretherne Road and Parkway on an uphill slope and is approximately 200 meters in length.
- There is two-way traffic on this road.
- The road has double yellow lines on both sides.
- There are three car parks on this road, Sainsbury's Multi Storey Car Park, Euro Car Park and Britannia Car Park - The Doctor's Tonic.
- There is a bus stop and a cycle store next to Sainsburys Multi Storey Car Park.
- The bus stop serves bus routes 302 and 405 going to Welwyn Garden City Bus Station.
- Behind the cycle store and outside Sainsbury's is a picnic area with all in one tables and bench seating with umbrellas, these are available to all to eat food and drink purchased from outlets around the town.
- The picnic area is planned to be in use for the summer months of 2021.
- Some bench seating is omitted to provide space for wheelchair users.
- There is flagstone paving on both pavements in general good condition.
- The south side pavement is predominantly 120cm between the hedge and the grass verge.
- The north side pavement is predominantly 150cm but is 120cm at it's narrowest.
- There are a number of unmarked, tactile, slightly sloped crossings to overcome the car parks and venue entrances.
- There is a pedestrian traffic crossing with visual and audio signals near the top of Church Road.
- This crossing is traffic light controlled with a push button 102cm from the ground.
- There are tactile markings on the slightly sloped pavements leading to the tarmac road crossing.