Car Hire Stevenage

Stevenage is both a district and town located in Hertfordshire, sandwiched between Letchworth Garden City and Welwyn Garden City. Its name is thought to derive from the Old English for ‘place at the strong oak’, and was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. The current location of Stevenage is near an old Roman road that ran from Verulamium to Baldock. Verulamium was the third largest city in Roman Britain, located near to where Saint Albans is today.

Indeed, remains from ancient Romano-British settlements have been found during the building of the new town of Stevenage (a new town is a town that has been planned and usually built in a previously undeveloped area – Stevenage was created after the Second World War). In 1986 2000 Roman silver coins were discovered when excavations were undertaken in the building of Chells Manor’s houses. And six Roman tumuli (burial mounds) have been found by the side of the Great North Road (also known as the A1). Drive along the A1 in your car hire and explore these mounds, and use your car hire to get to St Albans for a look around.

In 1281 Stevenage was granted a market twice a week, and a yearly fair. They were more than likely held in the High Street – the street is closed for a fair even today. And although it is believed a place of worship was on the site before the existence of a church, Saint Nicholas’ church dates back to the 1100s, with a list of rectors pretty much complete since 1213. The church was refurbished in the 1500s.

One of the main incomes for the residents of Stevenage were the coach inns, that served the 21 coaches a day passing by in 1800. With the addition of a toll to the Great North Road, the quality of the road improved and so more coaches came through, and many inns opened up along the High Street. Drive down the High Street in your car hire and see how many of the original inns are still around.