Introduction
Hitchin is a beautiful place to live in North Hertfordshire. It’s smaller than average town with around 34,000 people and it’s the perfect place for your first home if you’re looking for somewhere a little quieter than a busy city.
Buying your first home can be scary, but Hitchin is a popular place for first time buyers with reasonable property prices.
Key Distances
Quickest Train to Hitchin from London: 33 mins
Distance to Nearest Airport: 15 mins drive (Luton)
Distance to Natural Parks and Wildlife: 25 mins walk
Travel Costs In Hitchin
Full Season Ticket
A full rail ticket comes to approximately £430 per month. This works out at a little over £100 per week. We ranked this rail cost as just below average for commuter towns around London.
Flexible Ticket
If a full season ticket is too much for you, there are other flexible options now being offered by rail companies. For example, if you were to use the train 2 days per week with a monthly ticket it would cost you only £205 per month, again this is a great price for being so close to London. This flexible ticket option is great for people who can work remotely for part of the week.
If trains aren’t your style and you want to use the bus then the average ticket will cost you £3.40 for an adult day ticket, £15.30 for a weekly or £58 for the month of unlimited bus use. Again similar to the train prices you get better value for your money when you commit to a longer-term ticket.
The Hitchin bus service also runs to Butterfield Business Park
Key Attractions In Hitchin
Hitchin is a great place to live for anyone who wants the convenience of living between two major cities. Hitchin has plenty going on in terms of shopping along the main streets while still being cosy with a warm atmosphere by nightfall thanks to its many restaurants (it even features some of the best coffee shops in England!)
Some highlights are below:
The Hitchin Lavender
The Hitchin lavender fields is a quintessential English summertime experience. It’s known for being very picturesque due to its flowers blooming during peak season. In recent years its popularity has surged with the rise of Instagram.
Admission includes the use of scissors so visitors will have an opportunity to cut some purple petals and keep them as souvenirs. There’s also free on site parking available.
Tourists are welcomed with tea and cakes (if you feel like treating yourself) inside or out under trees enjoyed so you can be taking in the all natural beauty of these fields!
St Mary’s Church
The local church in Hitchin is picturesque monument for the town. The building is very large considering the number of people who live in the area.
Parts of the church have been rebuilt over the years. Many people choose to have their wedding at this local church because of the beauty and architecture.
North Hertfordshire Museum
North Hertfordshire Museum is the perfect place to explore for history buffs. The museum, opened its doors only recently in 2017 and showcases the culture and history of Herefordshire.
You can see African masks, Roman coins, local art and fashion. There’s also a cafe in the complex serving food and drinks.
The Local Markets
If you’re into buying locally then Hitchin is full of great places to grab some homegrown produce. The Hitchin market is spectacular – it has over 150 stalls and is open on weekdays and during the weekend. has rows of historic buildings on the west side. This diverse market is a must see!
Nature
Chilterns
Hitchin is very close to the tranquillity of the Chiltern hills. This is a beautiful stretch of countryside covering over 300 square miles across multiples counties.
It’s possible to explore the are by bike, either by bringing your own or hiring one from the local rental. The Chiltern Cycleways route goes through Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire running 170 miles into the distance. For extra fun you can walk along the Phoenix trail, which takes you past a disused railway line.
The Best Restaurants In Hitchin
Los Reyes Tapas
Los Reyes is a beautiful tapas bar with Spanish decor, colourful lanterns and plenty of seating. It is family-friendly with such a wide selection on the menu that includes an array of tapas dishes which are perfect for sharing!
Hermitage Rd Bar and Restaurant
This beautiful restaurant has nearly 1000 reviews on google with an overall rating of 4.5.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner coffee, wine and even cocktails. Menus are selected to use the current food that’s in season. Try the cote de boeuf for a special occasion.
The restaurant also does casual menus – a roast lunch on a Sunday
Lussmanns – Sustainable Kitchen
This is a local independent fish and grill that is proud to bring you delicious, sustainable dining. This place has been featured in the Sunday Times magazine as a top 100 restaurant in the whole of the UK according to Giles Coren.
The Groundworks
If you are looking for a tasty lunch, this is your spot! This multi-award winning modern eatery is extremely popular with locals. Its Instagram friendly sandwiches and comforting brunches are made fresh to order, using local ingredients for a cosy feel that you can’t beat! Coffees make waiting outside worth it – Be sure to come early if possible during Sunday breakfast specials to get a great deal!
Live Events
Hitchin comes alive for Christmas with many fairs. Hitchin is also very well known for its exceptional live performances and theatre shows.
Rhythms of the World
One popular event takes place every summer called Rhythms of The World Festival which brings together 30 thousand music fans with six stages featuring international artist performances.
Hitchin Festival
The Hitchin Festival is also a must-see for anyone who loves history and culture. The festival offers an array of events, including detailed heritage trails that take you into the past, performances by visiting artists from around Europe and educational talks on anything related to Britain’s rich cultural heritage.
The list just goes on! This place really does have something going at all times so check out what they have planned next year before it sells out.
Hitchin House Prices
The average house price in Hitchin is £445,000 which puts it on the lower end of prices when compared to surrounding areas in Hertfordshire like Harpenden and St Albans.
And there’s better news – first time buyer have been paying a lower average of £297,000 on their first home.
House prices in Hitchin have risen significantly, which has been a very common trend in locations outside of major UK cities due to COVID and the great lockdowns. Even though large house price growth makes it harder for first time buyers to get on the property ladder, it does signal growing interest and confidence in Hitchin.
Flats
Flats sold most recently for an average of £253,000.
On the smaller end, one bedroom flats go for around £170,000 with two and three bedroom flats at the higher end of the range.
Houses
Terrace homes sold for an average of £440,000. This reflects a much bigger premium in Hitchin to move out of smaller flats and indicates a high demand for houses.
Semi-detached homes were even more valuable and sold for an average of £536,000
Finally detached homes sold for £779,000 over the last year, representing a whopping 45% premium when compared to semi detached homes.
Top 4 benefits of living in Hitchin
So the top 4 stand out benefits of Hitchin are:
A unique town with plenty to see
Hitchin is a unique town rich in culture! It has something for everyone. If you’re into the arts or just like to relax in a pretty setting, Hitchin will not disappoint. There are plenty of pubs, restaurants and parks to enjoy, and the locals are very welcoming. The town centre is very lively without being overbearing.
It’s a great place to raise a family
Hitchin is also an excellent place to raise a family. There are plenty of schools in the area, and it’s a town with plenty of opportunities for children to get involved in sports and other activities. The schools are also highly rated, which is a bonus.
The town is safer than cities
Hitchin is one of the safest locations that came out of our Commuter Towns Study. In addition to this high level of safety, Hitchin also ranked among one of the ten happiest places to live according to a Rightmove survey.
Another main reason Hitchin is so safe is because of their neighbourhood initiatives in the area. Neighbourhood watch patrols operate all around the town with six different teams present at any given time.
Hitchin is close to London
If you want all the benefits of living near London but don’t want to spend sky high prices on property for the next 30 years, Hitchin is a great compromise!
With public transport links right into London and beyond you can still maintain a healthy career progression from your home base.
Hitchin is also close to Arlesey, another affordable area in Hertfordshire with beautiful scenery.
FAQs
Hitchin has some great character, from the beautiful buildings to the local community events. It is a town for everyone and very welcoming.
The lavender farm is open every day, although the main flowering season is between May and August, so these are the best months to visit.
The Rhythms of the World music festival takes place each year in Hitchin and attracts over 20,000 people in one weekend!
Hitchin is a welcoming community, with over 15% of the population having ethnicities that are not White.
Although 60% of Hitchin identify as Christian, 30% identify as having no religion with 10% having other religions.