Hitchin

Hitchin is a moderately-sized town in Hertfordshire, England, not far from London. Featuring the only complete Lancasterian Schoolroom in the world, Hitchin is prettily situated on the River Hitz, in an area once frequented by Henry VIII for hunting. The Buck's Head pub of neighbouring Little Wymondley has a sign depicting a popular story about one of the King's visits. It is said that Henry boasted one day that he could pole vault over the river, having done so many times in his youth. Unfortunately the attempt to repeat the stunt left the infamous monarch rather wet and embarrassed.

Hitchin was described as a prominent settlement belonging to the Bythronic Hicce tribe in a 7th century document, the Tribal Hidage, at a time when the town was becoming a significant site in the development of the Anglo-Saxon Catholic Church.

Attractions of the local area include Paradise Wildlife Park, the Ashridge Estate, Ferny Farm Maize Maze, and the Hitchin Museum and Art Gallery.