Just over eighty years ago, when Ebenezer Howard, the 'inventor' of Welwyn Garden City, bought the land to build his 'new town', the area was a place of scattered farms and woodland. Though it took near half a century for Westminster to comprehend Howard's concept, its influence on town planning has been so great that its history is usually discussed uncritically. In this book, the distinguished archaeologist and historian, Tony Rook, who has researched around Welwyn for 40 years, throws new light on the history of the site, from pre-history to the present day.