Located three miles from Welwyn Garden City, Tewin is an upmarket, community-minded village. We found out more about this appealing part of Herts.
Tewin has a strong community spirit and residents believe in doing their bit to make it an even better place to be, with the village shop being the ultimate example of this.
Tewin Stores opened in 2008 and is run "by the village, for the village". As of 2019 the sale of more than 3,000 shares resulted in the village owning the shop.
It's open daily and sells everything from newspapers, to bread, milk and locally-sourced eggs and bacon.
There is also a café on site, which offers a Friday fry up, afternoon tea and more. For six hours a week Tewin Stores also houses a post office.
Last month, the shop won an award for supporting the community throughout lockdown from Campaign to Protect Rural England.
History
Tewin dates back to Anglo-Saxon times and has been recorded in the Domesday Book as 'Tewinge' and 'Theinge'.
There are several historic buildings in the village, with St Peter's Church being the oldest. It’s believed to have first been built in 604AD, though this early incarnation was destroyed and rebuilt in 1086.
The Plume of Feathers pub is thought to have been built in the 1500s while The Rose and Crown dates back to about 1650.
St Peter's Church cemetery is the burial site of the first wife and two of the sons of Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, the famous aircraft designer who lived locally.
Property
You don’t have to be rich to live in Tewin, but it helps. According to Rightmove the overall average price of a property in the village over the last year was £991,014, which makes it more expensive than Harpenden and St Albans.
The majority of sales were of detached properties, which changed hands for an average price of £1,202,420.
There are currently just two properties for sale locally – a four-bed detached bungalow requiring modernisation on Tewin Close for £1m and a three-bed end terrace on Lower Green for £485,000.
Schools
Tewin Cowper is a small village school for children aged between four and 11 with around 150 pupils. It dates back to 1792 and, unusually for a state primary school, it has its own swimming pool. Older children compete in an inter-house swimming gala each year and the outdoor pool is open throughout the summer for the use of families. The school was rated 'good' by Ofsted at its last inspection.
Most secondary school pupils travel to Stevenage, Hertford or Welwyn Garden City.
Transport
Although the village lacks a railway station, it's only a short drive to Welwyn North, Hertford North or Welwyn Garden City stations, from which regular train services run to London. There are also public bus services to nearby towns.
Sports and leisure
Local community group Friends of Tewin is behind many popular annual events, from maypole dancing at the village school to Carols on the Green in December. The group also organises an annual senior citizens' lunch.
Outside lockdown, an active over 50s club meets each Thursday, Tewin Table Tennis Club meets weekly between September and May and Tewin Tennis Club offers games for all ages and abilities on its two all-weather courts. More competitive players can get involved with the Datchworth league, playing against other Hertfordshire clubs.
Eating and drinking
There are two pubs in the village: The Rose & Crown offers hearty pub grub from an idyllic setting right on the village green, while The Plume of Feathers serves food in a character-packed setting on Upper Green. While both are currently closed to dine-in customers, the Rose & Crown is offering a delivery service of classics like Sunday roast and fish and chips.
On the outskirts of the village on Hertford Road is Tewin Bury Farm, a hugely popular four-star hotel which is often used as a wedding venue.
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