Baldock

Baldock in North Hertfordshire grew from a planned market town founded by the Knights Templar in the mid-12th century. The town still shows that original layout: a market square with straight streets radiating from it and a parish church near the centre. Baldock railway station sits on the line between Cambridge and London King’s Cross, and the A505 runs close to the town, so the centre remains a local focus for trade and travel rather than a suburb of a larger place.

Markets continue in the square on regular days, with shops and small businesses along High Street and adjoining lanes. Archaeological work around the town has produced Roman and early medieval finds, reflecting long occupation along the route of older north–south connections. Pubs and civic buildings cluster around the market, and the church tower acts as a local landmark visible from several approaches into town. Local groups stage events and maintain records of Baldock’s medieval origins, keeping that history part of everyday life.