03/06/2026
EXPLORING THE HEART TRAILS: BEDWELL COMMUNITY CENTRE
🏠 Bedwell was the second neighbourhood to be built after the Old Town. New residents in the Old Town neighbourhood had homes planned to be within easy reach of the town and could find space for social activities fairly easily.
🧱 Then building began in Bedwell, further away, and the problem of space for people to get together and build a sense of belonging and community quickly became apparent.
👀 The Development Corporation offered an old house that they had obtained under compulsory purchase until a purpose-built community centre could be built. Originally they wanted to position it near the schools at the top of Bedwell Crescent, but residents campaigned to have a more central location and so it was agreed it would be in the neighbourhood centre on Bedwell Crescent.
👏 Bedwell Community Centre opened in 1957 and soon became a hive of activity with clubs of all sorts meeting there. It was even the home of the first nursery school in the town, opened in 1958.
❓You can find out more by visiting: https://stevenage-even-better.com/heart-trails/.
