Baldock has a population of around 10,000 and is situated within the district council area of North Hertfordshire and the county of Hertfordshire.
Predominantly a commuter town for London, t enjoys excellent communications via the A1 motorway and the railway from Kings Lynn and ambridge which meets the main east coast line at Hitchin. Being located at the main junction on the A1 for the Fens meant that until recently the town was heavily congested, so the bypassing of the A505, completed in 2006, came as a huge relief and marked a certain renaissance for the town.
The bypass was followed by an award winning 3.2 million town centre enhancement rogramme completed in 2009 which has created new spaces for public events. Some pieces of the jigsaw remain to be completed, chief among which is a longterm use for the Town Hall located at the very centre of the town. Baldock museum is located here and a successful arts festival was held during three weeks in the autumn of 2008. It is hoped that this can be revived in some form on an annual basis.
Even though it is the smallest town in North Herts district, it has many architecturally significant buildings with more listed buildings than any of the others in the district. In fact, it is among only five towns in the whole of Hertfordshire listed by the Council for British Archeology as being of national importance. Baldock almost runs into the larger Letchworth Garden City, the two lying each side of the A1 motorway.
As a relative newcomer, Letchworth does not boast Baldock's impressive architectural heritage and the the two towns, with their markedly different characters, have developed a symbiotic existence. True to its history as a coaching town and centre of the malting industry, it is still very popular with socialites and party goers. At the same time, it has its own vibrant community life and ancient and attractive shopping environment.
