ALAN CASH - web pages

Collection of books on Welwyn Garden City

The Building of Satellite Towns

Author: C. B. Purdom

First published: 1925 by J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd.

Format: Hardback 9½" by 7½" with 368 pages

The Building of Satellite Towns

This book is a great historical document being written by one of the pioneers of the town only 5 years after building started. The author C. B. Purdom (below) was a supporter of Howard's Garden City movement and was finance director of Welwyn Garden City Ltd until 1928. He founded the Welwyn Garden City Theatre Society in 1921. His son is Edmund Purdom the actor.

Following introductory chapters which discuss satellite towns in general worldwide (52 pages) , there is a section on Letchworth Garden City (114 pages), one on Welwyn Garden City (118 pages), and a final general one on problems encountered in the building of satellite towns (70 pages). Because the author was intimately involved in the early development of Welwyn Garden City he is able to give an authoritative and detailed account of the early years of its development.

There are over 70 maps, plans and diagrams reproduced in the book. There are nearly 100 black and white photographs, mostly half page, some full page, of which about one third are from Welwyn Garden City. These include some early pictures of houses and street scenes and some interior shots.

(click on the images for a better view)

A house on Valley Road