WELWYN, a small town in the Maran Valley, can show little of interest beyond many quaint cottages, and the church, famous as that in which Dr. Edward Young, author of Night Thoughts, officiated from 1730 to 1765. He was buried in the church; the mural memorial to him was erected by his son. The Church is Decorated, with Early English portions; the piscina in the chancel is ancient, the sedilia is modern. An inventory of church furniture, taken in 1541, shows that there were formerly three alters in it. The avenue of limes in the rectory grounds were planted by Young; there is a Latin inscription to the poet on a pedestal at its upper end. His son was visited here by Dr. Johnson and James Boswell.

The Walk S.E. to the station (1¼ mile) commands a fine view of the Great Northern viaduct of forty arches over the deeper portion of the Maran Valley. On the opposite (left) side of the road is Locksleys, a good mansion by the river side, surrounded by charming grounds. One mile S. is The Frythe, long the residence of the Wilshere family; at a rather less distance N. is Danesbury, a prettily designed mansion in a small park. ... [quote linking the Danes with Danesbury]

One of the springs in the neighbourhood, now disused, was famous in Young's day for its chalybeate waters.

Hertfordshire Little Guide 1903