Stevenage new town only welcomed its first residents in 1951, but how much has it changed in a little over 70 years?

In 1959, Queen Elizabeth II visited Stevenage to inspect a town that was still in its infancy, with her trip captured on film by British Pathe.

Designated in 1946 as part of the New Towns Act, Stevenage was the first of these new settlements, closely followed by Crawley, Harlow and Hemel Hempstead, as Britain began its post-Second World War recovery.

Her Majesty inspected one of the new homes on her visit, as well as the town centre amenities, with Stevenage's population having grown to 35,000 in just eight years.

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She also unveiled the clocktower in Queenway, named so in her honour, with the monument an iconic and instantly-recognisable Stevenage landmark to this day.

While the town centre looks similar to today, it has clearly expanded since 1959 and is much bigger today, reflecting the town's growth to around 90,000 in 2023.

The Queen ended her visit by making a bit of royal history, going to the The Pied Piper pub for her first official trip to a public house, where she was welcomed by landlord and former England footballer Wilf Mannion.

The pub still stands today, with the Broadwater boozer now owned by Greene King.

Queen Elizabeth II announced she was pregnant later that year, and British Pathe would be back in Hertfordshire to capture another film.

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Prime Minister Harold Macmillan visited Stevenage and Harlow to see what life was like in the new towns, including a trip to health clinics which were a key part of post-war Britain.

During the film, the new towns are described as a "great social experiment".