Baldock is a historic market town within the local government district of North Hertfordshire in the ceremonial county of Hertfordshire, England where the River Ivel rises. It is located 33 miles (53 km) north of London, and features a population of around 9900. Nearby towns include Royston to the northeast, Letchworth and Hitchin to the southwest and Stevenage to the south. The contemporary layout of the town and several buildings in the centre date back to the sixteenth century, with the earliest dating back to the fourteenth century. The town thrived where the old Great North Road and the Icknield Way crossed. In spite of the building of the A1(M) motorway in 1963, which bypassed the town, and which was known as the Baldock Bypass for some years, it was still a major traffic bottleneck until March 2006, when a new bypass removed the A505 road, a part of the old Icknield Way which was east of Baldock. Since the 16th century, Baldock has been a centre for malting, subsequently becoming a regional brewing centre with no less than 3 large brewers still manufacturing in the area at the end of the 19th century, despite a decline in demand for the types of beer made locally. The 1881 Census records approximately 30 drinking establishments. Throughout the early twentieth century, a sizeable number of pubs remained open, several of which were sustained by the adjacent and much bigger town of Letchworth, which had no alcohol retailers prior to 1958, and had only 2 pubs and one hotel bar till the mid-1990s. Its bigger population had for many years visited both Baldock and Hitchin for refreshment. For all your home upgrades, be certain that you employ vetted experts in Baldock to ensure you get the very best quality service.