The Howard Centre image

The Howard Centre

Shopping center

One of the Most Revieweds in Welwyn Hatfield


Address

Howardsgate, Welwyn Garden City AL8 6HA, United Kingdom

Website

www.howardcentre.co.uk

Contact

+44 1707 320026

Rating on Google Maps

3.80 (3K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Tuesday: 9 AM to 5:30 PM
  • Wednesday: 9 AM to 5:30 PM
  • Thursday: 9 AM to 5:30 PM
  • Friday: 9 AM to 5:30 PM
  • Saturday: 9 AM to 5:30 PM
  • Sunday: 10 AM to 4 PM
  • Monday: 9 AM to 5:30 PM

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: shops (37) centre (24) shopping (21) empty (16) station (12) Howard (9) Centre (9) coffee (8) shop (7) years (7)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 3/5 MAGDALENA D. 1 month ago on Google • 620 reviews New
    With all these shops closing down,the Howard Centre looks really empty 😕.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Tracy B. 1 year ago on Google
    Very convenient. Just walk out from the station. Amazing viewing in the front of the gate as well But sadly, the shop seems closing down.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Sophy N. 4 months ago on Google • 121 reviews
    Shame not many shops inside as the high street is dying generally. The thing that frustrates me though is that the lifts close at 7:15/7:45 can’t remember which time and so you can’t access the train station as a disabled person after then. It’s like disabled people can’t be out late!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Kate B. 3 weeks ago on Google • 468 reviews New
    Not been here in years. Lots of empty shops which is disappointing

  • 3/5 Luke P. 7 months ago on Google
    It's such a shame to see this place becoming baron. Despite the rise of e-commerce I think this place has potential and still believe there should be local commerce hubs for small businesses to thrive. So let's make use of the Howard Centre for that and let the big names abandon it, bring rent prices down for start ups and utilise this space!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Julie K. 10 months ago on Google
    Security waste of time ! Visited Howard Centre yesterday 21.5.23. 2pm There were a group on teenage girls sitting at the entrance on the walk way to HM from the car park they had high volume loud music being played , it was so unbearably loud ! There we a number of people sitting in the Cafe which was not enjoyable for them. The girls were extremely rude and standing in the way of people trying to get through. I looked for security which are normally positioned at the station end. I didn’t see any security either even at the lower level of the Howard Centre. I finally left the Centre at 3.45. When I could see security by which time the girls had moved on. Surely there must be CCTV to record this unacceptable behaviour , plus not sure why you are paying for security when they don’t do anything .
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Matt P. 10 months ago on Google
    Imagine a zombie apocalypse without the zombies, or the apocalypse. It's basically an empty shell of a space that has zero redeeming qualities as the landlords don't really care and aren't incentivising anyone to open a store here. Utterly dead. Avoid.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Daniel K. 9 months ago on Google
    Like many malls, this one is on the wane and slowly dying, like the UK's high streets all over the country. It feels like one in four shops are empty and those that remain are so quiet it can't be long before they're gone too. A great shame.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 nick n. 1 year ago on Google
    Showing its age. It has now lost its large M&S . From the car park it now looks inviting. This centre needs more care and more shops to make it worth visiting.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Linda W. 9 months ago on Google
    Clean. But no atmosphere! With all this space WHY is not more going on. Suggestions ( Indoor market stools)...(live music) If you would like my help to bring this place to life, let me know, I'm great organizer. LJ
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Mark E. 1 year ago on Google
    Nice centre but like a lot of places at the moment they have empty shops. The centre was clean and tidy. If you want to catch a train you have to go via the centre as far as I can tell as the main entrance to the platforms is in the centre.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Ellen G. 1 year ago on Google
    Howard centre is okay not as good as it once was lost of top shop Burton, dorphety perkins now next and marks and spencer. Has a good h&m, boots whsmith, new look, monsoon, etc but needs to fill the empty units with some more decent shops. Otherwise we will end up loosing it to coffee shops and restaurants.. Which we have plenty of outside in town. Wgc council you need to look at this to many shops have closed over the years and recently.. Your saving grace is John Lewis.. But soon that won't be enough.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Martin P. 1 year ago on Google
    Come and visit the sadest and quietest shopping centre in South England. Imagine you are in a scene from The Walking Dead, watch ouy for those zombie commuters heading back from a hell trip to work in London as they leave the station found right in the middle
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 MP 1 month ago on Google • 115 reviews New
    OK place, security 24h

  • 3/5 Joseph S. 4 months ago on Google • 115 reviews
    Adequate Shopping, But Room for Improvement The Howard Centre in Welwyn Garden City offers a basic shopping experience that meets essential needs but falls short of being memorable. On my recent visit, I observed a mix of pros and cons. Pros: - Convenient Location: Nestled next to the Welwyn Garden City railway station, the Howard Centre is easily accessible, making it a convenient stop for commuters and locals. - Some Key Stores: Among the handful of operational shops, notable ones like H&M and Hotel Chocolat stand out. They offer decent shopping options for fashion and luxury chocolates. Cons: - Limited Variety: The centre currently suffers from a noticeable number of vacant storefronts. This lack of variety limits shopping options and detracts from the overall ambiance. - Dated Appearance: The shopping centre feels a bit stuck in the past, with an ambiance that could greatly benefit from modernisation and a fresh coat of style. - Lack of Buzz: The atmosphere in the centre was somewhat subdued, lacking the vibrant energy one might expect in a bustling shopping hub. Conclusion: While the Howard Centre serves basic shopping needs and benefits from its prime location, it's clear that there's substantial room for improvement. An infusion of new retailers, a modern makeover, and efforts to revitalize the shopping experience could elevate this centre from merely functional to a more lively and appealing destination. As it stands, it's a convenient but unremarkable part of Welwyn Garden City's retail landscape.

  • 5/5 Amitsinh T. 1 month ago on Google • 45 reviews New
    Good mall! All the things are one place. Mobile accessories, Cake box, clothes, coffee etc.

  • 1/5 Kevin M. 2 months ago on Google • 43 reviews New
    So many shops are withdrawing and little seems to be done about replacing them. How about temporarily converting one of the Marks and Spencer floors into a small business hub?

  • 3/5 cheryl w. 4 months ago on Google • 28 reviews
    Not much here,but love ROMAN. Its the best Roman store I've visited,well stocked up and staff are friendly and a nice atmosphere amongst staff. ❤️ this store.

  • 4/5 Robert G. 3 months ago on Google • 21 reviews New
    Like lots of other similar mails, many big names have moved out. Wonder if HC would consider letting a few pop-up small businesseshave a retail go!

  • 4/5 Marina M. 5 months ago on Google • 21 reviews
    Nice place to enter and enjoy the shop layout. Fed some rogue pigeons that made my afternoon. Like to return but was banned from the centre due to popping loudly by the nut section ..ho hum!

  • 1/5 Craig B. 4 weeks ago on Google • 12 reviews New
    All the good shops have closed and it costs £7.50 to park the car when travelling into London for 5 hours. In my opinion, they should knock it all down

  • 3/5 Jason B. 4 months ago on Google • 10 reviews
    Lots of rides and things to do but the council could of made a better effort to get all the trees light up like previouse years ...bit of flop with just dome and xmas tree lights going on ...good live performances though and free light up flashing bars for croud gowers was a good touch! Understand the electric bill would be alot more if all the trees had lights lol

  • 3/5 Chris C. 10 months ago on Google
    Decent amount of shops, but does feel like it could do with an HMV or Game for the youngsters. Even some generic music would be a nice touch to break up the silence a bit.

  • 4/5 Stuart P. 1 year ago on Google
    Nice and clean, friendly helpful staff. Got everything I needed that day from the one shopping centre. Would i come back? Cause I would.

  • 3/5 Deborah F. 2 years ago on Google
    A bit disappointed. We have never been here before and wouldn't rush back. Lots of shops are shut or closing down. Very sad as it could be a brilliant local community shopping mall.

  • 3/5 Simon S. 1 year ago on Google
    It's ok. Lacks anchor stores now M&S & Next have left. Apart from H&M all other stores are pretty small. Very quiet.

  • 3/5 Mariangel B. 7 months ago on Google
    I live in Hatfield and this shopping centre is convenient I always go there for H&M but I do wish there was another popular clothing shop like Zara or Bershka. The bus station is basically there including the train station so it's just a short walk.

  • 4/5 Matt H. 7 months ago on Google
    Quite a lot of empty units now here, such a shame to see it fading away as we always used to enjoy heading to Welwyn for a wander around this centre when my daughter was younger. Hopefully it'll get a new lease of life and not eventually simply vanish...

  • 1/5 Mark G. 7 months ago on Google
    Saw the third horseman of the apocalypse lurking around wenzels. Unfortunately this mall has lost almost all of its shops and has become a desolate depressing place. Hopefully, by some miracle, it can be resuscitated back to life.

  • 3/5 Paul 2 years ago on Google
    First time visiting here, but sadly not much to see. Hopefully they can find other stores to occupie the disused shops. Nice view from Starbucks tho 👌 looks rather impressive from that view.

  • 3/5 mike's 2 years ago on Google
    Unfortunately a lot of shopping centres are loosing national names over the past two years .this is normally a reasonable smaller centre. With next now closed and M & S closing they may struggle to fill those units

  • 5/5 Jules 1 year ago on Google
    Lovely clean centre with shops inside. Easy access from here to the rest of the town

  • 2/5 Andy C. 5 months ago on Google • 9 reviews
    A dated and desolate place, with loads of empty units. You get a sense that half the remaining retailers are just biding their time before shutting up shop. The outside steps are poorly maintained and often filled with the cream of WGC youth, scoffing McDonalds and dropping the empty wrappers, or pulling wheelies on bikes and shouting.

  • 3/5 Stephen F. 1 year ago on Google
    Lots of empty units. Plenty of coffee shops, if you like coffee. Heard that M and S is going to close. Oh dear.

  • 2/5 Wenton M. 1 year ago on Google
    Loads of empty plots and the shops that are there ain't too thrilling. This center is just a glorified train station as it is all the place has going for it currently. The majority of foot traffic is people commuting back and forth to the station.

  • 1/5 Martin S. 2 years ago on Google
    All it is is a walk through for the station, it is run down and soulless. The big brands are moving out, sure to be some pointless pop up cheap shops soon. Very mismanaged, and in such a beautiful affluent Garden city. So much potential, but being strangled.

  • 3/5 Kathryn H. 1 year ago on Google
    Plenty of shops, calm for a Saturday. Great toy shop. A lot of empty spaces available which would hopefully be new businesses soon

  • 3/5 Suzanne W. 1 year ago on Google
    Such a shame that half the shops have gone. Was always my favourite five star shopping place. Hope they manage to get some more stores there.

  • 2/5 Sarah Vanessa M. 1 year ago on Google
    A shadow of its former self, over last few years has seen staple shops like Next, Top Man, Wallis and more recently Marks and Spencers all close. A new fresh input of retail outlets is required to revive a dying shopping centre which has given way to budget shops, coffee shops, charity shops, estate agents and hairdressers.

  • 3/5 Lauren 1 year ago on Google
    I don't know whether to rate it lower tbh... ever since Marks and Spencers left I hardly visit my local town anymore only really for boots. There are far too many of the same type of businesses. Too many coffee shops, loads of charity shops. They need more of a variety otherwise I'm sure they'll end up turning yet another site into flats 🙄

  • 3/5 Thomas G. 1 year ago on Google
    The Howard Centre is so average it's hard to describe. It's entirely possible to go in there, do your shopping and leave without being able to think of a single adjective to describe it.

  • 4/5 Michael B. 1 year ago on Google
    Fine shopping center - toy shop useful for my daughter. Nicely positioned Starbucks! Small bakery near the entrance is quite nice

  • 1/5 sarah a. 1 year ago on Google
    Worst filthiest toilets in a shopping centre I’ve ever been in. All either blocked or no paper. Only 1 wash basin working. Absolutely appalled. No decent shops loads empty units. Really disappointed for such a lovely town to have such a empty/filthy centre if I could leave a minus rating I would have

  • 4/5 Joan M. 2 years ago on Google
    Visited the Entertainer for birthday gifts for my grandson, New Look, bought dress in the sale! Lovely clean, bright shopping centre, coffee shops, friendly staff, entrance from the train station, I'd travelled from Hertford North.

  • 2/5 Anna C. 1 year ago on Google
    No shops for actual shopping, plenty of places to grab a coffee disappointed. Used to love Welwyn garden city but with Debenhams, marks and Spencer's, next and others now closed there isn't a reason to go there for.

  • 3/5 Teresa T. 1 year ago on Google
    Not enough shops. More needs to be done make it worthwhile visiting. Too many empty units

  • 5/5 Adam S. 1 year ago on Google
    Nice place to go. Toilets are filthy though so be warned! (They were with we went anyway!) Some nice stores and a Starbucks. Worth a visit for a wander.

  • 5/5 Miroslav B. 1 year ago on Google
    Good variety of shops, clean toilets

  • 3/5 carolyn f. 1 year ago on Google
    Very , very quiet - thank goodness for Boots and Smiths and Monsoon. Come on Welwyn help get retail into those shops.

  • 3/5 Lisa F. 1 year ago on Google
    Starbucks and Bayfield opticians were very good but it's very empty of people and shops

  • 2/5 Wesley Pilgrim (. 9 months ago on Google
    For a shopping centre it's dead even a library has more life than this centre. It has a few decent shops, but I personally feel the High St is no more as this centre can not last.

  • 2/5 Pani S. 1 year ago on Google
    Very boring shopping center. Living around the area for 30 years it's not changed much. With its useless shops it's mostly used for the train station pass through. The owners need to either spend some money to do it up a little or reduce rents to bring in some retail interest. All this with the nightmare parking system outside and its doomed for another 30 years.... Just wondering when the whole thing will turn into flats. It looks like all the council are worried about is ramping up parking fines and concentrating on yellow lines and cameras.... Useless council showing their colours as usual.

  • 3/5 Buck W. 10 months ago on Google
    It's OK for some things and is handy for commuters. Really needs something new to attract the crowds like a small music venue, bowling ally or major store.


Call +44 1707 320026 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair rental
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible entrance
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible parking lot
  • Service options
    • ✓️ In-store shopping

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