Even so, Welham Green has developed into a small village over the last 100 years, helped by the 1986 opening of its own railway station between Brookmans Park and Hatfield on the East Coast Main Line.

The actual spot where the first hydrogen filled balloon flight over England touched down is almost three miles away opposite Queenswood School north of Shepherds Way (B157) to the south-east of Brookmans Park.

The plinth states that on landing Lunardi handed to a local resident a cat and a dog that had accompanied him from London, before re-ascending and continuing north east.

The plinth reads: Near this spot at 3.30 in the afternoon of September 15, 1784 Vincenzo Lunardi the Italian Balloonist made his first landing whilst on his pioneer flight in the English atmosphere.

The village is served by Welham Green railway station and local bus services provided by Uno, Centrebus and Sullivan Buses.