The Sun Hotel Hitchin is located in the heart of the historic Hertfordshire market town of Hitchin near Letchworth and Stevenage with easy access from the A1M Juntion 8 . The Sun Hotel is a traditional coaching inn and first recorded only in 1575, although it probably stood here 50 years earlier. However it only rose to prominence in 1741, when a local family by the name of Kershaw set up a posting service between Hitchin and London, the Hitchin end of the line being the Sun Inns yard. Coach travel brought with it the risk of robbery, but the highwaymen of the time did not always confine their activities to the highway. In 1772 three of them held up the Sun Hotel at gunpoint, robbing and binding the landlord, William Marshall, and his guests and, before making off with their plunder, scratching their initials and the date on the brickwork by the door. Today the Sun Hotel is a favourite with locals, businessmen and leisure travellers alike. Hitchin has many lovely half timbered buildings, a museum and an art gallery. Nearby attractions include the magnificent Knebworth House, Woburn Abbey, Dunstable Downs and Luton Hoo. NB The hotel will be under refurbishment from the 17th October to the 2nd December. Please be aware there will be no car park during this period and workmen will be on site midweek and weekends. Business hours of reception: Every day: from 07:00 to 22:00 .