A free book trail will take place around the county town this Christmas.

Welwyn Hatfield Times: Hertford Christmas Book Trail runs from December 19.Hertford Christmas Book Trail runs from December 19. (Image: Hertford Town Council)

Children and families can participate in a Christmas Book Town Centre trail this Christmas, running through the period of the school holidays.

Organised by Hertford Town Council, the trail runs from Saturday, December 19 until Saturday, January 9, 2021 and is free of charge for everyone to enjoy.

Christmas book covers featuring Christmas tales will be displayed in 20 different Hertford retailers.

Councillor Jane Sartin, chairman of Hertford Town Council’s development and leisure committee, said: “The Christmas Book Trail will provide a fun activity in Hertford for children over the Christmas period, and will be a great reminder for shoppers of the wealth of Christmas books available to read over the coming weeks.”

Welwyn Hatfield Times: Hertford Christmas Book Trail runs from December 19.Hertford Christmas Book Trail runs from December 19. (Image: Hertford Town Council)

To take part in the trail, families should visit Hertford Town and Tourist Information Centre, located in The Wash opposite Hertford Theatre, to pick up a trail map from the week the trail starts.

The trail map will also be available for collection from Hertford Castle gates, and available online at www.gohertford.co.uk

Children will need to match the shop with the Christmas book that is displayed in the window, in a minimum of 15 of the 20 businesses taking part around the town.

Once they have completed the trail, they will be able to return to the tourist information centre and submit the completed form into the red letter box in the shop for a chance to win a £30, £20 or £10 gift voucher to spend at a Hertford retailer.

The themed trail has been created to encourage local residents and visitors to explore and discover the broad range of independent and national retailers within the county town.

Books that are featured in the trail are available to borrow from Hertford Library, and selected books are also available to purchase from Leaf Café and WHSmith in Hertford.