Russ Bowman recalls living in Lee Lane in one of the new prefabs. Lee Lane no longer exists. Russ explains exactly where it used to be in Holyrood Crescent. He talks about living in the prefabs, the surrounding area and… More about ‘Prefabs in Lee lane – Russ Bowman’»
Up until about 40 years ago, children had freedom to roam everywhere. There were many places to explore in Sopwell and further afield. Here is Bill Mackenzie talking about how he and his mates used to walk along the Watford… More about ‘Walking to Park Street – Bill Mackenzie’»
On the golf course, near Sopwell Gate Lodge, there is a spinney where residents recall that there used to be some kind of brick building. This fascinated the children who played there. It appears to have been a brick built… More about ‘Ice house on the golf course – Bill Mackenzie’»
Kathy Sinfield, born 1929, lived at the bottom of Doggetts Way. She remembers that the gasworks had its own sports ground where they played football and cricket. Mr Ripping from the St Johns Ambulance used to come round with lemons… More about ‘Gasworks sports – Kathy Sinfield’»
In 1865, a six mile single-track branch line from St Albans to Hatfield originally run by the Hatfield and St Albans Railway Company was opened. The line terminated at London Road and was first called St Albans GNR and then… More about ‘London Road station – Valerie Robertson’»
Sopwell cottages belonged to the farm at New Barnes which is now part of Sopwell House. Beryl Whitney (nee Parrott) writes: “In 1927, my parents were able to take up the tenancy of one of the Sopwell Cottages as my… More about ‘Sopwell Cottages’»
Jack and Sarah Stratton were the grandparents of Beryl Whitney. Flint Cottages were owned by Hedges Farm where, Beryl says, Jack was head cattleman for over twenty years. He and his family lived at 1 Flint Cottages from the 1920s… More about ‘Flint Cottages, Hedges Farm’»
The images below are of the construction of the Park Street roundabout in the 1950s. Before that it was not a roundabout but a junction between the A5 and A414 North Orbital. It was part of the construction of the M10… More about ‘Park Street roundabout’»
St Peter’s school in Cottonmill Lane is by far the oldest school in Sopwell. It started off as two schools, a church school for boys and girls over seven and a school for infants from two to seven. The building… More about ‘History of St Peter’s School’»
The St Albans gas works were set up in 1826, more than 30 years before the coming of the railway. Until the coming of the railway, coal had to be transported into the city on barges along the canal from… More about ‘History of the Gasworks’»
