Some history on St. Alban's in the county of Hertfordshire, with information on the inns, taverns and beer houses of the city.

Hertfordshire | St. Alban's

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Never mind the pubs that have vanished, what about the flippin' lost apostrophe? Almost every modern reference I have seen does not feature this punctuation mark. If the city takes its name from the first British saint, Alban, why is it not St. Alban's? Well, I am putting it back. The early Victorians used an apostrophe. For fuck's sake, even Shakespeare applied it. Apparently, it disappeared in 1877 when some twerp in Parliament forgot to write it in the Bill that elevated the town to city status. So, it is time for it to be restored. I could even find the name of the clerk, trace his grave, and chisel a few unnecessary punctuation marks upon it. I'm sure Lynne Truss would approve, providing my chiselling conformed to her strict standards. Secondly, if one visits a site like Wikipedia, it states that, St. Alban's was "the first coaching stop on the route to and from London, accounting for its numerous old inns." Certainly, the city did have some old inns and taverns, but if coaches had tried to make this their first stop the horses would have been completely knackered. North Finchley or Barnet would have been the limit for most equine capabilities pulling laden coaches and waggons. Some have even placed St. Alban's on the Great North Road which is complete bollocks. The route up t'north went via Hatfield, Welwyn and Stevenage. However, there was plenty of traffic heading north-west and, at the height of the coaching period, dozens of conveyances passed through St. Alban's on a daily basis. Indeed, long before such notions of hard copy mail [remember letters anyone?], being transported on highways, the Romans forced oppressed indigenous Herberts to dig Watling Street towards Verulamium, which some claim to be one of the largest and most important Roman towns established in the UK. Inhabitants of places like York and Colchester can form an orderly queue to give such writers a good seeing to. Mind you, the old place, settled by the Catevellauni, can make a pretty good claim for the title. Pity about the farmers deep ploughing much of the old remains, making archaeological investigation harder than a fully-armed Maximus Decimus Meridius.

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There is little doubt about the importance of the place. By the middle of the 1st century it was elevated to the status of a municipium, the only British city to attain such an honour, which accorded the inhabitants the right of Roman citizenship. Some today would cherish an easier passage through post-Brexit customs checks. Boudica, Queen of the Iceni, led a force to come and give the local residents a good beating and sack Verulamium. When all the fuss had died down and the earth on graves was patted down, the brickies and chippy's had to set about rebuilding the place. There are not as many relics from these times as the archaeologists would possibly like but, in exchange for a tenner [2024 prices] visitors can have a mooch in the museum. There are the remains of a theatre and temple, along with mosaics and an ancient heating system. Jewellery, pottery, and household implements are among the exhibits dug up by the likes of Andy Stone and Lance Stater.

Map of St. Alban's by George Cole and John Roper published in The British Atlas in 1810.

At this size, it will not be possible to pick out fine details of this map published in 1810. However, it does provide a snapshot of how small the town was in the early 19th century. An extension of the boundaries of 1869 was opposed by the Earl of Verulam, along with some of the inhabitants. The arrival of the railway in 1858 provided the impetus for development and this led to a growth in population in the latter half of the 19th century. A good number of the public-houses dated from this period to augment the existing stock of historic taverns.

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There are plenty of sites devoted to the Abbey so, as magnificent as it is, I am not going to bang on about it here. Produced for picture postcards, this view possibly dates from around 1912 and shows the Gothic update of the west entrance. A massive restoration programme of the Abbey was commenced in 1879. Perhaps attempting to buy his way through the pearly gates, Lord Grimthorpe lavished a considerable wadge of P's on the edifice. The story of the shrine to Saint Alban, the Roman soldier who lost his head for sheltering a priest, is remarkable, one of the great jigsaw puzzles of all time. Take a look at the site created by the St. Alban's & Hertfordshire Architectural & Archaeological Society for more information. I must say that I rather preferred the old hotch-potch restoration, complete with housebricks, arguably a greater tangible record of the city's turbulent history. Oh, and check out the length of the nave. Richard Wagner's "Treulich Geführt" is probably put on a repeat loop due to the length of time it takes for a bride to march up to the choir.

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In addition to the Abbey, St. Alban's has a trio of ancient churches. The building dedicated to Saint Stephen is thought to have been founded in the mid-10th century, perhaps by Abbot Ulsinus. A small window has been dated to this period. There are more fragments of an enlargement of the building by the Normans. There have been many additions and alterations over the years, particularly in the 15th century, though the biggest change was in 1860 when George Gilbert Scott set about salvaging what was a rather ruinous edifice. The architect rebuilt and raised the bell turret, replacing a Hertfordshire spike with a broach spire. The church re-opened with a service on the last Sunday of 1860.¹ Eight years earlier, in April 1852, the sexton was digging a deep grave in the churchyard of St. Stephen's, when suddenly the earth on the sides gave way and completely covered him in. An alarm was raised, possibly by somebody close to the scene who saw the ground caving in. By chance, Arthur Wyatt, a surgeon, was passing along the road towards Hempstead. He was quickly at hand to direct some men to dig around the head of the sexton in order for him to administer some restoratives. After being in the grave for almost two hours he was finally extricated from his perilous situation.² Talking of being buried, a brass lectern was discovered buried in the chancel of the building in 1750. It is thought that it was hidden during the English Civil War. The Italian-made lectern, dating from the late 15th century, was looted from Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh by an English army in 1544. After two centuries of requests for it to be returned to its original home,³ in November 1984, on Saint Andrew's Day, a Scottish nationalist group seized the lectern and took it back across the border.⁴ In recent years it has been on display in the National Museum of Scotland.

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Acting as a gateway church to the north of the town, the Saint Peter's is also said to date from the 10th century with its founder being Abbot Ulsinus. However, the early history of this place of worship is sketchy at best. An information board outside informs the visitor that "the oldest parts of the structure which can be seen today are the 15th century central piers and south wall of the nave. From the 13th century the plan of the church was a cross with a central tower. In 1801 the tower collapsed and was rebuilt much as it appears today. The transepts were demolished in 1801." Funded and designed by Lord Grimthorpe, a man criticised for ruining the character of the Abbey during its restoration, Saint Peter's was also given his treatment in 1894-5. The work was not universally acclaimed, though the elderly lawyer did lavish some £30,000 on the project. Inside the church there is a monument to Edward Strong, chief master mason of St. Paul's Cathedral, who lived at New Barnes in St. Alban's during the latter part of his life.⁵

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The third of the ancient churches is dedicated to Saint Michael, a building within the boundary of the Roman city. This place of worship is also said to have been founded by Abbot Ulsinus in the 10th century. These dates were marked by Matthew of Paris, a Benedictine monk at the Abbey but it all seems a bit too neat and tidy for my liking. However, there is much evidence of an early structure in this location, ranking it as an important surviving Anglo-Saxon structure of Hertfordshire. As ever, there was additional work in medieval times and improvements during the 15th century. George Gilbert Scott was given the task of restoring the building in the mid-1860s, the building re-opening for services on July 10th, 1866.⁶ St. Michael's is noted for the monument to Francis Bacon, Baron Verulam, Lord Chancellor of England, considered to be one of the most learned Englishmen of Elizabethan times. His effigy is carved in alabaster, in what some describe as "an attitude of contemplation." Personally, I think he is nodding off, a reflection perhaps of a boring sermon. He died of pneumonia at Highgate in April 1626 after stuffing a fowl with snow - I kid you not. He had expressed a wish to be buried in the same place as his mother here at St. Michael's. The former Lord Chancellor's house, Gorhambury, was almost opposite the church.⁷

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Evolving from a small mission chapel that formerly served as a school, Saint Saviour's Church was erected in the developing area of Bernard's Heath in the late 19th century, the work extending into the early 20th century. The dedication of the nave took place on All Saints' Day, 1902. The Bishop of St. Alban's pulled a sickie so the ceremony was led by the Lord Bishop of Colchester.⁸ The building was designed in perpendicular gothic by William Woodward, an architect who served as the Mayor of Hampstead in 1910.⁹ In the Second World War the vicar of Saint Saviour's was George H. Hewitt, a man who had formerly served with the Universities' Mission to Central Africa.¹⁰

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Accountants and auditors now do their sums in this building, a place of worship that closed many years before. It has a curious start in that it was partly erected by Alexander Raphael as a Roman Catholic church. Born in Chennai, formerly known as Madras, he had served as Sheriff of London in 1834. He was returned as a Member of Parliament for St. Alban's in 1847 and, to show his gratitude to his constituency, spent some of his fortune on a new church. He had financed a very similar building at Surbiton. Look up Saint Raphael's and compare the two churches. He died during the construction of this church on Verulam Road and, with no heir to continue the project, the unfinished building stood empty for around eight years. In 1856 the building, which stood on land originally attached to the Verulam Arms, was acquired by Mrs, Worley, who completed it for the Church of England, with residence for incumbent and schools, the cost amounting to £8,600. A new parish was created from parts of Verulam Road, Fishpool Street, Hill Street, Pound Field, the outlying heaths and hamlets abutting on the Harpenden Road, and the Workhouse, and the Oster Hills. The first incumbent was the Rev. Henry Smith, M.A., who had previously served as curate of Holbrook in Suffolk. The church was consecrated in April 1859 by the Bishop of Carlisle.¹¹

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Although a temporary place of worship existed in the mid-19th century, those following the Catholic faith did eventually get a church of their own when, in June 1878, a new building on London Road was opened by the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster.¹² This was a relatively small structure so, rather inevitably, it was decided a new church was required. Construction of this building in Beaconsfield Road was started in March 1903. In June of the same year the Bishop of Emmaus laid the foundation stone of the building designed in the Romanesque style by John Kelly.¹³ The building was dedicated and blessed on New Year's Day, 1905, by Francis Bourne, Archbishop of Westminster. The tower seen today was not built until the 1960s when the church was enlarged.

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Featuring a 110ft spire, Trinity Congregational Church was erected on the corner of Beaconsfield Road and Victoria Street when a previous building in Spicer Street proved too small for the growing congregation. A key figure in the decision to build a new church was Samuel Ryder, a local businessman who would serve as Mayor of St. Alban's. He is more famously known as the donor of the Ryder Cup golfing trophy.

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The Wesleyans had been active in St. Alban's from the 18th century, but it was not until 1898 that the congregation, led by the Rev. Joseph Jackson, opened this imposing structure on the corner of Marlborough Road and New Kent Road. The site was secured in 1897 and the foundation stone was laid on September 29th of that year. The ceremony was preceded with a luncheon in the town hall. The party, including the mayor, then proceeded to the site to perform the ceremony with the hymn "O Lord of Hosts whose glory fills." ¹⁹ With the congregation moving from Upper Dagnall Street, the church was opened on June 30th, 1898, the doors being formally opened by Joseph Compton-Rickett, M.P. for Scarborough, a lay preacher knighted nine years later. Seemingly always up for a bun fight, a luncheon was served in the new adjoining schoolroom before the opening ceremony. The building was not quite finished and the organ was not fully fitted but Mr. Rose managed to play for the choir. The Gothic-styled building was designed by Josiah Gunton of Messrs. Gordon, Lowther and Gunton of London. Ezra Dunham, a local builder and church trustee, was responsible for the construction project.²⁰

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Designed by Oswald Archer, with a frontage of red brick and terracotta, the Salvation Army opened this citadel in Victoria Street in May 1911, the ceremony being performed by Edward Hildred Carlile, the local Member of Parliament who was knighted during the same year. It was described as a commodious hall with seating accommodation for 600 persons.²¹ The site was formerly occupied by a public baths, a private enterprise launched by George Slade when he was in office as mayor. The building was designed by F. H. Dunham of Holywell Hill, secretary to the newly-formed company. The red brick structure was extremely well-appointed and featured Minton tiling, Turkish baths with marble seats, hot room and saloon. Work on the building started in August 1876, the foundation stone being laid by George Slade on September 22nd.²² The baths opened with a gala event towards the end of May of the following year.²³ The company established by George Slade struggled to sell shares in the enterprise and it struggled for trade. The shareholders attempted to dispose of the building to the Corporation but this was unsuccessful, councillors not wishing to burden ratepayers.²⁴ In liquidation, the baths were offered for auction at the Peahen Hotel in October 1883.²⁵ The bidding did not reach the reserve price and the building remained unsold.²⁶ The Salvation Army acquired the building for their purposes by May 1884, the Corporation planning to create a swimming pool in the River Ver! ²⁷ In a trade directory published in 1886 Victoria Street is shown as a place of worship for the Salvation Army. By all accounts they had a rough time of it in St. Alban's during this period. On Sunday May 31st, 1885, the band of the Salvation Army set out from what I assume was the former baths in Victoria Street. Police-Constable John Kendall immediately cautioned the drummer "that if he beat his drum he would be breaking the bye-laws of the city." The officer was referring to an ancient bye-law made in the reign of King William IV, which recited, inter alia, "that it is unlawful to blow any horn or trumpet or use any other noisy instrument to the annoyance of any inhabitant of the borough." The drummer disregarded the warning, the band playing a hymn as they proceeded. John Wilding, proprietor of the Queen's Hotel, said the playing of the band was an annoyance to him and his customers. Several policemen saw a mob attack the Salvationists, but did not arrest anyone. The musicians were violently assaulted, whilst the drum was torn to pieces and the brass instruments twisted and broken. To add insult to injury, the Town Council prosecuted eight of the Salvationists for "playing certain musical instruments to the annoyance of the inhabitants of the city." ²⁸ In May 1888 a special meeting was held in the Council Chamber to discuss the Sunday practices of the Salvation Army. It was a very boisterous affair, with two-thirds of the city police force having to guard the chamber. Amid much vocal interruptions and heated sentiments, a petition, bearing some 500 signatures protesting against the musical marches, was presented to Dr. Webster. Any councillor attempted to show sympathy for the Army was hooted and shouted down. St. Alban's would eventually become a centre of Army activity with a printing press, complete with railway halt, being established in the city. Moreover, and with some irony given the early opposition, the organisation's musical instruments for bands across the country would be made at Campfield Road in St. Alban's.⁴⁰

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Also in Victoria Street was the Tabernacle Baptist Chapel, a building that has survived into the 21st century, though not as a place of worship. Could the founding congregation ever have envisaged a nightclub called Havana occupying the building£ Costing £1,129, the chapel was opened in 1882, the first pastor being the Rev. H. W. Taylor.⁴⁸ A schoolroom was erected and opened in March 1887.⁴⁹

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Sadly, I do not have an old photograph of the Baptist Church on Upper Dagnall Street but I wanted to include this fine building so have included a more recent image. The origins of this church extend back to 1675 at the village of Kensworth but moved to this site in St. Alban's in 1720. That structure was improved and extended during the 19th century until a decision was made that a new building was required. The architect Morton M. Glover, of the London-based practice of Glover and Salter, prepared plans for an Early Gothic-style building of red stone with stone dressings. There was to be a raised apsidal choir, organ chamber and octagonal baptistry. Demolition of the old chapel commenced in July 1884, the congregation meeting for services in the Assembly Room of the Town Hall and also the Corn Exchange. The trustees acquired the adjoining houses, between the chapel and Cross Street, to facilitate an ornamental garden and graveyard for the frontage. Sadly, this space is now devoted to car parking. The cost of the undertaking was in the region of £8,000.⁵⁴ The new church opened on Tuesday, July 7th, 1885.⁵⁵ Not bad, a new school and church in just 12 months.

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As a regular visitor to Belgium, I am very familiar with clambering up a medieval belfry. Belfort's they call them in the land of great beer. Dating back to the early 15th century, this tower in St. Alban's is the only surviving medieval town belfry in England. There is a 'younger' tower at Morpeth in Northumberland. The St. Alban's tower was almost lost when the civic leaders voted to demolish the structure around 1700 but it was spared whilst the adjacent Eleanor Cross was pulled down. The deteriorating condition of the tower led a committee to consider a report by the architect George Gilbert Scott in 1865 in which he considered the cost of restoration to be £700.¹⁴ His scheme was adopted, though the budget spiralled somewhat. Cast in 1335, the bell would sound the curfew. The clock was almost certainly a later addition.

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This water fountain, a key part of the street furniture of St. Alban's in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, has been at the centre of more than one controversy. For starters, it was paid for in 1872 by Isabella Worley, a woman who had inherited much wealth from her father, the slave trader Joseph Timperon. Sure, the resident of Sopwell House had spent some money on buildings and philanthropy in St. Alban's and was praised for her generosity, but she still had a massive pile of loot when she died, the equivalent of several millions of pounds in today's world. She wanted the drinking fountain, designed by George Gilbert Scott, placed near the site of the Eleanor Cross, which had stood in St. Alban's for 500 years. But what a hoo-ha there was in council meetings when the civic leaders chose to place the fountain in front of the Town Hall. A special meeting was described as "animated" for the Victorians had not rolled out the phrase of "then it all kicked off." Anyway, the councillors thrashed things out in the chamber after which it was decided to place the wayfarers' refreshment station in the original planned location, selected by both Isabella Worley and the architect.¹⁵ A report on the opening ceremony, held in June 1872, an event that featured a band-led procession, described the fountain as "being a circle partly within and partly without a square, and the tooled granite steps are three in number. The magnificent bowl is of polished Mull granite, which with the caps of the piers is worked in one block weighing about 3 tons 16 cwt., and is of a quatrefoil form, with a crocketed finial in the centre, of yellow Mansfield Wodehouse stone resting on a deep moulding of Devonshire marble. The clustered shafts of the columns on which the bowl rests are of polished Peterhead granite. The water issues at the four cardinal points through animals' heads of bronze, keeping the bowl constantly filled to a certain height, the overflow from which supplies a drinking trough on the west side for dogs. There is an additional step on the east side for the convenience of children. The whole was worked and polished at the art works of Messrs. Farmer and Brindley, sculptors, 67, Westminster Bridge Road, Lambeth, from designs by George Gilbert Scott, Esq., R.A., and under the general superintendence of Mr. Chapple, of St. Alban's." ¹⁶ Inevitably, the increase in motor traffic in the 20th century resulted in the fountain being deemed an unwanted obstacle. Some of the councillors at the heated meeting in 1872 had forecast that it would be in the way of traffic, albeit horse-drawn in those days. In the 1920s the council decided to remove the fountain, ushering in another long episode akin to the story of the Scots demanding the return of the Dunkeld Lectern. When being dismantled parts of the fountain were purloined by Alfred Barnes and placed in the gardens of two houses he owned. Through subsequent sales, the Thrale family came into possession of the fountain which they displayed in the restaurant they opened in the premises. Despite much paper-shuffling and meetings, the council had attempted to reclaim the different parts of the fountain but those who possessed the pillaged marble would not give up their booty. Eventually, the council recovered enough to reconstruct a fountain which is now part of Victoria Square close to the former prison.¹⁷ However, it is at the arse end of the building in the centre of a car park whilst the area by the clock tower is, ironically, a pedestrian area with bench seating. Still, I imagine that many are relieved that the fountain is tucked away as it would possibly receive the Colston treatment.

Image captured from opening sequence of "Porridge"

From the reconstructed fountain one can walk around to the front gate of the former prison. It will be familiar to many telly fans of a certain age. Indeed, one may encounter a location hunter taking a selfie outside the gate used for the opening sequence of "Porridge," the popular sit-come starring Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale as cell mates. I have included the gate seen in the opening sequence in the widespread format of the time - black-and-white. Few people had a colour telly when this 1974 clip was screened on the Beeb. In recent years the entrance block to the prison has been occupied by the Register Office. Following the prison's closure in 1914 the complex had formed part of the council depot - hence the fountain being placed in the yard. Costing £14,000 and erected on the north-east side of St. Alban's, the prison was opened on November 1st, 1867. The architects were Messrs. Martin & Chamberlain, of Birmingham, and the contractor was Mr. Young, of Lincoln, with Mr. Wilcox filling the role of clerk of the works. The building was of brick, with facings of dark blue Staffordshire bricks and Bath stone. Deploying a castellated style of architecture, it was constructed on the same plan as the county gaol at Warwick. Looking at the entrance gate [above] the governor's house was on the right, and the chief warder's on the left. The front was surmounted by a large air-shaft that conveyed fresh air to every cell and other apartment in the building. There was a spacious central hall, with long straight corridors to the left and right. Heated with hot-water pipes and a regulated water cistern, there were seventy-eight cells for male prisoners and fourteen for females. The water was pumped up by a tread-mill which formed part of the prisoner's punishment.¹⁸ No ping-pong and telly in those days!

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Now I like a pub but this is one that is abhorrent. In recent times the building was trading as a Miller & Carter Steakhouse, operated by the pubco Mitchell's & Butler's plc. The company had earlier operated a branch of their awful O'Neil's chain. But rubbish pub brands aside, it is a disgrace that the local authorities disposed of this gift to St. Alban's. Yes, it was a Carnegie library, the steel magnate pledged £3,000 towards its construction.²⁹ As ever, the budget was exceeded so he had to stump up £3,696. 18s. 4d. towards the total cost of £6,764. 5s. 10d. The sale of the old library and furniture made up much of the deficit. Andrew Carnegie even rocked up for the opening ceremony during which he received the honorary freedom of the city.³¹

Extract from Page 4 of the "Daily Mirror" published on Wednesday October 11th, 1911.

In this newspaper cutting the Mayor can be seen presenting a silver casket containing the scroll of the Freedom of the City to Andrew Carnegie. Inside the building, on the first floor, there is a splendid stained-glass window that depicts the steel magnate holding a miniature version of the Neo-Georgian building, his gift to St. Alban's. What would he thought of the the library being closed in 1988 and the building subsequently sold off rather than putting it to the public good. I must mention that the library building partly occupied the site of St. Peter's Brewery operated by Francis Parsons before Adey & White Ltd.

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This police station on the north side of Victoria Street was demolished in the 1960s when a new building was constructed. That closed in 2015, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire stating that "the police station wasn't suitable for modern day operational duties." Personally, I cannot see how moving into the Civic Centre offices improves policing with people, who could once walk up to a desk sergeant, being directed to a telephone in order to reach a control room. Very soon victims of crime will be expected to talk to a bot. Why can't they just be honest and cite budget cuts on top of more budget cuts. The whole thing has gone to shit. Mind you, money was at the centre of heated discussions at Council meetings in 1891 when it was proposed that a new police station should be built in Victoria Street to replace the building in Chequer Street described as "wretched, inconvenient, inadequate, ill-ventilated, unsanitary building, utterly beneath the dignity of a city with a force of twelve or fourteen policemen - bad for the officers, and worse for the prisoners." Councillor Hurlock spearheaded the opposition concerned about the expenditure of £700 to buy the site and a further £1,400 to erect the building. The opponents did not wish to add to the loan debts of the council, or raise the rates.³² In the following year, late March 1892, Councillor Hurlock again raised objections to the expenditure. He suggested that the Police Superintendent "would like a residence at a palatial police station, but he contended that the present building [in Chequer Street] would serve the purposes of the city, for they had few people locked up, and as to those few drunken folks who did get locked up, it was as good as they deserved. He was of opinion that as an alternative scheme, they could add a storey to the present building, and place a spiral staircase in the station, and the Superintendent could then use the upper part for an office. As to the magisterial hearings, they could take place in the Town Hall." ³³ The Councillor thought this could be achieved with a budget of £200. As can be seen in the above photograph, they went ahead with the plans for a new police station. I wonder what Councillor Hurlock would have made of the 1962 proposed budget of £164,412 for the new police station to include a bar, games room, library and reading room? ³⁴

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Captured around the beginning of King George V's reign, this photograph shows Victoria Street, further out from town towards the railway station. The church on the right is the former Trinity Congregational Church on the corner of Beaconsfield Road. Diagonally opposite was the Midland Station Hotel, a building trading as The Horn in the 21st century. More can be seen of the Midland Railway Hotel on the western corner of Alma Road. This is now a private house called Midland Place. Though difficult to see here, on the eastern corner of Beaconsfield Road stands a building with a rather nice red brick and terracotta upper floor featuring a stone corbel and gable. The ground floor has, for some years, housed an Indian restaurant. There are few trees nowadays along Victoria Street which rises from the road junction towards the centre of St. Alban's. In this view it was quite an avenue for tree-nesting birds. It was known as Victoria Street when this photograph was taken but this section was formerly known as Victoria Road. In former times the route, formerly a gated bridleway through green fields, had the lovely name of Sweet Briar Lane, though I was told that it was called Shropshire Lane prior to that appellation. I have not confirmed this however. It was in February 1876 that a special meeting was held in the Council Chamber of the Town Hall during which the councillors first considered the widening of Sweet Briar Lane, utilising land owned by Thomas Kinder. He was prepared to give the land for the public good but, amazingly, the council members agreed to accept his offer providing he, not them, would foot the bill for removing tree roots and soils for metalling the route. They also stipulated that he should provide the bricks from a wall that he was to take down in order that they were used as hardcore beneath the road's surface. Talk about never looking at a gift horse in the mouth! ³⁵

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In the 21st century there is a dedicated Station Approach to St. Alban's City railway station and bus interchange. However, the main station buildings were once on the other side of the track off what is now Ridgmont Road. In the previous image, the photographer would have been stood close to the junction of the old station approach. The lovely old Stationmaster's House can still be found on the western side of Ridgmont Road. The photographer capturing this scene would have been stood close to the dwelling. Here the railway employees are lined up for a photograph showing the station during the Edwardian period. The carriage to the right of the canopy was a parcel van of the Midland Railway. The lane led down to an iron works, the site of which later became a brush works, technically in Grosvenor Road. Accessed from Ridgmont Road, a straw hat factory opened in 1909 by Messrs. Vyse, Sons and Co., Limited, a firm that also had premises at Luton and Redbourn. The company, founded in the 18th century, were noted for their trademark "Orb" hats.³⁶ But I digress ... back to the railway station. This was on the Midland Railway, but not the first station to open at St. Alban's. A station close to The Abbey was opened ten years earlier, in 1858, by the London and North Western Railway. Another station was built at London Road. The Midland Railway's extension line, connecting Bedford to London, was opened on Monday, 13th July, 1868.³⁷ As was generally the case, the accident report book would start filling up once there was a railway line. In 1875 a military outfitter named Keates was awarded what was regarded as the substantial sum of £1,280 damages when a Midland Railway train came into collision with a mound of earth near St. Alban's, resulting in his carriage overturning. The plaintiff suffered severe injuries in his spine and elsewhere, and was attacked by partial paralysis.³⁸

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For this image the photographer was stood close to the Town Hall [to the left], pointing the camera in a south-westerly direction, along the Market Place. An early speed limit sign can be seen to the left. It was imposing a 10mph speed limit, presumably to deter "furious riding" by cyclists. Only one cyclist can be seen, along with a few handcarts. The road junction to the right is that of Spencer Street, presumably named after Lady Spencer, once of Holywell House? A boot and shoe emporium was trading on the corner. A sign for a similar business can be seen a little further along Market Place. Henry Olney & Sons were operating as boot and shoe makers at No.21. Between these two footwear shops was the greengrocery store of Peter Swan and a butcher's shop operated by James Nelson & Son. An outlet of Adey & White Ltd., the King's Head can be seen on the corner of Upper Dagnall Street. Around the time of this photograph the licensee was Frederick Sanderson.³⁹

The Gables illustrated by F. G. Kitton from Page 5 of the Herts Advertiser published on Saturday August 26th 1899.

In the centre of the last photograph one can see an old building occupied by a branch of Boot's. The modest collection of postcards and photographs of St. Alban's that I have collected together all date from the 20th century. This building was taken over by Boot's around 1899 so I do not have a photograph of the premises when occupied by the draper Frederick James Worsell as mantle and millinery showrooms. But here is the property in an illustration by Norwich-born Frederic George Kitton, an author, artist and sculptor who, along with his Australian-born wife Emily, lived at Richmond Lodge in the 1890s before moving to the Mill House.⁴¹ The reason for him sketching the scene was his concern that quaint St. Alban's was disappearing with historic buildings being torn down for modern edifices or that buildings were being disfigured by modern shop fronts, or as he put it, "Artists, antiquaries, and admirers of the picturesque element of St. Alban's are not infrequently startled by alarming reports of the impending destruction of familiar landmarks - cherished relics of a bygone age or of the demolition of some interesting specimen of domestic architecture, of which a few striking examples happily still exist in our highways and byways." ⁴² When it came onto the market, a group of local archaeologists had hoped to acquire the building but Boots snuck in and gazumped them.⁴³ As a result a petition was raised in which a local action group urged the company that, during alterations to suit their business, they would "alter the style of the building as little as possible, so as to keep it in harmony with the buildings that adjoin it." The building, featuring a curved bracket on the jettied attic storey dated 1637, has survived into the 21st century but the ground floor was altered with a contemporary fenestration.

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In this inter-war view of Market Place, the photographer has captured the emporium of Boot's, showing the divide where Market Place continued to the left and French Row to the right. In the 21st century French Row has been pedestrianised but cars are still allowed along Market Place. Personally, it would be great to see a ban of cars completely from this part of St. Alban's. On the left the old Corn Exchange building can be seen with retail outlets occupying the frontage. The retailers had seemingly adopted a laissez-faire approach with their shop frontages but it appears that a more uniform appearance to the building has been enforced by subsequent town planning. This is conjecture on my part but the structure does look the better for it. In this photograph the retailers trading from the Corn Exchange Buildings included the tailoring firm of John Bright [Outfitters] Ltd., the grocery store of Sanders Bros. [Stores] Ltd., and the fruiterers T. Walton [London]. To the right of the image the Clarendon Hotel can be seen, a temperance establishment that was operated by Samuel Charles Dean, formerly of Chequer Street. He may have had high morals in terms of alcohol but he tarnished his reputation when, in 1902, he was found guilty of indecently assaulting Florence Dailley, a 15-year-old servant in his employ. And it was not just once, his abuse continued for several months, the girl being too ashamed to tell anybody what was going on in the bedrooms of the hotel.⁴⁴ Sadly, his sentence of three months' hard labour was just a blip in his career as he continued as a hotelier. I would have hung the bastard from the town clock for his perverted behaviour, ruining the life a teenager who would be haunted by his heinous crimes for the rest of her life.

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It is interesting to compare images of the Corn Exchange [see above inter-war photograph], current views on Google Street Map, and this, an image fairly true to the original construction. An ancient Market Hall with open sides, with trading conducted similar to that within a butter cross, stood on this site until the mid-1850s when it was replaced by this single-storey multi-use building. Yes, corn was traded at times, but it also served as a meeting room, concert venue and a place where all manner of goods were auctioned. The first steps towards building a corn exchange was taken in December 1853 when the Town Council advertised for plans and specifications to be submitted for a competition in which a winner would receive £20 if selected. There were 27 entrants from architects and these were displayed in the Council Chamber during one Saturday in February 1854 for public inspection. The display enabled the Town Council, before making a final decision, to learn the opinion of the neighbouring gentry, agriculturists, corn dealers, and others frequenting the market, as well as the inhabitants generally. The event generated considerable interest and the Chamber was crowded for much of the day. The winning design was submitted by James Murray, an architect based in Coventry. His plans were understood to be those of the Coventry Corn Exchange, which he had designed in the same year, and spoken of as being admirably contrived with reference to the uses of the place, and being in an architectural sense, graceful and attractive.⁴⁵ When the structure at Coventry was being erected it was commented that Murray's plan was a "clever adaptation of a difficult site which often calls forth novel and happy effects. In the exterior, which is the best part the building, the piers and openings are well designed, so as to get large area of window surface, and yet to preserve general breadth. In the Corn Exchange and Market, St. Alban's, by the same architect, there is similar evidence of skill; though it involves a difficult question for discussion, how an apparently intended central feature of composition can be well combined with wings differing from each other." ⁴⁶ The Corn Exchange was opened with a dinner event in the building on September 23rd, 1857, the mayor, John Lewis, being in the chair.⁴⁷

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The narrow thoroughfare of French Row is portrayed as a romantic element of old St. Alban's but life in the yards off this street was pretty grim in the old days. The insanitary conditions would result in contagious diseases spreading across households, particularly typhus fever. The name of the thoroughfare supposedly derives from King John of France being accommodated or detained in an inn here, the Fleur-de-Lys claiming the story for themselves. The legend seems to have gained traction in the late 19th century but, despite much digging by the local architectural and archaeological society, there is no concrete evidence to be found - or indeed an ancient hostelry in this location during that early period. Good story though! I am intrigued by the ghost sign seen in the above image, advertising a toilet club. The letter looks like Clock Tower Toilet Club. This was an establishment in which hot water washing facilities with soaps was available, along with hair dressing and other general manicuring. I could be wrong but I imagine that the lettering is a legacy of the period in which Alfred Payne occupied the premises at the end of the 19th century. In trade directories for the period, along with the census of 1901, he was, however, simply recorded as a hairdresser.⁵⁰ The big retailers tended to avoid the narrow thoroughfare, although it was home to two notable inns, some dining rooms and a coffee tavern, the latter being managed for many years by Charles Addington. There were shops - in 1901 there was a fruiterer and Henry Aldridge operated a butchery in French Row. He also had a slaughteryard to the rear of the premises. There was plenty of metal-bashing as the blacksmith Frederick Cawley was here during the inter-war years. The most notable firm was that of Charles Gentle & Son, a business that supplied the piping for many premisegas in St. Alban's. He was responsible for the gas fittings at the aforementioned ill-fated public baths in Victoria Street. In addition to premises at Sandridge, his works were off French Row in Dog Yard, next to the Wheatsheaf Inn.⁵¹

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This inter-war view of the Town Hall was captured from a position close to the premises occupied by the Natwest Bank and Waterstone's in recent times. By this period the motor had already started to blight the city centre. It is many years since the building served a civic role. In the 2020s the old Town Hall housed the Museum and Art Gallery. It had been the tourist information office for a period. The Neo-Classical-styled Town Hall, designed by George Smith, replaced an older Town Hall and Session House on the corner of Upper Dagnall Street, held in which were "the Quarter Sessions for the Borough and Liberty of St. Alban's, as were also the meetings of the Corporation. The lower part was used as the Borough Gaol, or Counter as it was called, the prisoners in which were visible from Dagnall Street as they stood behind the bars of the lock-up." ⁵² The site of the new Town Hall was formerly occupied by three almshouses for poor widows, removed in 1829. It was in May of that year that the Council and Magistrates invited tender for the construction of the new building. They did not mess about in those days and the first County Ball was held in the new Town Hall on New Year's Eve 1830. Typically, it was only the likes of the Earl of Verulam, Lord Grimston and James Gape, along with a numerous circle of the haut ton who were invited.⁵³

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In capturing this view of the cattle market the photographer would have taken a position on the first floor of the Town Hall. The camera is pointing in a north-easterly direction, the Church of Saint Peter can be seen in the background. Sadly, many of the buildings seen here have long gone, particularly on the left side. With a decline of the Saturday livestock market, a decision was made in 1872 to move it to Wednesdays.⁵⁶ This decision was well received by local farmers and a considerable boost in sales ensued. At one time St. Peter's Street had two ponds for the refreshment of cattle coming in to the market, one near the White Horse and the other in front of the Cock.⁵⁷ The sale of livestock was removed from the streets in the mid-1920s, a new sales area with covered cattle pens being erected, these being on the site of today's Drovers' Way car park.

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This view of St. Peter's Street captures the lovely character of the buildings during the Edwardian period. The building on the extreme left would be swept away in the early 1930s for the development of a Marks and Spencer store. How the warnings of the aforementioned Frederic George Kitton had been forgotten. The Georgian-looking building with portico became the Conservative Club in the late 19th century. The carriage entrance, however, led to the County Theatre, leased by former actor Sidney Foster for 30 years until its closure in 1933. It was not the end of his time in the theatrical world. After his involvement with productions around the UK, he would take over the running of The Kenton, a theatre in Henley-on-Thames that he re-named The New Playhouse. The house next door, featuring a pedimented central entrance was the home of Mary Langridge in 1901. Next door was the tobacconist's and sweets emporium run by William and Susanna Kingham.⁵⁸

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I have dated this roughly based on the sight of a branch of Sainsbury's at No.29 St. Peter's Street. This was not recorded in a trade directory published in 1926 but appears in a 1929 listing. It is a tall building with three dormer windows and, as a result, is easily identifiable on the thoroughfare of the 21st century when the ground floor was occupied by a branch of Costa Coffee. The building to the right of Costa, occupied by Vision Express, bears the date of 1928, possibly when it became a branch of the Home and Colonial Stores. In this photograph the building is a much older building. Next to the Home and Colonial Stores, a branch of Woolworth's opened in another new build. I cannot see a destination on the open-top bus parked up but it was a No.14. It looks to be an old vehicle for this period. No.29 had a tradition of being a food store - at the beginning of the Edwardian period it was run by Edward and Mary Martin, trading as Edward Martin & Co.

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In this photograph there are a number of people, particularly women, circling the war memorial near St. Peter's Church so I suspect it was taken not long after the dedication service on May 22nd, 1921. Designed by Sir Edgar Wigram, a future mayor of St. Alban's, the memorial has a tapered Portland stone wheel cross set on an octagonal plinth, featuring four capped buttresses. A memorial garden surrounds the cross, once forming part of St. Peter's Green, a site where a pump supplied water to those living in this part of the city. The row of buildings to the right once featured the parish workhouse, the occupants being set to work on a number of civic-related undertakings. In 1908 it was reported that Albert Marsh, a blind young boy aged nine, occupant of the workhouse, was found to be a musical genius. On this discovery, the astonished Board of Guardians decided to pay the fees to enable him to sit for a scholarship examination at the Royal College of Musicians.⁵⁹

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That may be a regimental mascot being held on a leash by one of the soldiers stood on the corner of High Street and Chequer Street. Perhaps they formed part of a low-key recruitment drive in the city centre? It would be some years before traffic lights would control the flow of vehicles on such junctions so it was the lot of a policeman to direct the traffic. I assume they performed this task on some form of rota throughout the day. The squaddies are stood outside the ironmongery premises of Edward Joseph Hallam. Born in Coventry, he had moved to St. Alban's in the 1890s with his wife Camilla who died at an early age in 1897. The widower continued in business on the corner of Chequer Street for a couple of decades before sailing for New Jersey where he died in 1929. No.2 High Street would be taken over by the caterer, Thomas Slater, who also occupied No.14. Rebuilt or re-modelled, the premises on the corner of Chequer Street would later be occupied by the District Bank Limited, with a Danish Restaurant on the first floor.

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This post-WW1 view of the High Street is similar to the last view - at least the policeman has been relieved of his duty! The Worley water fountain can be seen in front of the Red Lion Hotel at the old Market Cross. It is slightly easier to see the steep gable with carved bargeboards of No.14, a building dating to around 1600. Here it was occupied by Thomas Slater, the baker and confectioner who had succeeded to the business of George Wren in the 1880s. His shop looked across to a branch of Lyon' tea shops.

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This is the same road junction, the camera on this occasion pointing in a south-easterly direction along London Road. The policeman seems to be busy waving his arms but there is no traffic to be seen. On the left, located on the corner of Chequer Street is the Cross Keys public-house, possibly, but not certainly, a descendant of the Cross Keys related to the burning of George Tankerfield. The inn sign was adopted by the branch of shite beer and cardboard food next door. Out of shot, but on the opposite corner, was the Peahen Hotel.

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Brrr, with snow on the ground I am feeling cold just looking at these soldiers on parade in London Road not long after the outbreak of World War One. It reminds me of my military days in that they are not allowed to wear gloves. No doubt they would experience colder conditions on the front in Flanders. One can only hope that the majority of them would return home. The premises of Messrs. Blow & Peters can be seen in the background. Based at No.18 London Road, this firm of builders and decorators were responsible in the construction of premises in and around St. Alban's. The firm were featured in the local regional press when, on July 1st 1928, the body of one of their employees, Walter Picton, was recovered from the river at Goldington, near Bedford, and a walking stick and watch were found on the river bank. On the following day Connie Irene Picton, of Langdon Street, Tring, received information that her father, a contractor's clerk, formerly employed by Messrs. Honour and Son, Tring, but more recently employed by Messrs. Blow and Peters, was missing from his lodgings at St. Albans. At the adjourned inquest at Bedford, Connie Picton stated that she identified the stick and watch as belonging to her father. His age was 61. She told the Coroner that she knew he suffered from pains in the head and a very bad leg. However, she knew no reason why her father should have gone to Bedford. The Coroner returned an open verdict.⁶⁰

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This row of shops and businesses were located on the south side of London Road, just down from Keyfield Terrace, though the latter was known as Watson's Row when this photograph was taken - not to be confused with Watson's Walk further along London Road. This row of buildings has been redeveloped but the distinctive warehouse-style building with the large half-moon glazing could still be found in the 2020s as a luxury kitchen showroom trading as Poggenpohl. Here it is the premises of Marlboro' Motors [St. Alban's] Ltd., motor car agents, repairers and engineers. The firm also had premises at 404 Euston Road in London. In 1917 the business moved into the ploughing business, offering tractors for hire or even ploughing by the acre.⁶¹ The company became a leading supplier and garage for Vauxhall. Next to the garage and workshops was the drapery business of Devon-born William George Moore and his wife Rosa who hailed from Sudbury in Suffolk.⁶²

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These buildings were further along London Road, a thoroughfare that was re-numbered in later years. Here at No.88 is the confectioner's shop of Albert Henry Spicer and his wife Isabella. That is almost certainly the couple pictured at the entrance of the shop. They also had premises at 28 Spicer Street. The couple would later move to the High Street at Harrow.⁶³ At the time of this photograph their next door neighbour was the boot maker and repairer, Joseph Burrows at No.86 London Road.

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"Walter Robins, a St. Alban's cyclist, appeared before the Luton Magistrates on Wednesday, in answer to a summons for furiously riding down the London Road hill at Luton on Sept. 1st. From the evidence of the Rev. Frank Thompson and others, it seemed that defendant came down the hill at a very rapid rate, and Mr. Thompson had only just called the attention of some friends to the pace when they heard cries and found a couple of children had been knocked down, one of them being rather badly injured. Defendant was told that the least he could do was to go and see the parents of the child who was hurt, and he promised to do so, but failed to keep to his word. The Bench inflicted a fine of 15s. including costs, and hoped their leniency would be treated by defendant as a warning to be careful in the future."
"An Accident And The Sequel"
Leighton Buzzard Observer and Linslade Gazette : September 15th 1903 Page 7

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References
1. "St. Alban's" : Herts Guardian; January 8th, 1861. p.3.
2. "Extraordinary Escape" : Bucks Chronicle and Bucks Gazette; May 1st, 1852. p.3.
3. "Holyrood Lectern" : Edinburgh Evening News; June 18th, 1930. p.9.
4. "Claim On Lectern Theft" : The Scotsman; January 26th, 1985. p.5.
5. "British Architects : New Materials For Their Lives" : Scottish Press; August 12th, 1862. p.3.
6. "Opening Of St. Michael's Church" : Hertford Mercury and Reformer; July 7th, 1866. p.3.
7. "The Tomb Of Francis Bacon" : South Bank Express; February 15th, 1930. p.6.
8. "Dedication Of The Nave Of Saint Saviour's Church" : Herts Advertiser; November 1st, 1902. p.1.
9. "Death Of Mr. William Woodward" : Hampstead News; November 24th, 1927. p.5.
10. "For Church Work Overseas" : Luton News and Bedfordshire Chronicle; June 11th, 1942. p.6.
11. "Consecration of Christ Church" : Bedfordshire Times and Independent; April 30th, 1859. p.4.
12. "Opening Of A Catholic Church In St. Alban's" : Freeman's Journal; June 24th, 1878. p.6.
13. "Hertfordshire" : Luton Times and Advertiser; July 3rd, 1903. p.7.
14. "The Clock Tower" : Hertford Mercury and Reformer; January 14th, 1865. p.3.
15. "The Site For The Drinking Fountain - Special Meeting Of The Town Council" : Herts Advertiser; April 27th, 1872. p.6.
16. "Opening Of The Drinking Fountain" : Herts Advertiser; June 15th, 1872. p.6.
17. "A History of Victoria Square" : Felicity Hebditch, November 1993, Irish Life Assurance plc <http://www.walk-talk.co.uk/docs/info/StAdrinkfount.doc>, Accessed 20th November 2024.
18. "St. Alban's New Gaol" : Bedfordshire Times and Independent; November 23rd, 1867. p.6.
19. "St. Alban's New Church - Memorial Stone-Laying Yesterday" : Methodist Times; September 30th, 1897. p.10.
20. "New Wesleyan Church For St. Alban's" : Herts Advertiser; July 2nd, 1898. p.5.
21. "Hertfordshire" : Luton Times and Advertiser; May 26th, 1911. p.7.
22. "St. Alban's Public Baths" : Herts Advertiser; January 27th, 1877. p.5.
23. "Opening Of The St. Alban's Baths" : Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle; June 2nd, 1877. p.9.
24. "The Baths Question : A Storm Of Opposition" : Herts Advertiser; July 14th, 1883. p.6.
25. "The St. Alban's Public Baths" : Barnet Press; October 6th, 1883. p.4.
26. "The Public Baths" : Herts Advertiser; October 27th, 1883. p.5.
27. "Proposed New City Baths" : Herts Advertiser; May 17th, 1884. p.8.
28. "The Salvation Army At St. Alban's" : London Daily Chronicle; June 12th, 1885. p.3.
29. "St. Alban's" : Daily Telegraph & Courier; October 15th, 1909. p.14.
30. "Hertfordshire" : Luton Times and Advertiser; May 2nd, 1913. p.7.
31. "Mr. Carnegie's 51st Freedom" : Daily Mirror; October 11th, 1911. p.4.
32. "The Proposed Police Station For St. Alban's" : Herts Advertiser; September 5th, 1891. p.5.
33. "The New Police Station" : Herts Advertiser; April 2nd, 1892. p.4.
34. "New Police Station" : Coventry Evening Telegraph; February 28th, 1962. p.21.
35. "The Widening Of Sweet Briar Lane" : Luton Reporter; March 4th, 1876. p.4.
36. "New Straw Hat Factory At St. Alban's" : Luton Times and Advertiser; December 31st, 1909. p.3.
37. "Opening Of The New Line Between London And Bedford" : Herts Advertiser; July 11th, 1868. p.4.
38. "Keates V. The Midland Railway Company" : Hour; November 13th, 1875. p.2.
39. "1912 Kelly's Directory of Hertfordshire" : Kelly's Directories Ltd.; 1912. pp.217-225.
40. Boon, Brindley [1978] "Play the Music, Play! The Story of Salvation Army Bands" London : Salvationist Publishing and Supplies Ltd. p.174
41. 1891 England Census RG 12/1116 Folio 110 : Hertfordshire > St. Alban's > St. Michael > District 12, Page 46.
42. "The Vanishing Of Old St. Alban's" : Herts Advertiser; August 26th, 1899. p.5.
43. "Another Ancient Landmark Threatened" : Herts Advertiser; August 19th, 1899. p.5.
44. "Serious Charge - A Pitiful Story" : Herts Advertiser; January 4th, 1902. p.5.
45. "The Proposed Corn Exchange" : Hertford Mercury and Reformer; February 11th, 1854. p.3.
46. "Architectural Exhibition" : Coventry Standard; December 29th, 1854. p.4.
47. "New Corn Exchange St. Alban's" : Herts Guardian; September 22nd, 1857. p.1.
48. "St. Alban's Tabernacle" : Herts Guardian; June 3rd, 1882. p.5.
49. "St. Alban's Tabernacle" : Herts Guardian; March 12th, 1887. p.6.
50. 1901 England Census RG 13/1311 Folio 110 : Hertfordshire > St. Alban's > St. Alban's > District 4, Page 18.
51. "Charles Gentle" : Herts Guardian; August 25th, 1888. p.4.
52. Kent, E. Stanley [1930] "St. Alban's In The Early Nineteenth Century" in "St. Alban's and Hertfordshire Architectural and Archaeological Society Transactions 1929" London : Gibbs and Bamforth Ltd. p.241
53. "St. Alban's Ball" : Morning Post; January 3rd, 1831. p.2.
54. "The New Baptist Chapel, Dagnall Street, St. Alban's" : Herts Advertiser; July 12th, 1884. p.5.
55. "Opening Of The New Baptist Chapel's" : Hertford Mercury and Reformer; July 11th, 1885. p.5.
56. "St. Alban's Market" : Herts Advertiser; February 10th, 1872. p.5.
57. Kent, E. Stanley [1930] "St. Alban's In The Early Nineteenth Century" in "St. Alban's and Hertfordshire Architectural and Archaeological Society Transactions 1929" London : Gibbs and Bamforth Ltd. p.240
58. 1901 England Census RG 13/1311 Folio 102 : Hertfordshire > St. Alban's > St. Peter > District 5, Page 12.
59. "A Musical Prodigy At St. Alban's" : Luton Times and Advertiser; September 11th, 1908. p.7.
60. "Missing Tring Man's Property Identified" : Bucks Herald; July 20th, 1928. p.8.
61. "Marlboro' Motors" : Herts Advertiser; January 13th, 1917. p.6.
62. 1911 Census Piece No.7674 : Hertfordshire > St. Alban's > District 139, Enumeration District 08 Schedule 166.
63. London, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1965 : Harrow > Harrow > 1926, Page 22.

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