A Place of Rest

 The north side of Hatfield Road was already busy with shops and homes by the time development began on the road's south side.  But there was one large creation which arrived before any other we have met so far.

The broad entrance drive at Hatfield Road Cemetery.

A number of fields around the edge of St Albans had been owned or rented by the Kinder family expressly to grow barley for the malting trade and the family's brewing business.  One of these fields is now the Hatfield Road cemetery and two further fields were replaced by the Granville estate.  When Thomas Kinder began to sell his interests the fields were transferred into the ownership of Earl Spencer.

On the west side of the central drive is the chapel.

The parish burial grounds, or churchyards in the second half of the 19th century were augmented by civic cemeteries under increased powers to local authorities, and St Albans Corporation surveyed the circumstances in 1880, discovering St Peter's was the only parish with a reasonable amount of burial space available. St Michael's, St Stephen's and Abbey were full. The authority therefore negotiated a price for the purchase of the field, at that time outside of the city boundary, to be used as a civic cemetery.  The ground was brought into the city in 1913.

Some of the entrance gardens.  The plantings vary from year to year.

The council was anxious to keep costs as low as possible, and having paid more than they had hoped for the land, further cost savings were sought after the plans were agreed.  An attractive sub-geometric layout of paths was begun, though this work was aborted as too expensive after the north-east quarter was complete; crops continued to be grown and sold for several years which further delayed the laying of paths.  Officially the first burials took place in 1884, although one or two earlier ones may have taken place.

Many cemeteries included two, or even more, chapels, but by not consecrating the ground a single chapel was considered acceptable.  An isolation hospital was considered for the eastern end, but not proceeded with.  A house for the superintendent was built inside the entrance drive in a style which matched that of the gateway wall.

Most of the cemetery is laid with rectilinear paths, though in the top right of this aerial photo
we can just detect evidence of the sub-geometric pattern of paths.
COURTESY GOOGLE EARTH.

This is probably an appropriate point to mention that if you are walking along the footpath outside the cemetery your route would have been inside the cemetery until the 1930s.  The narrow width of Hatfield Road extended from The Crown as far as Grimaldi's, although it had been widened further east.  There was therefore a need to make the same change along the cemetery frontage, shaving a full twelve feet from the boundary.  The hill section down to The Crown still has not been widened.

The cenotaph* occupies a central position, and part of the First World War  burial section
lies behind.

The cenotaph* was created in 1920 on the site of a former mound in line with the central drive, and a section of adjacent ground was reserved for the fallen of the First World War.  A similar area nearby  was created for the fallen of the Second World War, and both sections are separately maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

For future planning the Council began to look at additional land which it owned for an additional cemetery.  A lawn cemetery was suggested for King Harry Lane; later the proposal shifted to Porters Wood; but eventually the new cemetery was created at London Road.  Meantime several authorities jointly planned for a crematorium on wooded land on the approach to Garston Manor.

An early autumn view across to St Paul's Church where a commemorative tablet can be seen,
commemorating the fallen in WW1 from St Peter's Parish.

Many Fleetville residents find Hatfield Road Cemetery a restful location to walk and sit.  It is very well maintained and has been a regular recipient of the national Green Flag open spaces Award Scheme.

The house built for the cemetery superintendent.  Today the title role is Cemetery Manager.

The local history group Fleetville Diaries has researched the stories of some fifty former residents who are laid to rest in this restful spot. A few of the graves have been restored in recent years, including that  of Frederick Sander.

*While a cenotaph is an ancient generic term for a specific meeting place to honour the dead who are buried elsewhere, this particular structural type, called a Cross of Sacrifice, was designed for the Imperial (now Commonwealth) War Graves Commission by Sir Reginald Blomfield.

Club House to Pizza Place

 This week we have looked over the fence from Grimaldi's former garage premises to discover a solid brick building now the trading premises of the business known as Papa Johns.  We should, however, remind ourselves of the early days of Fleetville and the local authority responsible for this part of St Albans.  Until 1913 the boundary of St Peter's Rural District Council met that of St Albans City at Albion Road.  In that year the city was authorised to extend its acreage as far as Winches Farm at Oaklands.

Work began shortly before the First World War on a club and organisational building for
St Peter's Conservative Club.

In the early years of Fleetville the Conservative Party representing the rural district met in a room above the shop of Ben Pelly on the north side of Hatfield Road to the west of St Paul's Church – although that church was just undeveloped land then.  By 1910 the city council was discussing the possibility of added areas; and the Conservatives were no doubt considering finding a nearby plot on which to build a club and administration building.  Was it coincidence that the organisation moved quickly to purchase land on the relatively undeveloped south side of the road just to the east of the cemetery where the land was cheaper, and at least for a few years the rates were also less expensive.

As with the Liberal Club on the north side of the road the arrangement of the proposed premises was for a central entrance with administration occupying the rear rooms and club premises for members on the first floor.  In order to fund running costs a retail unit was let on each side of the entrance.

The Conservative Club remained on the south side of the road until after the Second World War,
when it moved to the former homestead of St Peter's Farm on the north side, where it
remains today.

St Peter's Conservative Club was opened in 1911 and remained there until World War Two.  It is uncertain whether it was occupied during hostilities, but the Conservatives had moved along to the former farm homestead and cottage of St Peter's Farm by 1949, which is still its meeting place.

During the course of the war a military headwear manufacturer was bombed out of Southwark and were found premises in St Albans at the Conservative Club building, and once Peace had been restored the company settled into its new home for the next three decades or more, under the management of Mr Michael Stone. For the first time the building was known as Capstan House.

It seems that throughout the entire history of the building the retail units were only moderately successful.  The right unit remained a boot repairer under three successive tenants, William Atkins, H Woolford and E A Stuckey – the latter known as Fleetville Foot Clinic for a time from 1938 under Mr Stuckey.  The surviving records show only one tenant, William Hitchcock, for the left unit, so it is unclear whether or how this shop/office was used.

From the 1990s pizza retailer Papa John's has traded from here, but it has to be admitted your editor has no clear memory of when the Capstan House business closed and Papa John's opened.  A reader may be able to recall.

From left to right: Grimaldi's Garage, Calverstone military hat factory in the former 
Conservative Club, and W White garage. v The photograph was taken in 1964.
COURTESY ST ALBANS MUSEUMS

The final building before Hatfield Road Cemetery, and added to the streetscape in 1914, was a workshop structure either acquired by or let to Arthur White who was a motor engineer.  Such was the fast-moving industry of personal travel, just five years earlier Mr White occupied a small workshop at the northern end of a former farm drive behind what later became the County Laundry opposite the Rats' Castle public house.  There Mr White described himself as a coach builder, which referred to horse-drawn vehicles as much as early motor cars.  We can assume he was skilled at the former since working with him was another trader, William Moore, a general farrier and smith.

This private drive along which William White had his farrier workshop was to the left of the 
former County Library.

The same drive today and named Montague Close, being part of a residential development.

Clearly, William saw how transport was developing and moved to his new garage directly fronting the main road.  From the street he was also able to dispense motor fuel.

The premises remained quiet post-war until is was used as additional repair and maintenance premises by Grimaldi Bros, one of the topics of last week's post.  In the 1970s the company name changed to W S Tyre Centre, those initials, we may recall, referred to West & Sellick further back along Hatfield Road next to the pedestrian entrance to Fleetville Junior School.

White's garage is now replaced by a residential development.

Today, a residential development known as Luna Place has replaced the former workshop; the barrel-roofed design reminiscent of a traditional rural workshop building.

We have now reached the western boundary of the Poor Six Acre Field (as it had been named and referred to at the 1840 Tithe record. Next time we'll find ourselves in a field sold to St Albans Council for the purpose of a cemetery.

Road to Nowhere

In the 1930s, travelling between Camp Road and Hatfield Road, perhaps to benefit from the latter's shopping facilities was far from a short hop; the only two options being Ashley Road and Camp Road (Crown end).  The council, despairing of successfully negotiating with the railway company to get an improved Sutton Road, turned its attention to something new.  At the time, there remained purchasable space in Hatfield Road opposite Sandfield Road and in Camp Road where Roland Street was laid. But the proposed road would still need to cross the railway – under, over or via a crossing.  Finance and practicability eventually aborted the scheme.  Today, connectivity between Camp Road and Fleetville remains an issue.

Section of Hatfield Road in 1937.  The premises of Leon Turner (see previous post) is outlined in
red.  The access drive (green) leads to Rainbow House today.  Clifton House Garage (orange)
stood here and is now replaced by Magnet.  The blue site became Grimaldi's Garage and is now
part of the Magnet and Topps Tiles businesses.  The proposed new road would have emerged
in the green space shown above.
COURTESY NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SCOTLAND

To the west of the former DIY Centre of Tucketts and Leon Reed there was a block of land joining Hatfield Road and the playing field of the school behind.  When Hertfordshire Council acquired the land only the eastern portion was used initially and it took the precaution of acquiring three access points: the original pedestrian entrance to the school, the 1930s vehicular entrance nearly opposite Harlesden Road, and a wide entrance at the western end for future educational use.  A small modern unit was indeed constructed in recent times as a Family Centre. Most recently it became Rainbow House, an adoption centre.

At the end of the drive is the building for Hertfordshire County Council's Family Centre, and
is now Rainbow House.

A plain and quiet building (orange on the map) was erected during the 1930s and became an adjunct of the thriving business of J B Rollings whose premises, Clifton House, were nearby on the north side of the road.  As a wholesale confectioner and tobacconist a garage was required for the storage of its vehicles.  Its doors were rarely open and the only clue as to its function was a sign across the front: Clifton House Garages – although there was only one such building. 

On the left is the intended driveway to the school field, then fenced off.  The garage belonging
to J B Rollings, wholesale confectioner, comes next, followed by the frontage of Ernest
Grimaldi's garage.  The two floor building beyond is Papa Johns and formerly Calverstone,
a military hat manufacturer.
COURTESY ST ALBANS MUSEUMS

The next plot (blue on the map) was an awkward, almost triangular, shape resulting from a bend in the road.  Although first purchased before the First World War the land lay empty until c1937.  During that period it was the property of Camden Brewery – no connection with the present Camden Town Brewery. 

When Ernest Grimaldi came to St Albans from Devon he was already an experienced motor engineer and obtained a position at W M Couper's car sales in Catherine Street.  Grimaldi and his two sons formed a family motor business and dealership making use of the awkward shaped plot mentioned above.  The buildings, though not extensive, were built in the modernist style of the day, and in addition to the workshops a flat was built into the first floor.

Part of the forecourt of Grimaldi's Garage showing one of the modernist style glazed pillars.  The building beyond is the former Calverstones building and then a garage belonging to Mr White.
COURTESY ST ALBANS MUSEUMS

The forecourt dispensed petrol, and a pair of glazed decorative pillars of internally lit ribbed glass marked the entrance and exit. They were topped with Shell petrol's logo, also internally lit. The business was closed during World War Two; Ernest joined the Royal Observer Corps while the boys entered regular service.  The family partnership  after the Peace, minus Ernest's elder son who was killed in 1942.  With no space on the garage site the car showroom began in a small way on the corner of Sandfield Road but later removed to the Victoria Hall building in Victoria Street.

When the business closed the site, and that of Clifton Garages, was redeveloped into the Magnet and Topps Tiles premises.

Clifton House Garage and Grimaldi's Garage are both replaced by Magnet and Topps Tiles.

Ernest was descended from the illustrious European family of Grimaldi (Grimaldo), whose disputed seat was Monaco, and whose line extends back to the eleven hundreds.  We will shortly reach the location where Ernest was laid to rest in Hatfield Road Cemetery, but we have a political centre to call in at first.