Cell Barnes Lane Shops

 For the third of our short summaries about local shopping parades scattered around our East End we are visiting Cell Barnes Lane.  Until the early post-war period residents living in the Camp district called in at one or more of the traders whose businesses were spread intermittently along the winding Camp Road, which was the city's south-western residential limit, with the exception of a number of 1920s semi-detached homes on the Springfield estate along the northern section of Cell Barnes Lane.

This week's retail hub in Cell Barnes Lane, the road which crosses the picture from left to right. 
The shopping building is book-ended on the left by Cornerstone Church and the Adult Day Centre
(the former branch library) on the right.
COURTESY GOOGLE EARTH

During the 1930s the Council had acquired ownership of a substantial amount of land forming the major part of Cunningham Farm, Little Cell Barnes Farm, and land holdings around Great Cell Barnes.  Post-war housing expansion would include developments to extend residential development from the end of Windermere Avenue as far as London Road.  Consequently, it was labelled London Road estate, but also known as Mile House estate.

Much of the land consisted of the active Camp Allotments, most of which would eventually also be built on.  However, moving allotmenteers to other available plots took time, and the need for the council to acquire a sufficient number of building licences delayed groundworks, and it was the end of 1959 before the first 250 dwellings were complete.  The layout  followed a familiar pattern for larger new estates; blocks of flats, shops, schools and community buildings were concentrated on what became known as a high density zone; in the case of the London Road estate this was either side of Cell Barnes Lane.

Two recent views of the eight retail units (but six shops) at Cell Barnes Lane Parade.
COURTESY GOOGLE STREET VIEW

It appears that the number of local shops was determined broadly by the number of homes in the development.  So, a block of eight shop units, topped by flats and maisonettes, was arranged on the east side of Cell Barnes Lane between Thirlmere Drive and Grasmere Road, sandwiched between a pair of community buildings: a community church and what was intended to be a community centre (the latter was re-allocated instead to a former building of Little Cell Barnes Farm, and the site on the corner of Grasmere Road instead became a branch library for the City of St Albans Libraries.  This site is now an adult day care centre.

The red and cream building is now the Adult Day Centre but was first built by St Albans City
Council for one of its branch libraries, now regrettably permanently closed.
COURTESY GOOGLE STREETVIEW

Cornerstone Church which, when first opened, was named Thirlmere Church as it was sited
on the corner of Thirlmere Drive and Cell Barnes Lane.

We may wonder today that the number of shops mentioned above was eight, for today there are just six.  But the units were numbered 191, 193, 195, 197, 199, 201, 203 and 205.  Two end projecting upper floors with six single units between, all the shop frontages  being protected by the balcony floors above.  In front of the paved walkway it had been intended there should be a grassed barrier strip behind the road as public open space, but right-angled parking bays were provided instead.  If these were to be local shops they would have been in walking distance from people's homes; instead, the assumption was made that residents would drive most of the time.

Rather surprisingly I have no record of the very early traders occupying the units in Cell Barnes Lane – readers who have a keen recall are welcome to get in touch by responding to this post directly, or by using In Touch from the website.  In more recent years the occupiers have been:

191    Blitz Autobitz

193    Laundry (in 2009); now Seaworld Fish and Chips

195    Martin's sub-Post Office

197    St Albans Pharmacy

199    Co-operative Food/Cell Barnes Co-op

201    Co-operative Food/Cell Barnes Co-op

203    Co-operative Food/Cell Barnes Co-op

205    Hulse Fruiterer (2009); The Smoke House Deli (from c2015)

It is thought that 195 had previously been a McColl's grocery, so perhaps a newsagent had been next to a smaller Co-op.  The range of goods and services available is generally those available at a local shopping hub, although it does lack an ironmongery – but in how many such parades are to be found an ironmongery shop these days?  Wine shops are increasingly popular but is not represented in Cell Barnes Lane, nor is there a public house, The Camp PH having closed and replaced some years ago (so too was The Mile House, although both the Rats' Castle and the Crown are very much in service).  CBL is fortunate in having both a chemist and a sub-post office, the latter with a posting box.  Cycle racks, notice panels, bench seating and mature trees add to the offer.  The southbound bus stop is a short distance beyond the shops, but in the northbound direction the stopping points are both some distance before and after the shops.  It would be useful if greater priority is afforded to the bus directly opposite the shops, especially as a pedestrian crossing is immediately north of the parade. 

Within a short distance are the combined Cunningham Hill Infant, Cunningham Hill Junior, and Windermere Primary schools, all of which provide busy parental footfall at the beginning and end of the school day.

The newly complete Warner House, Cell Barnes Lane.

The Cell Barnes electricity sub-station built in 1951.

As a pair of asides, a smart new building, Warner House, has recently been completed to replace the now-demolished Wavel House.  The new address provides flatted accommodation for 24 over-55 occupants who wish to downsize, so providing a range of larger homes for families.  Next door is the rather unsightly electricity sub-station, built in 1951 and intended to reinforce supplies directly from the then-new generating plant at Hoddesdon.  Perhaps, after 70 years the street side of the site would benefit from a refresh!