This month's selection of east end streets is as varied as any so far in this series; we have six to ponder over in November.
There are many roads which honour the countryside, particularly trees. However, there is only one area where an entire development was devoted to trees; one, Woodland Drive, named after the variety of trees to be found on and around the former Beaumonts Farm before houses replaced them. An entire gather of street plates came to be planted. Beechwood, Elm, Hazelwood, Oakwood, Oakdene, Chestnut, Willow, Linden, Ashley, Pinewood, Redwood. The latter two are softwoods historically to be found in the part of the farm south of Hatfield Road and near Colney Heath Lane.
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| Although there are many traditional 1930s houses in Oakwood Drive there are also a range of bungalows. |
Oakwood Drive had been intended to link Hatfield Road and Sandpit Lane. a twin of Beechwood Avenue. However, its length was shortened before the post-war continuation of building. It was the only road in the series which contained a number of bungalows (although there are three in Hazelwood Drive) and Beaumont School which occupies land to one side of the road has only recently transferred its main access from the road to Austen Way where the facilities are much improved. Interestingly it is one road where there are no street trees along any part. And a 1958 primary school was appropriately named Oakwood.
While Oakwood Drive was first named in 1930, a parallel residential road did not materialise at all, as the County Council negotiated with developers Watford Land to acquire the site for Beaumont School, and a whole swathe of land for playing fields between Hatfield Road and Sandpit Lane. However, that missing road finally came to life in the 21st century as new homes have been constructed on the school's Hatfield Road playing field, the school having acquired replacement and much improved land, from part of Oaklands College, formerly Oaklands Institute of Agriculture and Horticulture.
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| Recently built on part of the school's lower front field, which was a later addition to the playing field area in the late 1940s, and the location of a small aircraft crash site. Before becoming a school site Watford Land had intended to build houses along the Hatfield Road frontage; and before the school was planned an extension to Elm Drive had been intended. But houses ended up here anyway! |
In fact, three new roads have come into being: Shakespeare Close, Austen Way and Bronte Close, giving an appropriately named trio of literary connections with the school itself.
The Hatfield Road frontage of St Peter's Farm once extended from Lemsford Road as far as the western boundary of the current Fleetville Recreation Ground. The rear boundary accommodated the track which later became Brampton Road. A significant event for owner William Cotton was the acquisition of a swathe of his land for the Midland Railway. The farm was later acquired by Earl Spencer, owner of an extensive acreage nearby. Shortly before the turn of the 20th century Spencer sold a section of St Peter's Farm for housing (Lemsford Road) and for the park. Finally, residential housing developed along the rest of the farm along Hatfield Road.
The field adjacent to the farm homestead was acquired by Joshua Reynolds and in recognition of land owner Spencer and his family he named the road on which he built expensive homes "near the park and the railway station" Blandford Road. The Marquis of Blandford, a subsidiary title of the Duke of Marlborough – a title of the Spencer Churchill family was honoured by Reynolds in the naming of his road linking Hatfield Road and Brampton Road.
Some location detail may be helpful here. Find yourself along St Albans Road near the centre of Sandridge. Suggest the Green Man public house where, opposite is House Lane, of fairly standard width for a residential street. Pass St Leonard's Crescent and turn immediately left. This is Woodcock Hill. For a short distance this too is notionally wide but soon after passing Sandridge Primary School we lose that generosity and are left to navigate a narrow lane of single vehicle width with an occasional passing place. Daylight is quickly lost by extensive tree cover which grows right up to the road edge, although there is open grassland beyond.
We continue to gain height until reaching the transmitting station and associated buildings. The entrance to Fairfolds Farm is on the left as we descend and the narrow lane passes Nashes Farm Lane on its way ever further towards Coopers Green. No habitation bar one or two dwellings find themselves on such a lonely place, although archaeology has discovered Roman evidence of sorts.
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| At the topmost elevation of Woodcock Hill were Roman artefacts, which of course you won't see; and a large transmitting station, which you definitely will! COURTESY GOOGLE STREETVIEW |
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| Most of us will not have spotted a woodcock. Fortunately the RSPB have super pictures. COURTESY RSPB |
So we have established the Hill part of the street plate name – and quite a hill it is. The mix of dense woodland and nearby open space may offer a clue about the rest, the most numerous bird life is woodcock hereabouts. Although known as a wading bird it is not shallow water which is important here. Woodcock are ground resting and hide in dense woodland during most daylight hours. It is camouflaged and a commonly found game bird; no doubt welcomed in earlier centuries for consumption by rural communities. The lane's name would give newcomers a major claim to one generous source of nutrition – with the land owner's permission of course.
I count six closes which are named after London squares, of which there were many dozens to choose from! Portman Square (illustrated here) are joined by Regents Square, Berkley Square, Mayfair Square, Langham Square and Chancery Square.
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| Mature trees along the perimeter of Portman Square. A small number of frontage trees and ornamental firs form hedging points in Portman Close. |
Most squares when created were for the exclusive use of the residents whose homes were built on most, if not all, sides of the square. As a result they were fenced off and locked to outsiders, many being more open like mini parks, rather than growing to mini woodlands as can be found today (see illustration for Portman Square). The limited comparison with Jersey Farm seems to be restricted to access to open space nearby. Such space was part of the planning brief, reducing the size of private gardens and adding a greater amount of Public Open Space to be shared by all. I wonder how many residents have investigated their road's London equivalent, and whether or not they approved of the alternative!
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| DH95 Flamingo in service with RAF. COURTESY RAF |
The same marque was given to a variant known as the Hertfordshire, seating a few more passengers, although it had a short life, having crashed near Mill Hill in 1940. No further Hertfordshires were constructed.
de Havilland was proud of its designers, and in the case of the Flamingo chief designer of the type, Ronald Bishop, is also honoured nearby in Bishop Square.
