Oaklands Blossom

 1919, and there were only occasional signs of activity between the former little triangular  entrance to Winches Farm via its track and its cherry trees, and the corner exit from Colney Heath Lane.  At the latter until recently the sounds of clattering booted soldiers walking to and from the little Hill End station as men came to or from long periods of leave.  Their training ground had been at the expansive grounds of Oaklands House.  Owner Sarah Fish and her daughters, having removed themselves to St Albans at the beginning of the war and were the last of Oaklands' domestic occupants.  Oaklands had been requisitioned for war purposes.

Nineteenth century Oaklands Mansion and its grounds when in private residential hands, and 
beyond the eastern limits of St Albans.

Two major events occurred in 1920, and one a decade later, which would forever alter the streetscape between Oakwood Drive and Colney Heath Lane.  Hertfordshire County Council made the decision to acquire the Oaklands Mansion, together with its grounds and the surrounding farm for the purpose of opening an agricultural institute; it is this event we will return to shortly.

This is the understated entrance view of Oaklands at the South Lodge and opposite to the
junction with Colney Heath Lane. Busy in the First War by soldiers, and busy today from 
the comings and goings of the College's students.

In the mid 1890s a land holding had been acquired for creating a mental asylum.  Part of this holding included Hill End Farm, but the Asylum authority prepared to dispose those parts of the farm they had no further use for.  The intention was to sell for development the land in the main  bordering Hatfield Road from near Ashley Road and Colney Heath Lane.  A small number of new homes appeared in the formative new district called Oaklands before the next event occurred c1925 with the sale of two fields belonging to Winches diminutive farm unit.

Since the thirties the Wynchlands shops have served an increasingly busy community.

The result became the homes of Wynchlands Crescent and, along the main road's northern frontage, a terrace of  shops and a range of semi-detached homes. By the end of the decade the number of incoming residents had created a busy little residential area which also crept along Colney Heath Lane, and in the 1930s, the beginnings of Longacres close to a recently gutted brickworks.

The third event was the sale of the remainder of Beaumonts Farm in 1929, leading to housing from Oaklands down to Beaumont Avenue and back along a number of residential roads creeping towards Sandpit Lane.  But even as these roads were being laid out the County Education Department was negotiating with developer Watford Land for the creation of two new senior schools which opened in 1938.

Meanwhile, the Agricultural Institute padded on, developing its courses with comparatively little external funding, adding as much as they could in the way of student accommodation, lecture rooms and labs, animal housing and agricultural buildings as could be afforded during a period of forty years or so.

From the beginning the former Agricultural Institute made what they could of the old farm's
buildings and facilities.
COURTESY OAKLANDS COLLEGE

And so we reach the next milestone to affect this corner of the eastern districts, when a fresh approach to tertiary education was introduced to the colleges of further education (CFE) and the agricultural college in St Albans, and further CFEs in Welwyn-Hatfield and Dacorum.  An unlikely new hub was proposed and accepted for the grouping of the existing satellites under a new brand called Oaklands, located at – well, Oaklands!

So begun further new and upgraded building work, and gradual closing over a number of years of the campus at 29 Hatfield Road; an adventurous new development programme had begun.  However, the planned national funding failed to fully materialise, and to compensate the College was left to find a way by using one of its fields for the building of the Raptors estate (Oaklands Grange) which opened onto Sandpit Lane.

News just released jointly by Oaklands College and Taylor Wimpey – which seems to give away which will be building the next tranche of houses on another of Oaklands' fields, formerly part of the Institute's orchards and fruit gardens.  The development will have the overarching title Oaklands Blossom; who could imagine a more delightful location to live!  However, I suspect the new homes will be named after Richard Blossom, the College's fourth Principal (1979 to 1992). Consultations having taken place over the past twelve months, planning consents have now been submitted to St Albans District Council.

A new leaflet shows the focus for proposed new works; Oaklands Blossom housing (top
left) and new college accommodations (centre).

The benefits to Oaklands College include the much needed heritage restoration and upgrade of the Mansion, supportive facilities for animal care, sports facilities upgrades, a new High Needs Centre for SEND provision, new recreation facilities for students and the wider community, and new facilities to support the county's film and television industry.  It will probably amount to the largest single programme of expansion and development in the history of the site since 1920.

But there is much more to this 2025 + future which promises as much for the community as for the college.  In addition to a mix of types totalling over four hundred homes, of which 40% are expected to be affordable.  Eighty additional houses will be for older and supported living and a local centre and community hub of shops and services "for existing and new residents" by which we assume this means residents living in any of the existing Oaklands roads would be included.  Open spaces and play areas are included, with new habitats and landscaping, and "a net biodiversity gain of 10%".  Finally, a site close to the new housing has been reserved for a future primary school.

Once the planning documents have gone live on the Council's website  we all have the opportunity to comment on one or more segments of the proposed programme.  There appears to be something for everyone in and around Oaklands.