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.

New Home in Hatfield Road

Last week we discovered the laurel shrubbery behind St Peter's Farm and the consequent naming of the short cut-de-sac.  This week we will find out what filled the space between Laurel Road and Clarence (Park) Road as the development estate got under way From 1899.

Alexandra House on The Crown corner.

Corner plots with a commanding presence often attract a premium price.  In this case the corner plot, with a view across the wide Crown junction and its new commuter houses in Stanhope Road, was snapped up by land agent Dorant and left as an open space for another ten years before becoming a residence, a shop and the district's first bank.  It was named Alexandra House.  Its boundary was where today's bus stop is located. But to start with the farm house and its cottage retained a view from its slightly elevated position over the Crown junction.  There was an open green with a path from the front door leading down past a pond towards Hatfield Road.

The green was now potential development land and the first block to be built on the green was an impressive terrace of four houses, with first floor hung tiles. This was Clarence Villas. The end homes had recessed front doors while the centre houses opened onto a minuscule front garden, still visible as the tarmac covering behind the footpath.  For the first decade there appeared to be no attraction in converting these cottages into shops.  After all, there were already established shops opposite, purpose-built retail premises newly opened in Stanhope Road, and the prospect of a post office and grocers replacing the former toll building.

Clarence Villas converted to shops

But the increasing popularity of this corner eventually led to  conversion of Clarence Villas to shops.  From west to east, the first was a garden produce shop (which might have meant a greengrocer), then a tailor, and for much of its life a cleaners. The second began as a jeweller but was well known as a greengrocer for much of its life. The third premises was a confectioner for all of its 20th century life, except for its first year when it sported the name many St Albans people were familiar with, Saxby Bros, a delicatessen.  The fourth house became another well-known name. Goody's (then taken on by Bugler's), the baker's and caterer's.  It was probably Clarence Villas  which established Hatfield Road as a shopping street, but it was beaten to change by the next block.

Three converted houses on the hill

It is believed the remainder of the green was also to have been built on straightaway, but the agents took a further three years to negotiate a sale agreement for the second block; these three properties were to be constructed on the hill itself.  They also began their lives as houses with bay windows, but were successful in conversion to shops before those at Clarence Villas – quite a coup for the time.  First was another confectionery, later becoming a hairdressing salon, then Mack's Store and finally a laundry.  Frederick Butler, a son of Ephraim Butler the butcher in St Peter's Street opened in the third premises in 1906, remaining there until the mid-seventies.

Showing the frontage as intended

To gain an insight into how the early houses were shown to the street, we can walk to the block after the entrance drive to the farmhouse, now the Conservative Club. The first two of three have remained a dentist and a doctor, and the slightly higher paving still in place was the original front garden.  The third property, now the Chicken Shop, originally the third of the trio, would also have had a ground floor bay window.  As a shop it began as Lupton's grocery  before becoming a picture framer and art shop – there are still many people who recall Mrs Young who ran the shop, having taken over from Harry Giddings.

Enamelled streetplate from 1906

Before moving on we may spot an original blue street plate fixed to the front wall of the dentist, although tree foliage hides it in season.  These plate were made by St Peter's Rural Council and reveals where the city boundary used to be until 1913, otherwise a street plate would have been installed on a property at the foot of the hill.

We have now reached the corner plot with Laurel Road, constructed in two parts, firstly the residential section for the corner shop owner, which was only converted to a fruiterer's shop in the 1930s, and the corner shop itself.  This was Arthur Hitchcock's cycle maker's until the mid-thirties, and then Mr Henderson's secondhand shop until conversion to Thresher's wine shop in around 1960.

From Laurel Road corner looking westwards

So that we don't lose our way, today the first block (Clarence Villas) are Ace Balloons, Menspire, The Carpet Store and Nino's.  The second block are Grill 'n' Fry, Launderette, and Madina General Stores. At the top of the hill are St Albans Dental Clinic, Doctors' Surgery, The Chicken Shop, Clarity Yoga Shala, and Thai Massage.

Laurel

The ladder roads on the north side of Hatfield Road, those between Harlesden and Blandford, are well-recalled by name, but there one other less well remembered street, although it leads nowhere except the ends of one or two Clarence Road rear gardens.  This is Laurel Road, one of those development roads which was intended to squeeze in a few extra small homes in an awkwardly shaped section of the site close to St Peter's Farm.  Although there is no remaining evidence for the street name, it is possible to search for it.  All we need is to return to the period prior to the development in the late 1890s.

Hatfield Road passes the farm in 1872.  Clarence Road will later be laid just
to the left of the pond; the shrubbery is to the right of the farm buildings.
COURTESY NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SCOTLAND

So clear all homes and shops from your mind – even the 1880s Cavendish estate. Stand, in your imagination, at the top of the hill in Hatfield Road and look down  towards what is now The Crown junction.  Here was yet another broad stream valley with its lowest ground from right to left into Camp Road.  Apart from a tiny turnpike toll building only one pair of buildings would be visible: St Peter's Farm and the adjacent St Peter's Farm Cottage.

Laurel Road c2012.  The houses in the background front onto Clarence Road.

They are still there in the form of the Conservative Club and Clarence Mews, the latter being a gated conversion of former farm outbuildings accessible from Clarence Road, opposite the main park entrance.  The farm buildings are not ancient in the sense of most farm homesteads; it appears that this was a farm holding created in the early 19th century.  But when built the land owner still felt it important to lay the homestead foundations on slightly elevated  ground on the eastern side of the valley referred to above – today we walk this valley side in front of the shops from the Crown corner towards Laurel Road.

With a change of tenancy in 1878 the farm buildings were advertised on the farm estate plan, along with its fields.  When the farm was sold in the late 1890s, there remained two homes available to sell or let which were already there, the farm and farm cottage.  The opportunity was taken to provide a name for this pair, and so they became known as Laurel Bank after the shrubs and trees growing behind the farm, as shown in the 1872 map.  It is from this landscape feature that the little road at the top of the valley side was named.

Estate map St Peter's Farm, 1878.  The owner has named the farm Ardounie
COURTESY HALS

The street directories at the time show that the first occupants were Mr G Mead (farm) and Mr H Pearce (cottage), but they was quickly followed by Edward Hansell, an architect and surveyor.  It is therefore possible that Mr Hansell was involved in the residential developments then being laid out along Hatfield Road.  Once most of the estate had been completed Laurel Bank became available once more and Mr Raymond Nelson, a draper and outfitter, lived and traded from the premises until the Conservative Club acquired the former farm c1946.

Hatfield Road in lower part of view; Clarence Road upper left; former farm and cottage behind the hedge in Hatfield Road.
Former outbuildings converted into a square Mews arrangement.  Laurel Road on right.  Former shrubbery between the
farm and Laurel Road.
COURTESY GOOGLE EARTH

While that may explain the naming of Laurel Road and its connection with the former farm, there is another name which is revealed in the 1878 farm estate map.  For while the Ordnance Survey map from six years earlier labels the buildings as St Peter's Farm, the farm estate map identifies the homestead as Ardounie.  This name is listed in the reference work Fairbairns Crests, although its specific connection with this location is unclear.

Next time we'll explore those homes and shops which filled the space between the newly laid out Clarence Park Road (as originally named) and that little Laurel Road at the top of the hill, passing the old farm on the way.