Most people turning into Griffiths Way would never guess the origins of the land on the corner stretching from the Abbey View office development through to Sainsbury’s supermarket. Some may remember the gasworks which occupied the site before the retail… More about ‘Woad Mead’»
Category: Footpaths and stiles
Footpaths in Sopwell
If we look at some of the older maps of the Sopwell area we can see clearly where some of the footpaths were. A few of these paths are still in existence. Many of the later estate roads followed the… More about ‘Footpaths in Sopwell’»
Cottonmill area – Margaret Brown
Margaret Brown was a child when she lived in Boleyn Drive on the Mentmore estate (built 1938-9) and knew the area well. She talks about how the shape of Cottonmill Lane changed after the war when Berners Drive and Priory Walk… More about ‘Cottonmill area – Margaret Brown’»
St Julian’s Estate – Margaret Brown
Margaret recalls that after building the Cottonmill Estate, St Julian’s was built. She said that there was no access to the estate other than by foot because of the cattle bridge in what is now Abbots Avenue. Over the cattle… More about ‘St Julian’s Estate – Margaret Brown’»
Cottonmill Lane – Margaret Brown
Margaret Brown, born 1928, remembers Cottonmill Lane as being a narrow lane with footpaths, how it was mainly fields, and allotments with little or no access to other roads from the lane. For example, she remembers her mother telling her… More about ‘Cottonmill Lane – Margaret Brown’»
Walking to Park Street via Sopwell – Denis Mardel
Denis lives in Abbots Avenue West. He describes what the area looked like years ago before the shops were built. He also describes visiting his married sister in Park Street c.1936 and the route he took to get there from… More about ‘Walking to Park Street via Sopwell – Denis Mardel’»
St Julian’s
There used to be a farm in Watling Street called St Julian’s Farm The farm buildings were opposite the entrance to Vesta Avenue and can be seen in this photo which was taken in 1939. This land in Watling street originally… More about ‘St Julian’s’»
Trainspotting – Mike Titchiner
Mike shares his memories of watching the steam trains go by. As well as watching the local trains, he went as far afield as Watford and London. Interview date: 12 May 2014. Interviewer: Sandy Norman.… More about ‘Trainspotting – Mike Titchiner’»
Living in De Tany Court – Jennifer Taylor
De Tany Court was the housing development built on what was the St Albans school playing field off Belmont Hill. Jennifer and her husband, Rick, moved there from Grange Street via King Harry Lane. She shares her love of living… More about ‘Living in De Tany Court – Jennifer Taylor’»
Cottonmill Lane – Bet Cutler
Bet Cutler was born in Cottonmill Crescent in 1923. She has many memories as a child of the Cottonmill Lane area including what it was like at the swimming baths, the two houses which were pulled down to build Old… More about ‘Cottonmill Lane – Bet Cutler’»
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