Area Guide: The popular Bernards Heath area of St Albans

The majority of homes in Bernards Heath were built during the Victorian era, notably the cluster between Sandpit Lane and Sandridge Road, with its rows of mostly semi-detached and terraced houses.

Heading further north, the houses get bigger and more modern, with some huge homes dotted along Sandridge Road.

Some of the houses along Sandridge Road (Image: Archant)

Properties currently on the market in Bernards Heath include a three-bed detached house on Spencer Gate for £1.3m, a three-bed Victorian terrace on Sandridge Road for offers over £500,000 and a two-bed character apartment on Walton Street for £385,000.

Amenities

There’s a Londis convenience store – also known as the Hovis shop – on Sandridge Road, while the parade of shops on Beech Road offers a wider range of options, including a Tesco Express, a barbers and a pharmacy, with a Shell petrol station next door.

Food and drink

Sandridge Road is bookended by two pubs, The Jolly Sailor and the King William IV, while the aptly named Little Star Cafe sits between the two.

The King William IV pub, on the corner of Sandridge Road and Beech Road. (Image: Jane Howdle)

Amrit Indian restaurant, at the start of St Peter’s Street, has proven a popular replacement for the highly regarded Devdas, while Beech Road has a fish and chip shop, Master Fryer, as well as a Pizza Hut and a Chinese, Gourmet Kitchen.

The city centre is just a five-minute walk away for residents living at the St Peter’s Street end of Bernards Heath, while Marshalswick’s busy Quadrant shopping centre is another option for those living further from town.

Leisure and sport

The Heath has a children’s playground with play equipment and a basketball hoop, as well as an open field and wooded area, both of which are popular with dog walkers.

The Sandridge Road allotments are also well-utilised by locals, and can be accessed via Marshall Avenue.

The Friends of Bernards Heath is a local community group that works towards maintaining the heath for everyone’s enjoyment.

The Pioneer Club on Heathlands Drive is home to the oldest indoor skate park in the UK. It also has a live music venue, and both areas are available for hire.

The Pioneer Club in Harpenden Road. (Image: Archant)

Transport links

The M25, M1 and A1(M) are easily accessible by car, and the City station is under 15 minutes away on foot from the Sandpit Lane side of Bernards Heath. The Abbey station, with its service to Watford, is a little further.

History

The Heath was a site of the Second Battle of St Albans in 1461, during the Wars of the Roses, and was originally gifted to the Abbey in 793 by King Offa of Mercia.

It was also the site of clay pits, and bricks were made there for nearly 500 years, until the early 20th century.

Beech Bottom Dyke, on Beech Road, is also of historical significance, having been constructed during the Iron Age as a territorial boundary.

Until at least 1752, the Heath was the site for public executions in St Albans. It was also the home of Hertfordshire county cricket ground for a time in the 19th century.

A less celebrated claim to fame is that the St Albans sinkhole is located immediately north of the Heath, on Fontmell Close.

Schools

Residents are spoilt for choice where schools are concerned. Bernards Heath Infant and Nursery School was rated ‘good’ by Ofsted at its last inspection, while the nearby junior school was ranked ‘outstanding’. These three-form entry schools have an intake of 90 pupils per year.

Nearby alternative primary schools include Maple (‘outstanding’), Alban City and Garden Fields (both ‘good’).

Secondary options include St Albans Girls’ School (STAGS) and Sandringham (both ‘outstanding’), plus Verulam boys’ school and Townsend Church of England School (both ‘good’).

Heathlands, a special school for deaf children, is on Heathlands Drive (‘outstanding’).