St Alban's v Harpenden? Plane noise?

[ChocolateHegg]

DH can no longer stand the noise from the planes in our corner of London and so we've decided to move out. We have friends in St Alban's and Harpenden, family Up North, and work near a Thameslink station, so this area is a clear front runner.

It's early days - internet research at the moment (although we do know the area a bit from visiting friends) - but I think I will prefer the leafiness of Harpenden and that it will be a nicer place to bring up our two DC (currently 2yrs and 3 months).

DH is concerned Harpenden may be affected by noise from Luton airport - and if that's right, it is a complete deal breaker - I'm not moving yet again to escape plane noise.

We have a healthy budget - £1.2m - for a family home. I'd be really interested to hear the experiences of any noise-sensitive Hertfordshire residents and people's views about how the two locations stack up, noise aside?

[lisad123]

St Albans is your best bet, if the plane noise is a deal breaker.
It's a lovely area with great town, bars, schools and green areas. Wheathamstead is also a wonderful area with village feel

[ContinentalKat]

It depends where you are in St Albans. If you are over towards Redbourn the air traffic noise can be quite bad. With flight paths changing recently - extended no-fly zones over London in prep for Olympics-, things have definitely got worse. Not sure if things will get better again after the Olympics.

[ChocolateHegg]

Ooh thanks - very interesting info. Please keep it coming!

We'd like to be within an easy walk of a Thameslink station which I think rules out Wheathampstead.

[LittleFrieda]

The runway at Luton runs E W so there is very little plane noise in either Harpenden or St A.

I love both but the traffic in St A can be dreadful. Harpenden is more spacious, has a better stock of family houses and its 3 senior schools are first class (St Albans Snr schools are not consistently first class).

Lots of people move from St A to Harpenden but I've never heard of anyone moving from Harpenden to St Albans.

PLUS you get a seat on the train at Harpenden but not at St Albans.

[SparklyGothKat]

My son is at Beaumont school in st Albans which is a highly source after school. If you move to st Albans be aware that if you are not right next to the very good school you have no chance of getting that school.

[CMOTDibbler]

My friend lives in Harpenden (in v nice house by the golf course), and theres no plane noise at all.

[GoblersKnob]

I have friends in Harpenden (which is vair nice btw) have spent many a summer day sitting in their garden and don't recall ever hearing a plane.

[suburbandweller]

I've been inspired to change from long-time lurker to registered mnetter by your post OP! Am a Harpenden dweller and highly recommend it if you can stomach the commute (thameslink line, currently under FCC franchise, can be incredibly bad). Harpenden is a fab place to bring up young children with lots of green spaces and has outstanding state schools at primary and secondary level.

No plane noise issues in Harpenden except possibly in the outskirts (e.g. Kinsbourne Green). If you stick to central areas (including around the commons, poets area, avenues) you'll be fine - all within easy walk of station.

Choice is really down to whether you want to stay in a city or move somewhere a bit more leafy, as you say. Harp is big enough to have all the amenities you need but retains a village feel.

[LittleFrieda]

Harpenden has:
Indoor swimming pool
Outdoor swimming pool in the summer
Council gym overlooking the beautiful Rothamsted Park
Skate Park
Various children's play parks
The beautiful common
Two very active family friendly tennis clubs
Very active junior and senior cricket, hockey, rugby, golf and football clubs
Lots of independent shops as well as Boots, Waitrose, M&S food, Sainsbo's
Brilliant schools - really, really really brilliant schools.
An excellent stock of family houses (though not cheap)
The Nickey Line for lovely family walks and cycle rides (you can go miles and miles in open countryside)
A lovely farmer's market once a month
Musicale (a centre for music making - my children have music lessons there)
A really proper community feel
VERY polite, cultured and civilised residents
Nice places to eat and drink on the high street
You can still go into London to the theatre or to meet friends for the evening
And best of all it is very very friendly

[Longdistance]

The planes fly over my house in Luton.....but I've rented it out, and now live in Oz :)
I used 2 shop in Harpenden, and can definately say, there is NO plane noise there. I love Harpenden, it has some lovely little shops, and an Italian, Pasta Cibo, which is just lovely (they have one in St.Albans 2). St. Albans is a lot busier than Harpenden, but Redbournes lovely 2. Lots of famous ppl live there, and around Harpenden.

[juneau]

I live in St Albans and I've never been aware of plane noise. My mate lives in Harpenden and there's no plane noise where she lives on the south side of town. The planes are still quite high when they come over here (and they do come over - you can see them), but they're not low enough to be a nuisance.

I would say that St Albans is better if you're urban people who like the buzz of being in a decent-sized town. Harpenden is posher, quieter and has a far less diverse population, but it's probably a 'nicer' place to live IYSWIM. Depends what you're looking for - both have good schools - but yes move close to your chosen schools if you want to be sure of getting a place.

[ChocolateHegg]

Wow, thanks for replying everyone.

I've shown this thread to DH and it's swung him in favour of Harpenden. Were it not for the planes, I think Harpenden would suit us very well. We are going to go up to inspect but I am very encouraged to hear that plane noise isn't problematic for any of you.

The schools thing makes my head spin - my eldest is just 2, so I haven't had to get my head around all of the intricacies yet. I have two boys - are there boys schools (and localities) I should be be paying particular attention to?

[tumblebug]

I grew up in Harpenden, parents still there. Occasionally aware of planes when out in the garden, but they are still quite high so certainly not obtrusive, don't bother us at all. The other background noise is the M1 - can hear a vague hum when the wind is in the wrong direction (if you listen carefully), but again really not a problem where they live, don't know if it is worse in other areas. Harpenden seems like a great place to bring up kids, although a bit dull as a young adult!

I don't know much about schools I'm afraid - I believe they've changed a bit since I was at school although many still very good according to DM.

[LittleFrieda]

ChocolateHegg - Good choice. Please feel free to PM me if you need any help with anything (I live in Harpenden and have 2 children at Harpenden primary schools and 1 at a Harp Snr school).

[bronze]

Grew up in Harpenden parents still live there.
Only every noticed a plane going over at 9.30 and even then not every night.


Wondering who I might know off this thread

[bronze]

Actually I lie they don't live there at the moment but still have their house there

[suburbandweller]

Hi again Chocolate, you asked about boys' schools. Aldwickbury is the private boys' school in Harpenden from pre-prep to prep level; after that you have to send them further afield. I used to take DS (15 months) to swimming lessons there and the facilities and grounds are fantastic. They have an open day in September which you have to attend to put your DS' names down on the waiting list but you can order a prospectus from their website. There is also a mixed private school in Markyate which i hear is very good.

One of the reasons that Harpenden is so expensive though is the high quality of the state schools - primary and secondary. You might want to factor proximity to primary schools into any house hunting you do if you decide to go down that route, the sibling rule means that a lot of places are filled up each year and distance from the school comes next on the list (or so I hear from friends who are waiting to hear about places!).

HTH

[JasperJohns]

I think Harpenden is much, much nicer than St Albans. It doesn't really have any ropey bits, St Albans has loads.

I too wonder who I might know on here

[FelicityKendalmintcake]

Had a friend who moved from her very posh house in Harpenden because the vibrations from the trains became more and more noticable (this was 20 odd years ago) Perhaps be aware of this when house-hunting.

[SkiBumMum]

Another vote for Hatpers here too. PM me too if you'd like. I've never noticed plane noise at all.

The schools are all good but last year some were oversubscribed so some didn't get first choice. Central Harpenden (station Rd belt) was worst affected.

[MrsJohnDeere]

I've never noticed aircraft noise in St A or Harpenden, and I have no tolerance for noise! St A is much nicer than Harpenden IMHO. Harpenden ticks all the boxes on paper but does nothing for me at all.

Worth looking into the proposals for the expansion of Luton Airport. would that affect Harpenden several years down the line? Unlikely to affect St A, although the latter has the on/off rail fight depot issue (which was a factor in us moving away from there a few years ago).

[southeastastra]

i was in luton yesterday and the easy jet plane coming in to land wasn't noisy at all

[invicta]

I also grew up in Harpenden... I don't remember the plane noise. However, I know people who live in Studham, and during summer months there are a lot of planes going over.

(I was at Roundwood during the 80s)

[bronze]

I'm a st gs girl left fifteen years ago

[newgirl]

There is a lot of chat in the Herts Advertiser about plane noise about to get worse in Harpenden so maybe do a search for that and see if that concerns you. Luton is trying to expand although locals are fighting against it.

I prefer St A as it seems a bit funkier to me - more people in their 20s, 30s, 40s. Harpenden seems to be full of old ladies boutiques. We moved out to St A from Richmond and would not have been comfortable in Harpenden at that stage of our lives but it is completely a personal choice. When the train pulls in to St A you can spot who is left on the train going to Harpenden as they are a lot older! The schools in both areas are very oversubscribed so really do your homework. Catchments were down to about 100m for the most popular st a primary schools two years ago but a new school is opening so it should get better.