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Original poster

Moving to St.Albans

17 replies

Lavender27 · 02/09/2011 16:23

We are looking to move to St.albans. I wanted some advice on are areas to look to buy a house. I have 2 boys ... one is in year 1..so need a good school around.
What are the areas to avoid?

OP posts:
Nailitorelse · 03/09/2011 06:50

It's all relative of course, but I would avoid Marshalswick like the plague (and the local comprehensive), and perhaps look in the villages around St.Albans like Wheathamstead (or even Harpenden) as they can be lovely rural spots, but somewhat more expensive :(.

chocaholic73 · 03/09/2011 16:22

Nailitorelse - um why? Sandringham (the local comp) has an outstanding Ofsted and a very good reputation nowadays. The Marshalswick primaries are all pretty good too from what i've heard. As a whole, Marshalswick is a nice area with a nice parade of shops as well. Wouldn't recommend going for the villages because you will have a problem getting into a secondary school from there.

GreatGooglyMoogly · 06/09/2011 10:35

I would avoid the New Greens area (between Batchwood Drive and Harpenden Rd) as it seems to have problems with kids burning cars and similar incidents, otherwise it depends on what you are avoiding! Generally St Albans doesn't have bad areas but some areas are better for secondary schools, train station, shops, large houses, etc. Personally, I like the Bernards Heath area (Sandridge Rd, Lancaster Rd and surrounds) as it is walkable to town (shops), train station and Sandringham secondary school for when your children are a bit older and it has some good-sized houses. Bernards Heath Junior school (Y3-6) has an oustanding Ofsted and the Infant school is very good as well. I also disagree with Nailitorelse re: Marshalswick and the villages. HTH.

Original poster
Lavender27 · 06/09/2011 11:52

thanx guys, we r going to st.albans this weekend and drive thru areas suggested by all of u...we are also considering potters bar..lets see ..

OP posts:
PaulaMummyKnowsBest · 06/09/2011 20:07

I live to the south of the town centre in St Stephens and it is lovely. There are good primary schools within walking distance and a good secondary school, also a walk away. From here you can walk into town (through a beautiful park if you like to!). Waitrose is only a short walk too (if you like their food)

Marshalswick is a fairly nice area but I second that New Greens isn't the greatest of places to live.

nbee84 · 06/09/2011 20:18

Marshalswick is actually quite a sought after area - the primary schools (there are several) and Sandringham for seniors are fantastic schools. 'The Park' and 'Marshals Drive' are two of the most sought after roads (need a healthy budget Grin) in St Albans and they are in Marshalswick.

St Stephens and Chiswell Green are both lovely too. I'd avoid Fleetville, New Greens, the Cottonmill estate and London Colney.

redcarpet · 06/09/2011 21:56

Thought Fleetville was on the tick boxes with a very good school. Might be wrong.

edoli · 06/09/2011 22:03

Fleetville does tick the boxes with an outstanding school.

getawiggleon · 07/09/2011 00:34

Watching this thread with interest as we are planning on moving to St Albans too. Nbee what do you mean by the cottonmill estate, whereabouts is that?

Himalaya · 07/09/2011 01:03

Wondering if Nailtorelse was joking trying to put you off (sarcastically...) as in don't move to marshalwick and add pressure to the already over subscribed local comp, move to the villages where you are unlikely to get asecondary school place in St Albans at all ... Hmm

There are no terrible areas of St A to avoid - depends if you want to be near the Station, somewhere very suburban and quiet or somewhere a bit more lively.

Fleetville, Bernards Heath, Clarence Park, Marshalswick are all nice neighbourhoods with shops & parks. Highfield and Jersey Farm are newer private estates - a bit legoland but popular.

Places you will be told to avoid are buying/renting an ex-council house on one of the big low rise estates (Dellfields, cottonmill, new greens). If that's not for you then don't go there ... But some of St Albans less popular primary schools are unrecognised gems - Camp, Mandeville, Windernere.

nbee84 · 07/09/2011 19:25

Cottonmill estate is at the bottom of Holywell Hill behind Sainsbury's and before you get to St Stepen's. Is the highest crime rate area of St Albans and like New Greens is a council/ex council estate.

Pawsnclaws · 07/09/2011 20:55

I used to live in the town centre (conservation area) - was lovely to be so near the lovely pubs and restaurants, but my word the parking ....!

We moved out a little when we had the dcs and are now around Sandpit Lane/Homewood Road - I guess you'd call that the edge of Marshalswick. We've been there now for nearly 10 years (plus 6 in the town) and love it. I always feel safe - I run for hours around every area of St Albans often at night and have never felt threatened or unsafe.

Some areas are more pricey than others, often driven by proximity to the station or the more popular schools. We would love to move to a bigger house within half a mile or so of our current home but sadly we don't have the 400k+ required for one extra bedroom and a bigger garden - the one downside of living here.

chuckeyegg · 07/09/2011 23:28

I live in New Greens and never witness any trouble and we have a nice house and spacious garden.

Original poster
Lavender27 · 18/09/2011 20:00

Thank you all for your comments. We also spend some weekends at St Albans and think we like the area enough to make a decision. Now i have try get information on changing schools and start looking at properties.

OP posts:
Original poster
Lavender27 · 21/09/2011 22:35

Any info on changing school in midterm?

OP posts:
QueenofHerts · 23/09/2011 12:27

Lavender27 - for changing schools go on the Herts county council website, there is all the information there for download regarding admissions and changing schools (in year admission)

Though I can't say new Greens or Cottonmill would be top of my places to live, I do have friends who live in both and cant say I'd witnessed any burning cars or gangs of feral youths Hmm. Apparently fraud is the most common crime committed in St albans ....

Jodee89 · 13/10/2014 01:18

Hello I currently live in fleet vile but may be moving to the cotton mill area just off creighton av. The area seems so quiet which I'm not really used to also the road backs onto a leafy alleyway which behind it looks like a caravan or some kind of shalet/mobile home site. (What is this?) As I have a young daughter I just want to know if it's safe, I'm not bothered about it looking pretty! The place has a beautiful huge garden too! Just feeling paranoid about the whole thing as I've always lived in busy areas and it seems very quiet, dark etc

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