Park Street, Hertfordshire
Encyclopedia
Park Street is a village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...

 on the outskirts of St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...

, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...

.

Location

Park Street is situated approximately 2½ miles south of St Albans along the Watling Street
Watling Street
Watling Street is the name given to an ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Britons mainly between the modern cities of Canterbury and St Albans. The Romans later paved the route, part of which is identified on the Antonine Itinerary as Iter III: "Item a Londinio ad...

, the old Roman road from London to Chester and Holyhead. It lies south of the A405
A405 road
The A405 is a main five-mile-long dual carriageway road in Hertfordshire. It has, however, been a longer road.-North Orbital Road:As the North Orbital Road, it occupied what is now junctions 17 to 19 of the M25, being one of the first sections of the M25 to open. The section of the M25 from...

 North Orbital Road and on Watling Street. To the south-east is Frogmore and Colney Street, to the south-west and on the other side of the M25
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...

 is Bricket Wood
Bricket Wood
Bricket Wood is a village in the county of Hertfordshire, England, approximately 4½ miles from St Albans. It is part of the parish of St Stephen. Its railway station is served by a London Midland service that runs between St Albans Abbey and Watford Junction stations.Close to the village stands...

, to the west is How Wood
How Wood, Hertfordshire
How Wood is an Area in Park Street situated between the towns of Watford and St Albans in Hertfordshire, England. Although the area was once part of Park Street, as the residential community has expanded, it has gained a reputation as a different area....

 and to the north-west is Chiswell Green
Chiswell Green
Chiswell Green is an area, originally a village, in St Albans, Hertfordshire with a population of approximately 2,800, in the City and District of St Albans.It is situated 2 miles south of St Albans on the North Orbital Road, close to Junction 21A of the M25....

.

To the east and south-east of the village lies the disused Handley Page aerodrome
Aerodrome
An aerodrome, airdrome or airfield is a term for any location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve cargo, passengers or neither...

. This was being exploited for gravel extraction by Lafarge Aggregates. The land is involved in a local dispute about a Rail Freight Terminal planned to be built on a vast area of land, which includes plans to refresh the village.

The A405, A414
A414 road
The A414 is a major road in England. It runs from the A41 at a junction west of Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire, through the town to junction 8 of the M1 motorway at Buncefield, and running parallel to the M1 until junction 7, heading south of St Albans, east through Hatfield, Hertford, then...

, A5183
A5183 road
The A5183 road is a de-trunked section of the A5. It covers the section between Junction 9 of the M1 motorway and Edgware in north London, largely along Watling Street...

 (formerly A5, Watling Street) and the former M10 motorway (now numbered as part of the A414 as of 1 May 2009), join at Park Street Roundabout. This was featured for many years in the road signs section of the Highway Code
Highway Code
The Highway Code is the official road user guide for Great Britain. In Northern Ireland the applies while the Republic of Ireland has its own Rules of the Road. It contains 306 numbered rules and 9 annexes covering pedestrians, animals, cyclists, motorcyclists and drivers...

.

Railway station

Park Street railway station
Park Street railway station
Park Street railway station serves the village of Park Street in Hertfordshire, England. It is the penultimate station on the Abbey Line. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by London Midland.-History:...

 is the first station after St Albans Abbey
St Albans Abbey railway station
St Albans Abbey railway station serves the city of St Albans, in Hertfordshire, England, being situated about 1 km south of the city centre in the St Stephen's area of the city. It is the terminus of the Abbey Line from Watford Junction, which is part of the London Midland franchise...

 on the St Albans Branch Line
St Albans Branch Line
The Abbey Line is a railway line from Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey railway station. The route passes through town and countryside...

. The train service on this line is known locally as the 'Abbey Flyer'. The railway was built in 1858 as a branch line from the London & Birmingham Railway, and Park Street station has been on its current site since 1890. Before being moved to its current position, on Watling Street, it was situated just near Hyde Lane off Park Street Lane, near the current How Wood station
How Wood (Hertfordshire) railway station
How Wood is a railway station in the village of How Wood, Hertfordshire, England.It is the fourth station on the Abbey Line 7 km after leaving Watford Junction. Like all the other stations on the branch , How Wood is a simple unstaffed halt...

.

There was another railway line, built in 1866, which linked the above London and North Western Railway branch line to St Albans, to the newly constructed Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....

's main line from Bedford to St Pancras, at Napsbury
Napsbury
Napsbury is a residential area to the West of London Colney in the district of St. Albans in Hertfordshire. It was formerly the site of a major psychiatric hospital.-Early history:...

. It was not a passenger line, just a goods line; it was not in use for very long and was closed by 1910. This line was called the Park Street Branch and was operated by the Midland Railway. Beyond the bridge over the River Ver this line crossed what became the Handley Page aircraft factory runway. This runway was in use until the mid 1960s for the maintenance and testing of the V bomber fleet.

The bridge over the road near Sycamore Drive was demolished around 1948 after being damaged by a giant propellor being delivered to the Handley Page aircraft works. It is still possible to see some of the bridge brickwork here which is just by 'The Overdraught' pub. The Railway Bridge over the River Ver
River Ver
The Ver is a river in Hertfordshire, England. The river begins in the grounds of Markyate Cell, and flows south for 12 miles alongside Watling Street through Flamstead, Redbourn, St Albans and Park Street, and joins the River Colne at Bricket Wood....

 at the back of Sycamore Drive still survives, but this is no longer accessible to the public. This bridge is very high compared to the small amount of water that now runs under it.
The bridge over the Recreation Ground path was demolished in the late 1960s.

The metal bridge the carries the Abbey Flyer over the main road, was put in during the 1960s, which replaced the previous brick span bridge.

Schools

Park Street has two primary schools, Park Street Church of England Primary School and How Wood Primary School.

The nearest secondary school is Marlborough School, near the 'King Harry' public house in St Albans.

Public houses

There are just two pubs left in the village: 'The Falcon' and 'The Overdraught'.

There used to be seven other pubs in the Park Street/Frogmore/Colney Street area: 'The Red Lion' closed in 2009, and 'The Swan' closed in 2008. In Frogmore, 'The Red Cow' closed 2001/02, and 'The Lamb' closed in the early 1970s. In Colney Street there used to be three pubs: 'The Black Horse' which was demolished in 2003, 'The George and Dragon' which closed in the early 1990s; and 'The Jolly Farmer', which closed in the 1930s.

'The Overdraught' used to be called 'The White Horse'.

Until the early 1970s, 'The Lamb' was situated opposite the entrance to Handley Page aircraft factory. Once the factory closed the last landlord couldn't make a living and, so legend has it, he and his wife closed the pub, locked themselves in and drank the pub dry before being ordered out by the brewery.

The Falcon is reputed to be on the site of a "Pilgrim's Rest", which was a series of places to house the pilgrims to St Alban's shrine in the 1600s.

Shops

Park Street (excluding How Wood) is quite well served by shops.

As you enter Park Street from the north, from the roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...

 on the A405, there is a BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...

 petrol station which also contains a Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...

 format shop. Further along the road, under the railway bridge and on the left, there used to be a Sub Post-Office. Further along still, past the Mill and near the traffic lights, is a newsagent and convenience store. To the right, in Park Street Lane, is Park Street Guns gunshop.

Other businesses in Park Street include the MOT Test Centre opposite the Gun Shop, Park Street Tyres, which is between 'The Red Lion' pub and Frogmore Homes Park. BT
BT Group
BT Group plc is a global telecommunications services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is one of the largest telecommunications services companies in the world and has operations in more than 170 countries. Through its BT Global Services division it is a major supplier of...

 also have an exchange
Telephone exchange
In the field of telecommunications, a telephone exchange or telephone switch is a system of electronic components that connects telephone calls...

 just opposite this.

Parks

Park Street has three parks: the Recreation Ground on Park Street Lane, Mayflower Road, and Frogmore Lakes, to the south of the village just past the gravel pits, which is popular for fishing.

There also used to be a big park along Burydell Lane, where the allotments now sit, this was in use at least until 1900.

Landmarks

The main landmark in the village is a Mill, which was converted into offices in 1984. During the conversion an old World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 bomb was found in the "Old Smithy's" garden.

There is also a Village Hall, accessed from the A5183. Opened in 1936, it is now in the long slow process of being upgraded. Using volunteer labour and grants a new kitchen has been built with modern appliances including two double ovens and a six burner hob. There is also a disabled toilet with baby changing facilities. The whole of the extension to the south side of the hall is insulated and underfloor heating has been installed. There is also a completely new roof over the main hall incorporating skylights and 180mm thick insulation. This work has been funded by generous individual donations and grants from Lafarge Aggregates, the Herts County Council and the St Stephen Parish Council. Further improvements will take place as time and money permit. Several new grants are now being applied for. This is the local polling station
Polling station
A polling place or polling station is where voters cast their ballots in elections.Since elections generally take place over a one- or two-day span on a periodic basis, often annual or longer, polling places are often located in facilities used for other purposes, such as schools, churches, sports...

.

Next door to Park Street Football Club is a cricket pavilion. There is also a Baptist church, situated on Penn Road, just before you enter the How Wood Estate.

Fairhaven Flats were built in the 1960s; but before the flats were built a double-cavity walled house stood on the site, also called Fairhaven. This was the first double-cavity walled house in the village and was built, lived in and owned by a man called Mr Tansley, who also owned a shop, since turned into offices. The shop was commonly known by the locals as "Duck Yer Nuts", as the doorway was very short and you needed to duck your head to save it from being hit.

Park Street on screen

The James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...

 film Tomorrow Never Dies
Tomorrow Never Dies
Tomorrow Never Dies is the eighteenth spy film in the James Bond series, and the second to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Bruce Feirstein wrote the screenplay, and it was directed by Roger Spottiswoode. It follows Bond as he tries to stop a media mogul from engineering...

is the most famous film associated with Park Street. It was partly filmed at the Film Studios opposite Frogmore Caravan Park on Watling Street.


These studios were later used by a German TV Shopping Channel but they went bankrupt in 2002/2003, and the studios and factories have now been demolished (February 2008) and the site has been developed as housing.
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