A rural idyll close to Harpenden and Wheathampstead, this leafy Hertfordshire hamlet is home to the best house in the St Albans area (according to TV's The Best House in Town).
With its large homes and very rural setting, Gustard Wood may feel like it’s in the middle of nowhere, but it’s actually within seven miles of Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield and St Albans.
Harpenden is closer still, with just four miles dividing the hamlet from its larger neighbour and its train station with fast rail links into London.
St Peter’s Church
The church was opened in 1910 as an outlying daughter church in the parish of Wheathampstead, serving the growing communities of Gustard Wood and Blackmore End. The cost of the building was provided by Mrs Laura Pearce of Tunbridge Wells in memory of her late husband, a former vicar of Ayot St Lawrence. In the 100 years since, St Peter’s has become a much loved landmark and place of Christian worship, and has enriched the work of St Helen’s, its parent church, in the process.
Amenities and leisure
By the end of the 19th century it was agreed by landowners that Gustard Wood Common and its neighbouring forest would be converted into a golf course.
Nine holes were ready for play by 1893, and the famous golfer and course designer James Braid later developed it into an 18-hole course. Today the Mid-Herts Golf Club is one of the oldest English golf courses, and is well known for being unusual and challenging.
The Cross Keys on Ballslough Lane is a traditional 17th century pub with exposed beams, inglenook fireplace and a quirky, higgledy-piggledy structure.
The child-friendly pub accommodates many local walkers, rambler groups and cyclists who pop in for a spot of lunch. A bed and breakfast service is also available.
If you’re looking for something more cultural, the historic villages of Kimpton, Whitwell, Knebworth and Ayot St Lawrence surround Gustard Wood, with tales of historic figures, drama, scandal, deception and love to be found around every corner.
The previous home of playwright and author, George Bernard Shaw, known as Shaw’s Corner, is just two miles away and will provide the whole family with a delicious dose of literary history.
History
Gustard Wood is home to many fond historical accolades. For example, during WWI the largest of the auxiliary hospitals was built in Blackmore End, providing care and recovery for the injured with over 214 available beds. Many locals and supporters from further afield kept the hospital running with their donations.
Property
Living in this peaceful idyll isn't cheap: there are only a handful of homes currently for sale in the Gustard Wood, all of them priced in excess of £1m. They include a five-bed detached house on Brownfield Way for £1,695,000 and a four-bed semi on Kimpton Road for £1,150,000.
Schools
The closest schools are in Harpenden and the neighbouring villages. They include Kimpton Primary School (which requires improvement, according to its most recent Ofsted ranking), Sauncey Wood in Harpenden and St Helen's in Wheathampstead (both 'good'). Secondary options include the new Katherine Warington School in Harpenden.
As seen on TV
One homeowner put Gustard Wood on the map in 2019 when her property won the St Albans episodes of TV's The Best House in Town. Chrissie Adams spent two years transforming her 1970s detached house into a striking modern home, which triumphed against stiff competition in the BBC1 show.
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