Area Guide: The ever popular Fleetville area of St Albans

Hugely popular with families on account of its excellent schools, the Fleetville area to the east of St Albans is much sought after. We found out more about this vibrant part of Hertfordshire.

It's easy to see why London incomers feel drawn to Fleetville. The area, which begins a short stroll down Hatfield Road from City station, feels more like the capital than any other part of St Albans, with its rows of period homes and relatively diverse community mix.

Fleetville has a couple of mosques sitting alongside its Methodist and C of E churches and its grocery shopping options are similarly varied, with the Asian Food Store and Al Barka Mini Market offering foods that aren't available elsewhere in St Albans.

There's also a large Morrisons supermarket and a well stocked Tesco Express, as well as a post office, many barbers and hairdressers, a florist, an optician, a bakers and a handful of charity shops, among many other amenities.

Housing

Fleetville is made up of a mix of housing, mostly terraced and semi-detached homes with gardens, many of which are Victorian or Edwardian. Parking can sometimes be tricky.

From the semi-detached and terraced houses on the likes of Glenferrie and Sandfield Roads, to the large detached properties found on Beaumont Avenue, there's no shortage of family homes on offer, but they tend not to be cheap.

Properties currently on the market in Fleetville include a four-bed fixer-upper on Salisbury Avenue for £1.2 million and a one-bed flat on Hatfield Road for £270,000.

Transport links

St Albans' main City station isn't far away, but those living on or east of Ashley Road may prefer to cycle in as walking to the station could still take up to half an hour.

The M25, the M1 and A1(M) are very close by, meaning easy driving north and south. There are also frequent bus services along Hatfield Road and the nearby Alban Way is popular with cyclists and joggers.

Schools

Fleetville Infant and Nursery School and Fleetville Junior School were both rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted at their last inspections.

The large, three-form entry schools are located off opposite sides of Hatfield Road, within a short walk of one another.

Many of the Junior School's pupils progress to the ever-popular - and also 'outstanding' - Beaumont School, though its catchment is now so tight that anyone living more than a kilometre away would consider themselves lucky to get a place.

Verulam School ('good) is a boys' secondary specialising in maths, science and technology. A small number of girls attend in the sixth form, as part of the BeauSandVer consortium with Beaumont and Sandringham schools.

Eating and drinking

With so many pubs and restaurants along Hatfield Road, a night out needn't mean a trip into town.

The Rats Castle is popular among locals who appreciate its strong games tradition - darts and backgammon are still played - and its refusal to be gentrified.

The Crown appeals to a wider mix of clientele, with its Sunday roasts, craft beers and weekend breakfasts.

Oasis Mediterranean restaurant continues to do well, while Nonno's Italian and Souvlaki City Greek restaurant have provided a couple of popular new dining options. The Fleetville Larder and Aymi café mean locals also have a couple of lovely places to grab a cuppa and a bite to eat.