Although considered by some to be a part of Harpenden, the hamlet of Kinsbourne Green is very much a place in its own right. We found out more...

Herts Advertiser: Kinsbourne Green Lane near the common

Kinsbourne's mix of amenities includes a post office and a dentist, while the area also benefits from proximity to Harpenden's shops, bars and restaurants.

The hamlet is a handy spot for commuters, with easy access to the M1 and Harpenden train station. 

Residents also enjoy the Common, which is a green space popular with joggers and dog walkers alike.

Kinsbourne Green has an ever-evolving streetscape. For example Charlie's Chinese restaurant, once a Luton Road landmark, was demolished in 2016 to make way for six new homes.

That same year, Highlands on Annables Lane was sold - the most expensive home sold in Hertfordshire in 2016.

After changing hands for £5,125,000, the home was promptly demolished, with a new property built in its place.

Herts Advertiser: A period property at Kinsbourne Green

Homes currently on the market in the local area include a four-bed detached house on Derwent Road for £1,099,950 and a six-bedroom detached Victorian property for £2,000,000 

Church 

St Mary's was built as a combined church and school in 1869. The school closed in 1955, but the church remains at the heart of the Kinsbourne Green community.

Kinsbourne Common Hall, which flanks St Mary's, is popular with parents as a children's party venue.

There used to be a methodist church in Kinsbourne Green, but it was closed in 2002 due to declining numbers.

The church was sold to developers in 2003, and houses were then built on the site.

Schools 

Kinsbourne Green is close to some of Harpenden’s most popular – and over-subscribed – state schools.

Primary pupils can attend Wood End (rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted) or Roundwood (rated 'good') - while Roundwood Park (rated 'outstanding') is the closest secondary school.

Herts Advertiser: Roundwood schools

Pubs 

There used to be four pubs in Kinsbourne Green, but now only The Fox remains. 

The Whip is now a house known as Whip Cottage, The First and Last was demolished in 1974, and Charlie's - originally known as The Harrow - went the same way.

The Fox, previously known as The Smyth Arms, is a popular, family-friendly gastropub with a modern British/Mediterranean menu. 

For many years the pub was adjacent to a butcher's shop - also a meeting place for the hounds of the Hertfordshire Hunt, who were based at the nearby kennels.

The Whip was built in 1780 as a house for the landseer (head gardener) of the Luton Hoo Estate. From around 1840 it was sold to a hat-making company in Luton, becoming a pub in around 1900.

During WWI the pub also ran a small grocery store.

Farm life 

Annables Farm in Kinsbourne Green is home to The Farmschool, an educational charity which was established in 2014 to help children and young people reconnect with food, farming and the environment.

The venue, located in Annables Lane, is also available for corporate hire.

As Christmas approaches, Littlefield Farm is a good place for people to find their perfect tree, providing Christmas trees to people in the surrounding area for decades.

The area was home to a poultry farm - Leylands Chicken Farm - from 1936. It was renamed Kinsbourne Poultry Farm by 1952, and left the area in around 1964.

Herts Advertiser: Kinsbourne Green at Sunset

The Turner’s Hall fire 

One of the most dramatic and controversial events in the hamlet took place on the night of November 4, 1826, when a fire broke out in the lamb house at Turner's Hall Barn, later spreading to the stable and barn.

The fire consumed the stables, the barn - which was full of corn - and the majority of the livestock.

While all the occupants of the farm grounds were distracted, a band of gypsies from the nearby heath is said to have looted the manor house.

According to local legend, they stole the most valuable contents - including jewellery and furniture - and even looted the wine cellar.