The family-friendly area of Fleetville in St Albans is popular with locals for its vibrant high street and sought-after state schools. We found out more about the area...
New arrivals who move from London to St Albans are frequently drawn to Fleetville due to its cosmopolitan mix of shops and restaurants.
The area is well-situated, with St Albans City Station just a short stroll away down Hatfield Road. Along with the rows of period homes and relatively diverse community, this adds up to make Fleetville feel more like the capital than any other part of St Albans.
Fleetville has a thriving religious community, with a couple of mosques alongside Methodist and C of E churches - including St Paul's Church.
The area's grocery shopping options are similarly varied, with the Asian Food Store and Al Barka Mini Market offering foods which are not available elsewhere in St Albans.
Groceries are also available from the large Morrisons supermarket and the well-stocked Tesco Express, and Hatfield Road also has a post office, barbers and hairdressers, a florist, a vet, an optician, a bakers, a handful of charity shops and other amenities.
History
Fleetville is a former manufacturing hub, and was home to Ballito, which made stockings, and Nicholson & Co, which made raincoats.
The Beaumont Works building on Sutton Road was built to manufacture AJ Nicholson's raincoats, while the houses on neighbouring Hedley Road were constructed to provide homes for the tailors who worked for him.
Now the former factory has been converted into flats, and is known as Beaumont Gardens.
Housing
Fleetville is made up of a mixture of housing, comprised of mostly terraced and semi-detached homes - many of which are Victorian or Edwardian. Parking in the area can sometimes be tricky.
There's no shortage of family homes on offer, from the cosy terraced houses on Albion Road to the large, detached properties on Woodstock Road North, but they don't tend to come cheap.
Properties currently on the market in Fleetville include a four-bedroom end of terrace at Harlesden Road for £895,000 and a three-bedroom terrace at Eaton Road for £750,000.
Green space
Fleetville is near to Clarence Park, which is a popular sporting venue for football and cricket and offers beautiful green space, a café and restaurant and a children's play area.
There is also Longacres Park near Ashley Road, which also offers a children's playground and a toddler area.
Transport links
Fleetville is near to St Albans City Station, but people living on or east of Ashley Road may prefer to cycle, as walking to the station could still take half an hour.
The M25, the M1 and the A1(M) are close by, making it easy to drive north of south from Fleetville, and there are frequent bus services along Hatfield Road.
The nearby Alban Way is also a popular route for walkers, joggers and cyclists.
Schools
The main schools in the area are Fleetville Infant and Nursery School and Fleetville Junior School, which were both rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted at their most recent inspections.
The large, three-form entry schools are located within a short walk of each other on opposite sides of Hatfield Road, along with Fleetville Nursery and playgroup.
There's also St Alban & St Stephen Catholic Primary School and Nursery, which is rated 'good' by Ofsted.
Many pupils progress from junior school to the popular - and also 'outstanding' rated - Beaumont School, while Verulam School, rated 'good', is a decent alternative for boys.
Verulam is part of the BeauSandVer consortium with Beaumont and Sandringham schools, so a small number of girls attend Verulam in the sixth form.
Another option for Fleetville children is Samuel Ryder Academy (rated 'good'), an all-through school which takes children from four to 19.
Eating and drinking
Hatfield Road is home to many pubs and restaurants, which provide an alternative to a trip into the town centre.
Among the pubs is the popular Rats Castle, which has a strong games tradition - including its own darts team - and refuses to be gentrified.
The Crown appeals to a wider mix of clientele, and has Sunday roasts, quizzes and craft beers.
Restaurants in the area include Oasis Mediterranean, Nonno's Italian and Souvlaki City Greek Restaurant.
There are also popular cafés including the Fleetville Larder and Viento, which provide good options for a cup of tea or coffee and a bite to eat.
Meanwhile, Room for Dessert offers pudding options ranging from waffles to the extremely popular cookie dough.
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