Area Guide: The Hertfordshire hamlet of Tyttenhanger

The unusual name Tyttenhanger - or Tydenhangre - was first recorded in 1248, and is thought to mean 'the wooden slope belonging to Tilda'.

Property and history

The Tyttenhanger Park estate is situated between London Colney and Colney Heath, and is across the A414 from Tyttenhanger.

The estate includes the historic Tyttenhanger House, which has Grade II listed stables, a chapel and residential accommodation, all set in 42 acres of parkland.

Tyttenhanger house (Image: Archant)

Henry VIII spent time in the house in 1528, in an attempt to avoid the 'sweating sickness' that was spreading through London.

The estate was owned by the Abbey of St Albans until the Dissolution of the Monasteries. It was then granted by the Crown in 1537 to Sir Thomas Pope, founder of Trinity College, Oxford.

Sir Thomas' family retained ownership of the estate until 1973, when it was converted for use as commercial offices. It was then sold for £4.7 million in 2018.

Another notable building in the area is the Grade II listed Hill End Farm. It is also said that the first steeplechase in England ran through the land which is now known as Highfield Farm.

Currently on the market is a four-bed semi-detached house at Highfield Lane for £1,195,000 and a two-bed apartment also at Highfield Lane for £550,000.

Amenities 

Amenities available in Tyttenhanger include a Spar store, a couple of takeaways, a doctors' surgery and a barbers at the nearby Highfield Shops on Russet Drive.

The area is also home to The Plough - a friendly, unpretentious pub on Tyttenhanger Green.

The Plough pub (Image: Danny Loo)

Transport 

Tyttenhanger is well-situated within easy reach of the M1, M25, A414 and the A1(M) by car.

The nearest train station is a short distance away in St Albans, with fast services available into central London.

Sport and leisure 

The hamlet's local community centre is the Charles Morris Hall, which was named after a previous owner of Highfield Hall who left the funds to build the centre. It is available for hire.

Tyttenhanger has a strong sense of community, with many events organised by the village committee.

These include an annual bonfire and fireworks display, a Christmas party and regular quiz evenings.

Highfield Park is immediately north of the hamlet, and offers 60 acres of green space, including bike paths, boules courts, orchards and a maze.

The area is also popular with bird watchers - as Tyttenhanger Gravel Pits are one of the best places in the county to see a variety of interesting bird species.

These restored gravel pits and the woodland area between London Colney and Colney Heath are recognised by both the RSPB and Herts Bird Club.

The main pit is used to source water to wash the sand and gravel, which is extracted from an active quarry south of Coursers Road.

Gulls, waders, sandpipers, dunlins, ruddy ducks and sand martins can be seen in this area, along with butterflies and dragonflies. The area's fishing lakes are also popular.

Tyttenhanger has two nearby leisure centres which can be easily accessed by residents. One of these is Nuffield Heath in Highfield Park Drive - a members' club with personal trainers, a gym, pools, tennis and squash courts and clubs, physiotherapists and a rehabilitation gym.

A more affordable alternative is the YMCA community gym on Russet Drive. This has two gym areas, a multi-use sports hall, a couple of dance studios, an astro pitch and personal trainers.

Charles Morris Hall (Image: Danny Loo)

Schools 

The nearest primary schools for children living in Tyttenhanger include Windermere and London Colney, both of which are rated 'good' by Ofsted.

Children aged four to 19 are served by Samuel Ryder Academy (also rated 'good'), which is an all-through school in St Albans. 

This area guide is sponsored by Frost's, who have offices in St Albans, Marshalswick, Wheathampstead and Harpenden (Image: Frost's)