Area Guide: Exploring the Herts village of Sandridge

A Hertfordshire hotspot, Sandridge is centred around a number of amenities, including three pubs, a church and a shop - which are all located on and around the junction of High Street and House Lane.

This area of the village has a solidly rural feel, which is even more apparent in Sandridgebury Lane - with farmland and a scout hut located just off the narrow road.

The Green Man in Sandridge (Image: Danny Loo)

Amenities 

The village hall serves as a community hub for the villagers, while neighbouring Spencer Hall and its recreation ground forms the centre of sporting activities.

Darby's village store offers a place to buy a newspaper, drink or a snack, and the area is home to three popular pubs: gastro pub The Rose and Crown, The Green Man and The Queen's Head - with the first two situated in High Street and the latter in Church Road.

Green space 

Residents and visitors to Sandridge are spoiled for choice when it comes to green space.

In 2008 the Woodland Trust announced plans to create a new forest north of Sandridge, and Heartwood Forest was born.

The 858 acres of former farmland now form the largest continuous area of new native woodland in England.

Since it was formed, volunteers have planted more than 600,000 trees at Heartwood. The site features beautiful bluebells in spring, and visitors are encouraged to explore on bike, foot or horseback.

Jersey Farm Woodland Park provides a further 55 acres of lush greenery, along with a wildflower meadow and more. It also connects the village to neighbouring Marshalswick and Jersey Farm.

Between Sandridge and Wheathampstead is the famous Nomansland Common, which was named after a 15th century dispute between the abbeys of Westminster and St Albans.

There are also a couple of playgrounds in the village, which are ideal for under-12s. One is located behind St Leonard's Church and another is by the village hall.

The Rose and Crown pub (Image: Roger Protz)

History 

Sandridge's first earliest recorded mention was in 796, when the parish was part of the revenue of the Mercian kings.

Back then it was referred to as 'Saundruage', which means a place of sandy oil serviced by bond tenants.

The settlement was later mentioned in the Domesday Book. In 1086 it had a population of 29 households, placing it among the largest 40 per cent of settlements recorded at the time.

In 2014, the historic St Leonard's Church celebrated 900 years since its consecration. However some parts of the church are even older - dating back to 796 - while the main structure we see today was built in 1114.

In more recent history, a secret wireless intercept station was constructed at the top of Woodcock Hill in 1939.

The station was the first base dedicated to diplomatic interception, with radio operators listening to the wireless traffic between Germany, Italy and Japan, among others.

Messages intercepted at Sandridge were then sent to Bletchley Park for decryption. 

There are also some famous former residents of the village. These include John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough, and his infamous wife Sarah - who was a friend of Queen Anne and was played by Rachel Weisz in the 2018 film The Favourite.

Aside from these royal connections, another of the village's famous former residents is Dappy from Brit hip hop/pop group N-Dubz. 

St Leonard's Church (Image: Newsquest)

Property 

Although still far from cheap, Sandridge properties are nonetheless a little more affordable than those in neighbouring St Albans. 

Currently on the market are a five-bedroom semi-detached house at Langley Grove for £900,000 and a four-bedroom detached house at St Albans Road for £1.3m. 

Schools 

Sandridge School is a one-form entry primary school situated in spacious grounds on Woodcock Hill, and was rated 'good' at its last Ofsted inspection.

The school has a nursery class, breakfast and after-school clubs, as well as forest school activities and a purpose-built music studio.

Nearby secondary schools include Sandringham and St Albans Girls' School (STAGS), which are both rated 'outstanding'. 

This area guide is sponsored by Frost's, who have offices in St Albans, Marshalswick, Wheathampstead and Harpenden (www.frosts.co.uk/branches) (Image: Frost's)