While a number of pictures survive of  the farmhouse at Heath Farm I had thought that there were none of the extensive farm buildings until I looked at a series of photographs of a meet of the Aldenham Harriers (including an account and even more pictures of this meet) in March 1911. To locate these photographs I reproduce the relevant part of the 1897 OS map of the area. The pictures of the hounds are taken in the Home Meadow (the field where the word "Urban" occurs). The drive became the road Spencer Gate.

 

 

The hounds are between the diagonal footpath that ran across the Home Meadow and the garden associated with the farm house is behind the wall. (Although the field was built over in the 1920s and Heath Farm was demolished in the 1960s, the wall was still acting as a boundary in about 2000, and is almost certainly still there still there.)

 

 

This shows Heath Farm and the southern corner of the farm buildings. The trees are at the southern end of a row of lime trees said, in the family, to have been planted by Jacob Reynolds. When the farm was demolished and the small housing estate was called "The Limes." The wall in front of the house is lower, and the gateway links the farm yard with the path that ran across the home meadow to the top of St Peter's Street, St Albans.

 

 

 

This show Harry Finch Reynolds, Huntsman of the Aldenham Harriers 1912-1914, with Heath Farm buildings in the background, partly hidden by the row of lime trees. The low hedge marks the lane (later Spencer Gate) linking the farm to Sandridge Road.

 

 

This is taken by the open gate in the corner of Home Meadow opening onto the drive immediately adjacent to the entry to the farm yard. It shows the wall, the lime trees, and part of the southernmost barn.

 

 

The entrance to the farm yard at Heath Farm, taken by someone standing at the gateway in the previous picture. It looks between the two large south eastern barns and one gets a frustrating glimpse of the barns on the north eastern side of the farmyard.

 

 

The map shows that the farm drive turns right into an open area as it reaches the farmyard, and this is almost certainly taken in this area looking north, just showing the corner of the main farmyard buildings - with the mere hint of the separate buildings beyond (under the horse's tail). The rider may be the Master of the Hounds, Mr Birkbeck Ravenscroft, a retired banker who lived at The Noke, St Albans.

 

 

This house is Calverton, home of the Huntsman, Harry Finch Reynolds. It had been built by Harry about ten years earlier at the south end of the Home Meadow, at the head of St Peter's Street, St Albans. The name plate reads "Mr . H. F. Reynolds, M.R.C.V.S., Veterinary Surgeon."

 

July 2013		Page Created
June 2014		Jim's pictures added