St Albans' Own East End is an exploration of the eastern
districts of the city and how they were developed differently from the
north, west and south.
The unique mix of land ownership, the role of brewer Thomas Kinder and his
family, and a commercial decision by city councillor, Horace Slade, all
enabled a huge swathe of rural land to become, over time, vibrant
communities that have contributed much to the economy and culture of St
The location of the Midland railway promoted nearby commuter housing and
generated developments such as the Cavendish estate and the Clarence Park
area around what locals have come to know as The Crown.
The triple developments of the Fleet settlement, the Slade building estate,
and Earl Spencer's north Fleetville, together with Camp on the south side of
the former branch railway, are all fully documented; as are the consequences
arising from the sales of Beaumonts farm, Oaklands House and Marshals Wick
House. It reaches out still further to rural Smallford, Wilkins Green, Nast
Hyde, Tyttenhanger and other hamlets.
The book also takes an inquisitive look at where the families and
individuals who made up the early Fleetville and Camp moved from and ponders
the reasons for their change of location.