212 
ST. ALBANS AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD. 
“ swallow-holes ” which usually take and convey into the Chalk 
all the water in the higher part of the Colne, and extend from 
South Minims to Potterells Park, are just outside our area, 
a short distance north-east of this road. 
(5) The road to Elstree is the Watling Street, which formerly 
ran into the Dunstable Eoad between Bow Bridge and the 
Pondyards, taking a nearly straight course from St. Stephen’s 
Church and past St. Michael’s Church to that point. Now its 
London section starts at St. Stephen’s, crosses the Yer at Park 
Street and the Colne near Colney Street, and runs through 
Eadlett, taking a straight line throughout in a south-south¬ 
easterly direction, except where it deviates slightly at Park 
Street to avoid crossing the Yer more than once. 
(6) The Watford road descends Holywell Hill, at the top of 
which the Cathedral is seen on the right, while near the bottom 
on the left is the site of the Holy Well. It then crosses the 
Yer and ascends St. Stephen’s Hill to where the Watling Street 
branches off, thence taking a south-south-westerly direction. 
In about three miles Blackboy Wood is seen on the left; beyond 
it is Bricket Wood and its Common, otherwise called Bricket 
Wood Scrubs. On the right, distant about two miles from the 
road, lie Bedmond and Abbot’s Langley, and the road leaves 
our area a little beyond Garston, where Leavesden Church is 
situated, more than a mile from the village. 
(7) The road to Hemel Hempstead crosses the Yer at 
Kingsbury, passes St. Michael’s Church and the entrance gates 
to Gorhambury Park, proceeds up Blue House Hill where it 
crosses the remains of the western wall of Yerulam, and passes 
Prse Wood in which is the reservoir (marked “ Camp ” on the 
Ordnance maps) made by Sir Nicholas Bacon to supply Old 
Gorhambury House with water. The water sometimes failing, 
Francis Bacon built Yerulam House near the Yer at Bow 
Bridge as a summer residence, and constructed the “ pond- 
yards ” there. 
(8) The road to Eedbourn, better known as the Dunstable 
Eoad, starts from High Street, and follows very nearly the 
course of the Yer. For the first mile and a quarter, just across 
the river on the south-west, is the site of the old Eoman city 
of Yerulam with portions of the walls remaining here and 
there, and St. Michael’s Church nearly in its centre. Gorham - 
bury Park is then seen on the left, and in two miles, from Bow 
Bridge where the Yer is crossed, the road takes the route of 
Watling Street. It leaves our area just beyond Eedbourn, 
near which is the ancient British earthwork known as Aubrey 
Camp or the Aubreys. 
It thus appears that the neighbourhood of St. Albans will 
well repay investigation. Go in whichever direction we may 
there is something of interest to be seen, chiefly relating to the 
past, from the ancient Britons and the Eoman occupation to 
the comparatively recent times of moated manor-houses, or 
