Aboyne Lodge

Only the name survives

By Gerard McSweeney

    This is a further contribution to the story of the vanished buildings of St Albans.  

   The first reference so far discovered to the building on the west side of St Peter’s St, later designated ‘Aboyne Lodge’, appears as an abutment mentioned in an abstract of title (1812) referring to a messuage owned by Edward Kenneday (sic).

   St Peter’s parish map (1826) shows it was owned by a Mrs Spickett and occupied by Rev. Dr. William Mogg Bowen, Headmaster, from 1803 to 1845, of the Grammar School (now St Albans School). The parish tithe map (1840) lists Edward Boyes as owner. Rev Bowen remained as tenant and, in the 1851 Census, he was recorded as head of household with his son, daughter-in-law, three grandchildren and two servants.

   In a later (1871) census,the head of household was James Betts, a new owner, who in 1881 is described as a distiller, with wife Laura and three servants in residence. The address was given as 37, St Peter’s St. and the name Aboyne Lodge appears to be documented for the first time, suggesting that the name was given to it by Betts, in view of the well-known connection of the Aboyne district with distilleries.

   In both the above-mentioned maps, as well as that of 1878 (O.S. 1:500), the house seems to have a similar plan and therefore indicates no substantial modification, although an early photograph, taken about 1870, appears to show scaffolding in front of the site. This may suggest some refurbishment by Betts on his acquisition of the property. In 1871 he also bought a substantial piece of land behind the neighbouring properties to the south, made available under the terms of the will of James Peppercorn Snr. This presumably formed part of the orchard obvious in the map. The VCH (1908), rather puzzlingly, describes the building as a “modern brick-built building". 

   James Betts died about 1890 and Mrs Betts remained the occupant until 1912 when the address was given as No. 71. [Kelly’s Directory for 1897 was the first one to record the numbering of St Peter’s St in the modern style of even and odd numbers on opposite sides of the street].

Aboyne Lodge, East front

© Aboyne Lodge School

   According to a booklet compiled by Aboyne Lodge School [kindly made available by the Headmistress, Mrs Abley], the house had long windows, belonging to the drawing-room, on the east side.  It also had, also on the ground floor, a study and a small library, a dining room and a morning room. There were five or six bedrooms, servants’ rooms and three bathrooms [remarkable for the time]. It was therefore one of the large and elegant residential properties which lined St Peter's St in former times. 

   Kelly's Directory for 1914-16 shows Peregrine Lawson as resident.   The publication was resumed in 1922, when the owner was Gerald Wilton Williams, who occupied the house from 1922-38, although the title, Aboyne Lodge, was not mentioned after 1916.   Mr Williams was a keen gardener, growing, apart from other plants, hundreds of roses.  

Mr Williams

   Around 1935, the City Council opened the public gardens on the opposite side of St Peter's Street.  Again quoting the booklet, Mr Williams felt his garden equally attractive, so he used to stand at the gate and invite passers-by to walk around it. It was said that he asked people what sort of flowers were planted in the City Park so that he could equal, if not outdo, the Council. He himself would never cross the road to walk around the City Garden! In 1939 he moved to 2, Townsend Drive, where he died some years later, having taken about 200 of his rose bushes with him.

   The O.S. map of 1924 reveals that the terrace of three houses north of Aboyne Lodge had been demolished. They were replaced by the premises of E.J.G.Bryant, upholsterer, later occupied by the firm of Pamphilon. A City planning document (1938) shows these to have been replaced in turn by a block of offices and shops, extending only as far as the round-headed arched side-entrance to Aboyne Lodge (apparent in the 1:500 map).  

   In 1945 the Education Committee approved the purchase of most of the grounds, including "the orchard of 118 fruit trees". The transfer took place in 1947. At the same time, the buildings on the south side of Adelaide St were transferred to the County Council before their ultimate demolition. Aboyne Lodge soon followed, to make way for another block of offices and shops fronting St Peter's St.

   Building of a school started in 1949, to an innovative design which received world-wide acclaim; the first of many such in Hertfordshire and elsewhere. The "School in the Orchard" featured in the Festival of Britain.

   Two reminders of the original "Big House" remain.  First, by the presence of least one fruit tree, from the orchard, in the school grounds and then by the name of the school itself.  The latter is paralleled by the school named after Admiral Killigrew (q.v.), whose estate to the south-west of the City is now broken up.