The last gasholders of the St Albans Gas Company were demolished only in 2014, ending a nearly two hundred years’ ...
In medieval St Albans, the cloth trade was of great local importance. Some of the manufacturing processes took place in Fullers Street (now the vehicular access to the Westminster Sports centre, aka Mud Lane). Chris Saunders explains how historical records shed light on the scale and range of manufacturing activities.
How the 'last' coachman of St Albans was nearly ruined by the arrival of the railway in Watford.
A 17th century wine vintner of St Albans, and the Wine Charter he traded under, to the benefit of St Albans Grammar School.
The creation by temperance campaigners of pubs that emphasised food, soft drinks and recreational activities drove more widespread changes to the layout of many pubs.
How St Albans won the right to hold markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and why the Wednesday markets ceased and then resumed.
With the main city railway station recently celebrating its 150th anniversary, this note considers the early development of what was then called the Midland Railway Station.
During World War One, the famous Dublin telescope maker Howard Grubb moved his business to St Albans in the interests of national security, completing work on one of the company's largest ever refractors.
The buildings needed for arable farming and the wheat and barley crops that were harvested all constituted significant fire risks, which created a business opportunity for insurance companies, as this article explains.
The Fighting Cocks pub is certainly an historic building, but is it really the oldest pub in England?
In early February 1914 the Six Bells was under threat of closure. In cities like St Albans, there were too many pubs to meet diminishing customer needs. For example, according to the City police, there was one pub for every 165 people in St Albans in 1901.
When an alehouse on Chequer Street stood in the way of the turnpike, there was only one answer.
Why does the Lower Red Lion have its unusual prefix? The answer lies in the 18th century pub trade in St Albans.
Charles Woollam is reputed as the owner of local silk mills, as a former Mayor and Freeman of the City, and a very generous local benefactor. Less is known about his life (1832-1915), or his family’s history of silk making.
A growing population increased demand for retail goods and services.
How the Kinder and Searancke families dominated brewing in St Albans by the early 19th century.
