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Local businesses support action on fly tipping at Soothouse Spring

Left to right: William Naylor of Buttle’s Building Supplies, with Peter Cook and Rod Keat, Friends of Bernards Heath

Bernards Heath is a unique, widely used public space in St Albans. Close to the centre of town, it provides attractive open spaces and woodland of historic interest, quite unlike parks in the city.

Unfortunately, its very nature lends itself to to unsightly fly tipping. Recently, it has happened in nearby Soothouse Spring, next to Beech Bottom Dyke, an impressive ancient earthwork, which the Friends of Bernards Heath has opened up and tried to keep litter free.  Fortunately, two local businesses, Buttle’s Building Supplies and A1 Tools and Fixings, have jointly supported the installation of a substantial fence alongside the Dyke to deter follow-up incidents. The area is now covered by surveillance cameras.

Litter at the site, encroaching on Beech Bottom Dyke.

Where are Beech Bottom Dyke and Soothouse Spring?

An aerial view of the area. The King William IV junction is just off the view, bottom right.

We thank William Naylor (Buttle’s) and Paul O’Flanaghan (A1 Tools and Fixings) for organising the removal of the fly tipped rubbish and installation of the fence.

Photos: RM

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The Lower Heath – what’s happening now?

We were very grateful to everyone who contacted the press and their local Councillors when we got the shock news, only a week ahead of the Cabinet Panel meeting on 9 December, that Hertfordshire County Council (“HCC”) was going back on its previous decision in 2014 to support discussions with the District Council to transfer the Lower Heath to them.

Continue reading “The Lower Heath – what’s happening now?”
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Beating the Bounds

A walk around the parish of St Saviour’s, Sandpit Lane conducted by local historian Peter Burley.

Meet at the hall, 25 Sandpit Lane at 2.00 pm
on Sunday 19th February.

The walk will be followed by tea and a talk in the hall at 3.30 pm. You are welcome to arrive in time for the talk.
It will not cover the whole boundary, that would be too ambitious, but the eastern third of the parish going from the church via the Wick and back again along Marshal’s Drive.

This is a valedictory event for Father Peter at St Saviour’s and all are welcome.

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Fontmell Close open again

It must be a great relief to residents of Fontmell and Bridle close that almost all traces of the sinkhole have gone after 14 months of repair works.  The Grand Opening is on Saturday, 3rd December.

FoBH looks forward to the removal of the temporary road across the Lower Heath, scheduled for early next year.

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Autumn Action Day – Clearance Work at Beech Bottom Dyke

Despite heavy rain on the morning of Sunday 16th October, an intrepid group of volunteers were able to clear large areas of brambles adjacent to the path on the southern side of the Dyke.  This clearance work not only makes the the path more accessible, but gives clear views to the bottom of the Dyke. It may also provide more ventilation to the Dyke and reduce its boggy nature at certain points.

Continue reading “Autumn Action Day – Clearance Work at Beech Bottom Dyke”
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One Year has elapsed since Fontmell Close Sinkhole Event

The news of a sinkhole in Fontmell Close, which appeared dramatically in the early hours of the 1st October 2015, rapidly hit the national media.

Not only were residents stranded in Fontmell Close and Bridle Close, but the event prompted a long sequence of investigations on the adjacent Bernards Heath and the construction of a relief road across the Lower Field.

The 12m hole has been partially filled with concrete and most services restored. You can read a press release by the Herts County Council, who hope to have the road through Fontmell Close open again by Christmas.

There is no news yet about the removal of the temporary road across the Lower Field.

There are more links to the sinkhole in our document archive.

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Thunderstorm over the Bernards Heath area

A thunderstorm on the 16th September over Bernards Heath broke the long spell of relatively dry weather in July, August and September, when local gardens and the Heath were looking parched.  We’ve only been measuring rainfall and temperature over the last 2½ years, but this was a record.  You can find our data here.