IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
London Road, ST. ALBANS, AL1 1LR

Development of 52 townhouses and 28 apartments in London Road completed in 2018 on the site of a former print works.

Large-scale redevelopment taking place, seen from Alma Road. Originally bought by Tesco's to erect a large store, the arguments for and against had blighted the area for some years with an impact on existing housing in London Road in particular. Strong representations by residents and others resulted in the supermarket being rejected and the area is being developed with relatively modest housing. Part of the site used to be Evershed's* Printing Works, with an interesting 1930s building, which, alas, has not been retained. (*I think I have the right name but stand to be corrected as I couldn't find any of my St Albans guides to remind me!) A more recent picture shows the building that now occupies this area - see Image

This was the site of St Albans' first cinema, conceived in 1908 by pioneer Arthur Melbourne-Cooper to showcase his own productions. Called the Alpha Picture Palace, it was designed by architect Percival Blow and was one of the first modern-style cinemas. It was later renamed the Poly and then the Regent, but burnt down in 1927. The current building, its replacement, originally called the Capitol, opened on 3 December 1931. It was again designed by Percival Blow, along with J Martin Hatfield. In 1945 it was renamed the Odeon. It later was one of the first Odeon cinemas to be converted into a multi-screen complex, reopening with three screens in 1973, with a fourth screen added in 1988. However, it did not last long in this format, with the whole cinema closing in August 1995. A number of proposals have been put forward for the site over the years, but in 2009 it was purchased by James Hannaway, who had previously restored the Rex cinema in Berkhamsted. After much restoration work, taking significantly longer than expected, it reopened in December 2014. It was given the name Odyssey following a competition. The facade is locally listed. Compare Image for a photo before restoration.

This was the site of St Albans' first cinema, conceived in 1908 by pioneer Arthur Melbourne-Cooper to showcase his own productions. Called the Alpha Picture Palace, it was designed by architect Percival Blow and was one of the first modern-style cinemas. It was later renamed the Poly and then the Regent, but burnt down in 1927. The current building, its replacement, originally called the Capitol, opened on 3 December 1931. It was again designed by Percival Blow, along with J Martin Hatfield. In 1945 it was renamed the Odeon. It later was one of the first Odeon cinemas to be converted into a multi-screen complex, reopening with three screens in 1973, with a fourth screen added in 1988. However, it did not last long in this format, with the whole cinema closing in August 1995. A number of proposals have been put forward for the site over the years, but in 2009 it was purchased by James Hannaway, who had previously restored the Rex cinema in Berkhamsted. It is expected to reopen in 2012, and following a competition it will be called the Odyssey. The facade is locally listed.

This was the site of St Albans' first cinema, conceived in 1908 by pioneer Arthur Melbourne-Cooper to showcase his own productions. Called the Alpha Picture Palace, it was designed by architect Percival Blow and was one of the first modern-style cinemas. It was later renamed the Poly and then the Regent, but burnt down in 1927. The current building, its replacement, originally called the Capitol, opened on 3 December 1931. It was again designed by Percival Blow, along with J Martin Hatfield. In 1945 it was renamed the Odeon. It later was one of the first Odeon cinemas to be converted into a multi-screen complex, reopening with three screens in 1973, with a fourth screen added in 1988. However, it did not last long in this format, with the whole cinema closing in August 1995. A number of proposals have been put forward for the site over the years, but in 2009 it was purchased by James Hannaway, who had previously restored the Rex cinema in Berkhamsted. After much restoration work, taking significantly longer than expected, it reopened in December 2014. It was given the name Odyssey following a competition. The facade is locally listed. See Image for a photo before restoration.

Near the Petrol Station

Development of 52 townhouses and 28 apartments in London Road completed in 2018 on the site of a former print works.

The now-restored Odyssey Cinema in all its glory. Pictures before restoration can be seen at Image (2012), Image (2009) and Image (2008). While the cinema is proving a popular attraction since reopening, it is not without its problems, in that it no longer has its own carpark on the opposite side of London Road. This results in a battle for parking places in nearby roads between those roads' residents and cinema goers!

Progress of this large redevelopment - compare with Image, taken a bit over two years ago at the same spot.