IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Belmont Hill, ST. ALBANS, AL1 1RB

A sewer vent column (or "stinkpipe") in Belmont Hill.

Late 19th Century house in Belmont Hill.

A substantial late Victorian mansion, which from 1887 to 1901 was home to Eleanor Ormerod, the entomologist, as commemorated by the brown plaque to the right of the gate post. Grade II listed - for listing particulars see www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1103097.

Torrington House is a large, mid-19th century house on Holywell Hill, which stands in extensive grounds, set back from the busy road behind a high wall. Both the house and the wall with its gateposts are listed buildings. The entomologist Eleanor Anne Ormerod lived here from 1887 to 1901; Image See the official listing at the Historic England site for the house https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1103097?section=official-list-entry and for the gateposts and wall https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1347144?section=official-list-entry . The house is now a hotel.

Torrington House was built in the mid 19th century in extensive grounds, shielded from Holywell Hill, a busy road, by a high wall. The house is now a hotel. The entomologist Eleanor Anne Ormerod lived here at the end of the 19th century and is remembered with a brown plaque installed by HNHS, the Hertfordshire Natural History Society. Ormerod was no softie, if her Wikipedia entry is to be believed; she called for the extermination of the house sparrow, and for the use as an insecticide of Paris Green, a highly toxic arsenic and copper compound https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_Anne_Ormerod . Both the house and the wall are listed buildings; see Image

House on Holywell Hill, apparently originally dating from the 1840s and so presumably built following the demolition of Holywell House, home of Sarah Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough, which had been demolished in 1837 when the present route of Holywell Hill was created replacing the previous route behind the house, along Grove Road. Indeed, the 1879-80 1:500 map marks it as Holywell House, presumably in homage to its predecessor.

Pair of 18th Century cottages on Holywell Hill. Grade II listed - see www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1347148.

Early 20th Century houses in Belmont Hill.

1980s development off Belmont Hill, built on the site of former playing fields of St Albans School, and previously the formal gardens of Holywell House, home of Sarah Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough, which had been demolished in 1837 when the present route of Holywell Hill was created.

Buildings on the west side of Holywell Hill, all grade II listed. The white house on the right is Pickwick House, nos 64-66, originally 15th century - see www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1103010. The tall brick building in the centre is no 68, dating from the early 19th century - see www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1103102. To its left is no 70, Ivy House (not to be confused with another Ivy House in St Albans (see Image). This one dates from the mid 18th century - see www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1173513.