IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Fore Street, HATFIELD, AL9 5AH

Mid 18th century Grade II Listed house. Letting particulars dated the house to the 17th century and it is true that F W Speaight a connoisseur of Georgian architecture lived in at least two houses in the street and probably renovated or re-fronted a number of the older properties. Samuel Atkinson bought it in 1715 for £200, from Richard Atkins of Holborn, who had himself acquired the property shortly before from James Lowen. Atkinson ran his apothecary's practice from here and on his death in 1767 his practice appears to have been carried on by John Darby who moved out in 1777 when the house was let to a William Johnson. It became a baker's shop in the 1780s and remained as such until around 1820. In 1827 the Rev. Charles Maslen bought the house that later passed to his family. Around 1844 Rev. Thomas Ray ran a boarding school here until 1854 when his brother-in-law the Rev. Daniel Evans took charge. A 2010 single storey extension planning application, apparently on behalf of Gascoyne Cecil Estate, describes the house as 'in need of modernisation and investment' and 'kitchen is small, narrow and extremely dated'.

Grade II Listed House. Listed as Late 18th century. Formerly one house, known in 1698 as Crosskesse the property of the Lowens family. From the late 1720s it was a bakers shop run by the Harper family. In the 1750s shopkeeper Bartholomew Andrews bought the lease. John Dunn paid £140 for it in 1774 and divided it into two. No.18 continued to be occupied by Andrews. No.20 was occupied by Thomas Rawley, shopkeeper and later John Rawley draper. Bankrupt Dunn sold the building to Lord Salisbury in 1813. No.20 'Crosskesse', also known as Rawley's House was home to William Horsey and family, butcher in the mid 19th century. They retained tenancy until the death of the last family member in 1961. In 1871 a small private school was run here and the census that year lists William, his wife Ellen, daughter Frances Ellen (Schoolmistress), daughter Maria and son Conrad along with two young Boarders, both Scholars. A 1967 Scottish gazette mentions James Paterson retired sales representative resided sometime at 20 Fore Street. No.18 'Midcote' had planning granted in 2008 for erection of single storey rear and first floor rear extensions following the demolition of existing (1993) rear extensions. The planning was time extended in 2011.

Pair of Grade II Listed houses of around 1800.

This street has many fine listed buildings. At the top of the hill, at the far end, there is an entrance to the grounds of Hatfield House by the Old Palace.

Grade II Listed late 17th century house.

Grade II Listed late 18th century house. Between 1910-1930 F W Speaight a connoisseur of Georgian architecture lived in both No.3 Morton House and here, restoring both properties and probably others in the street. He established the Hatfield Gallery of Antiques here that was advertised in 1911. The garden to the rear is attributed to Speaight but a 1914 book on small gardens explains about difficulties encountered by Mr Winter Rose in laying out the garden because of a right-of-way through it. The plan included also shows a stable block to the rear. In an advertisement of 1914 the Gallery is described as 'fine specimen of English domestic architecture' with '25 spacious rooms, many fitted with rare Adam mantelpieces'. Pevsner described the street as 'a perfect example of the self-respecting street in a small Georgian town' but certainly some of the buildings were much older and probably re-fronted by Speaight. In 1933 'Flight' magazine contained an entry for new company registrations including at this address William Richter Ltd., dealers in Junkers Diesel engines and similar products.

Grade II Listed late 18th century house with earlier timber-framed rear. A rainwater head carries a date of 1826. The former pub (closed 1956), now 5 Fore Street, was built in 1843 on the site of the former coach-house for No.7. For reasons now lost I had 7 as a former surgeons house. A search of Kelly's in 1890 produced Charles Vincent Ross, surgeon of Fore Street who had moved to North Street by the 1895 edition. No Ross in the Post Office Directory of 1855 but it lists a John Burke, surgeon of Fore Street. In neither case is a house name or number given.

'The Eight Bells' inn is described by Charles Dickens in Oliver Twist as a temporary resting place for Bill Sykes, on the run from central London, after murdering Nancy. The inn stands on the corner of Fore Street and Park Street.

Grade II Listed early 19th century house, formerly a butchers shop. Ground floor double shop front converted around 1971 with canopy hood and iron hooks retained. One of Hatfields oldest buildings a property has stood there for about 500 years. Known locally as Butler's it was formerly on what was called Front Street in the 17th century. Martyn Lewer a plumber and glazer moved in about 1704. His son Tite took over in 1731 and his son William in 1746. The property was then sold to Thomas Parrot in about 1774. This is when it was converted to a butchers with abattoir. 1780 it was occupied by Edmund Simkins who also farmed livestock and it moved around the family until 1909. Rented to a Mr. Horne for a short period it became vacant until in 1913 it was let to St. Albans butchers and brothers Frederick and Thomas Butler (hence the name) who purchased it in 1921. The last butcher here, in October 1971 he sold it for £12,000 only for it to be sold again three years later for £40,000. In April 1973 a soft furnishing company was registered here, moving registered office in 1987 it was subsequently converted into flats but is presently a single family dwelling house.