The buzzing cathedral city of St Albans, Hertfordshire, is popular on the commuter belt – trains to King’s Cross take as little as 18 minutes.
Now, Roman remains and medieval architecture are complemented by the city’s first garden-square development, Gabriel Square. It's a development that has somehow been fitted into the very heart of the city, an easy five-minute stroll from the station and not much more than that into the centre of town.
There are 52 townhouses and 28 apartments, with prices starting at £1.195m for the former and £450,000 for the latter.
The garden at Gabriel Square is a particular highlight: it's adorned with sculptures by David Harber, twice an award-winner at the Chelsea Flower Show. The gardens themselves incorporate lawns and courtyards, plus picnic and play areas.
The interiors have been designed by Conran and Partners, with kitchens by Poggenpohl. Overall the ethos is aimed at a design-led, understated elegance – something that few new builds manage to achieve.
We’ll leave you to judge from these pictures how well they have hit their target – and we've included a couple of alternative places nearby to give you an idea what else is on the market in St Albans with similarly superb locations.
See www.gabrielsquare.com for more details and pictures.
What else you could get in St Albans
£1.1m – Four-bed semi-detached close to the Roman ruins
This house in the city's Old Conservation Area is a longer walk from the station than Gabriel Square (just under 15 minutes), but is very close to the centre of town, the cathedral and Verulam Park. It's on the market via Druce & Partners.
£434,995 – Two-bedroom flat near the station
This split-level maisonette is almost on top of the station, though not adjacent to the tracks so noise shouldn't be too much of an issue. At almost 900sq ft plus a bit of outdoor space it seems a bit of a bargain, despite needing a bit of updating inside. It's for sale through Bradford & Howley.
Credit: Castle Grant
A 17th century castle set in 35 acres of the Highlands for the price of a St Albans semi
Castle Grant, a few miles from Grantown-on-Spey, is a fascinating home blessed with a truly splendid setting.
A riverside house with gardens which look like they’ve escaped from a Monet
The Mill House is a Hertfordshire home with genuinely spectacular gardens, but none which is in need of some TLC
A sublime Georgian estate for sale that was once the residence of the Duke of Buckingham
The Abbey at Aston Abbotts has the potential to become the perfect small country estate.
Houses with libraries so lovely you’ll feel positively bookish
Read ’em and weep.
The 50 best places to live near London
Where are the best villages, towns and small cities which are a pleasure to live in, but still offer a
The best places to live for commuters: Hertfordshire
Here's our list of the most attractive villages in Hertfordshire which boast an easy commute into London.
Save
-
Classical style meets fun and flair in a seven-bedroom manor in CornwallAt Polstrong Manor, the current owners have combined period charm and elegant modern interiors to create a flamboyant country home 10-minutes from the beach.
-
Two halves make a sublime four-bedroom home in Kent's North DownsA contemporary extension to a traditional clapboard house brings light and life to Lavington House.
-
The week in property statistics: Service charges reach record highPlus, how first-time buyers prop up the mortgage market, why you need to move north if you want to live by yourself, and house-price growth slows
-
A seven-bedroom oast house for sale in East Sussex, where your dreams can run riotUnlisted, yet full of character, this property in the High Weald National Landscape is an eccentrically furnished family home that screams fun.
-
Character, history and comfort combine in a four-bedroom farmhouse in NorfolkWillow Farm near Southburgh is that rarest of things — a perfect combination of period charm and modern elegance in some of England's best countryside.
-
A Grade I-listed Georgian townhouse that's part of the fabric of Bath's historyWith 5,500sq ft set over six floors in the centre of Britain's most architecturally rich city, there is much to love here.
-
17 delightful homes for sale, as seen in Country LifeOur round-up of some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life this week includes a wonderful Cotswolds home and a happily affordable cottage in the West Country.
-
'This is the most money you'll spend on anything ever': The things that really matter when buying your first home in LondonIt’s easy to dream of what the ideal first-home in London might be, but when the cost of living in the capital is this expensive, being near a Gail's isn't as important as you think it is.
