River Ver - Sopwell

River Ver
The Ver flows south east and south

Post to the north St. Albans
Post to the south Hedges Farm

Abbots Avenue
St.Julian’s Church of England. Built in the 1950s to serve the local estate.
St. Albans Christadelphians. This dates from 1952

Cottonmill Lane
Sopwell House Hotel. The earliest reference to Sopwell House is in 1603, where it is referred to as newly built for Richard Sadlier. In 1670 the house was bought by Sir Harbottle Grimston, Earl of Verulam, owner of the adjacent Gorhambury estate. In 1901 it was leased by Lord Mountbatten as his family home. It is a manor house now largely of 19th appearance. It is however an early 18th manor house built round an earlier building which is not now visible.
Archway. This is the entrance to Sopwell House. There is a tall round arch flanked by single storey lodges and cast iron gates. It is 19th and might have been designed by Humphrey Repton.
New Barnes Mill. This was one of a number of mills on the River Ver which belonged to St Albans Abbey. Originally named Cowley or Sopwell Mill in the 12th, it passed to Sir Richard Lee in the 16th after the dissolution of the monasteries. It remained in use as a flour mill until the Second World War. It is also known as Cowley Mill or Sopwell Mill but the present buildings date from a reconstruction in the 1890s when it was a corn mill. It worked as a roller mill until 1957 and for a while was an engineering works. It is now a business centre,
Barn and attached stable on the east side of Sopwell Home Farm. It is probably 18h and is a three-bay barn and lower stable which was probably once a cow house
Barn in use as a retail unit. This is 17th timber framed and weather boarded.
The Marlborough Club and Pavilion. This is a sports facility used by the Sopwell Residents Association.
Sopwell Home Farm. With a 19th farmhouse which is now used as part of the hotel.
Dhobi Lodge. 19th estate building
Laundry Cottage. 19th estate building
Bridge over the Ver is probably 18th with curved brick parapets. The wall to the millstream is late 19th Luton grey brick

Sources
British Listed Buildings. Web site
English Heritage. Web site
Sopwell House Hotel. Web site
St. Albans Churches. Web site
St. Albans City Council. Web site

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