Historic centre turned modern-day commerce hub

From Roman history to booming business, St Albans District is a thriving area with plenty to offer residents and professionals alike

Taking its name from the first British saint, St Albans District blends old and new with its fascinating history and modern, dynamic commercial scene.

Home to big brands such as AECOM, Premier Foods, Skechers and Fox’s and Burton’s, this district has a strong business focus and stands out to those looking for an attractive base to house their offices.

Strategically situated in London’s commuter belt with excellent transport links via the M1, M25 and Thameslink Railway, St Albans District encompasses St Albans city and Harpenden town, plus historic villages including Redbourn, Wheathampstead, London Colney, Colney Heath, Chiswell Green and Bricket Wood.

Many professional services companies are based here, including lawyers, chartered surveyors and infrastructure experts, accountants, engineers and financial services professionals. There is also an important cluster of environmental organisations which include Rothamsted Research and the Building Research Establishment.

The district’s historic centre – the vibrant St Albans city – offers a rich cultural scene. Every year, the Alban Festival features giant puppets telling the city’s fascinating origin story, alongside an exciting programme of other festivals that fill the streets, including St Albans Food and Drink Festival and Christmas in St Albans.

The city is brimming with impressive sites that showcase its history, including a vast, centuries-old cathedral with medieval wall paintings and the intriguing Verulamium Museum displaying Roman mosaics. St Albans Museum and Gallery immerses visitors in thousands of years of history and brings the city’s ancient past to life.

The district also captures visitors with a large, diverse market in St Albans on Wednesdays and Sundays, with roots dating back to the ninth century, plus regular farmers’, vintage and vegan markets spread throughout the calendar. Harpenden has a successful farmers’ market on the fourth Sunday of each month when around 70 stalls gather to offer delicious local produce.

There is even more to do and see with several sports and leisure centres situated throughout St Albans, Harpenden and London Colney, as well as popular theatres and cinemas including Alban Arena in St Albans and the Eric Morecambe Centre in Harpenden. The Roman Amphitheatre in St Albans also features OVO Theatre’s open-air performances in the summer months.

Friendly independent shops adorn the busy High Street, St Peter’s Street, George Street and Holywell Hill, creating a go-to shopping hub in the heart of St Albans, alongside luxury and high street classics in the notable Christopher Place and Maltings Shopping Centre. Harpenden also has a vibrant independent shopping scene, with a wide range of charming restaurants, pubs and cafés, plus a vibrant nighttime economy.

This affluent region of Hertfordshire offers residents multiple high-performing schools and an 81 per cent Green Belt span. The landscape is abundant with parks and green spaces, including St Albans’ Verulamium Park and Clarence Park, and Rothamsted Park in Harpenden.

St Albans City and District Council is continuously finding ways to improve the local area, leading to the successful completion of Jubilee Square in June – a £64 million development on the site of a former police station and health centre. The two buildings bring 93 new homes to St Albans with eco-friendly features designed to improve sustainability, including air source heat pumps, energy efficient lighting and green roofs that store rainwater. This mixed commercial and residential development improves a key site in St Albans city centre.

This commitment to local community development extends to multi-disciplinary advisory, tax and audit firm Moore Kingston Smith, which has around 150 professionals in its St Albans office supporting clients of all sizes across multiple sectors. The team believe in the potential of people to make a positive impact, fuelled by the power of genuine understanding.

The firm delivers quality results nationally and worldwide alongside the Moore Global network, and they’re also a change-maker in the local community, proudly standing as organisers of the St Albans Business Women’s Group and hosting events such as St Albans Last Tuesday (SALT), Tax Club and Entrepreneurs’ Club alongside collaborating with local incubators and accelerators.

Delyth Richards, Business Development and Marketing Manager says: “St Albans is not just a place where we work, but a vibrant and supportive environment that enriches our professional and personal lives. The dynamic network of talented professionals and ambitious businesses in St Albans makes it a wonderful place to work and grow.”