Marshalswick's 1930s streets were laid out with hedged boundaries as the original garden division, and many of those hedges are still there decades on, now mature enough that a fence can't simply be set behind them without first lifting the base growth or removing sections outright. That clearance work is a distinct, separate stage from the fencing installation itself and needs planning for — and, where the hedge is on a shared boundary, agreeing with the neighbour — before post positions can even be marked out. The cathedral-side streets of AL1, within the conservation area, don't have this same hedging pattern but carry their own material restrictions instead.
Towns & neighbourhoods in AL1
St Albans City and District Council · AL1, AL2, AL3, AL4
Property: Victorian terraces, Edwardian villas in Marshalswick, and Tudor / Georgian properties near the cathedral
Garden: mature gardens, often with established hedging that needs lifting before fencing goes in
Near A1081 / A414 / M25 J21A / M1 J6 · St Albans City (Thameslink)
Commercial anchors: Porters Wood, Sutton Road industrial area
St Albans City and District Council · AL1, AL4
Property: 1930s semis and large post-war detached homes on a planned suburb layout
Garden: mid to large gardens, mostly flat, with mature hedging
Near B651 Sandpit Lane / M25 J22 (10 min) · St Albans City (Thameslink)
Commercial anchors: The Quadrant
Services across AL1
AL1 clearance & fencing plan
We assess existing hedging before scheduling any Marshalswick boundary job.
Frequently asked — AL1
Why does hedging need clearing before AL1 fencing goes in?
Marshalswick's original 1930s boundaries were hedged, and mature growth needs lifting or partial removal before post positions can be accurately marked and set.
Is hedge removal a separate cost to fencing?
It's usually a distinct stage of work planned alongside the fencing, since it needs to happen first.
Does the cathedral-side of AL1 have the same hedging issue?
Not typically — that side of AL1 sits within the conservation area and carries material restrictions instead.