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Cottonmill & Sopwell

Interactive map displaying Cottonmill & Sopwell

About

Cottonmill and Sopwell lie immediately west of St Albans city centre, with Cottonmill arranged along Cottonmill Lane beside the River Ver and Sopwell clustered around Sopwell Lane. The area is mainly residential, with a mix of terraces and semi‑detached housing, local shops, a primary school and community facilities within walking distance. Local buses link the neighbourhood to the city centre and train stations, and lanes and footpaths provide direct pedestrian routes across the river and into nearby streets. Allotments and small playing fields are scattered through the neighbourhood and used by residents year round.

The River Ver runs through both Cottonmill and Sopwell, shaping green corridors and back gardens and providing routes for walkers. Close to Sopwell Lane are the remains of the medieval nunnery, with earthwork fishponds and stone fragments set into the riverside landscape; these features sit alongside modern housing and public open space. Quiet riverside paths and short connecting streets make the area practical for everyday errands while preserving access to the older, visible layers of the town’s history.

Area overview

On average Cottonmill & Sopwell has moderate deprivation and moderate crime levels, with around 69 crimes per 1,000 residents per year. Approximately 23.5% of homes in this area are social housing provided by a local council or housing association. The average income per household in Cottonmill & Sopwell is £66,948 per year. There are 4 schools in Cottonmill & Sopwell: 3 primary (0 Outstanding and 3 Good) and 0 secondary (0 Outstanding and 0 Good). Cottonmill & Sopwell is home to around 7,710 people, with a population density of about 2,526.1 per km2.

Crime rate
6/10
Crimes per 1k residents
69
Deprivation level
4/10
Income level
8/10
Social housing
23.5%
Connectivity
N/A

Area Profile

Cottonmill & Sopwell Population
7,710
Population density
2,526.1 per km²

Crime

Crime per 1,000 population

Violence and sexual offences
24.9(-21%)
Anti-social behaviour
24.51(+112%)
Shoplifting
15.3(+124%)
Other theft
10.77(+97%)
Vehicle crime
9.73(+121%)
East of England average

Demographics

Ethnic groups

British
4,697
60.92%
Other White
798
10.35%
Bangladeshi
697
9.04%
Irish
177
2.3%
Indian
157
2.04%
Total population: 7,710

Economics

Education (age 16+)

Level 4+ (Degree)
2,874
48.78%
No qualifications
810
13.75%
Level 3 (A level)
749
12.71%
Level 2 (GCSEs 9-4)
601
10.2%
Level 1 (GCSEs 3-1)
515
8.74%
Total 16+ residents: 5,892

Housing

Housing tenure

Owns with a mortgage
954
31.8%
Owns outright
748
24.93%
Social rents from council
576
19.2%
Private landlord or letting agency
505
16.83%
Other social rented
136
4.53%
Total households: 3,000

Property prices in Cottonmill & Sopwell

Based on 92 recent sales, the median property price is £550,000 in Cottonmill & Sopwell area, with individual transactions ranging from £150,000 up to £1,525,000.

Price distribution per property type (last year)

Price distribution by property type for Cottonmill & Sopwell in the last year.

Median sale price and percentiles per property type (last year)

Median sale price, sales count, and percentile information for each property type in Cottonmill & Sopwell over the last year.
TypeSalesMedian
Semi-Detached19£581,000
Terraced40£595,750
Detached4£807,500
Flats29£370,000

10 years median price trend in Cottonmill & Sopwell

Ten year median sale price trend for each property type in Cottonmill & Sopwell.

All postcodes in Cottonmill & Sopwell

AL12LY

Holyrood Crescent

AL12RB

Ashdales

AL12ET

Cottonmill Lane

AL12AX

Prospect Road

AL12PD

Watling View

AL12HZ

Berners Drive

AL12NN

Tavistock Avenue

AL11ST

Riverside Road

AL12LL

Martyr Close

AL12BG

Mentmore Road

AL12LW

Mitchell Close

AL12LX

Holyrood Crescent

AL12HX

Abbots Avenue

AL12LF

Creighton Avenue

AL12LZ

Lectern Lane

AL12NU

Watling View

AL12LB

Abbots Avenue West

AL12JF

Cyrils Way

AL12NQ

Tavistock Avenue

AL12DF

Centrium

AL11SE

Riverside Road

AL11SD

Riverside Road

AL12BN

Sadleir Road

AL11PW

Old London Road

AL12EL

Sopwell

AL12JE

Glengall Place

AL12LJ

Deacon Close

AL11HJ

Cottonmill Lane

AL12AU

Prospect Road

AL12DG

Jenny Lane

AL11SF

Riverside Road

AL12JR

Maynard Drive

AL12HP

Gorham Drive

AL12NP

Ashby Gardens

AL12PJ

Wilshere Avenue

AL12BQ

Cottonmill Lane

AL11JG

Keyfield Terrace

AL11SJ

Ramsbury Road

AL12RD

Griffiths Way

AL11SN

Ramsbury Road

AL11JD

Keyfield Terrace

AL11RL

Sopwell Lane

AL11HQ

Sumpter Yard

AL11HN

Cottonmill Lane

AL12QF

Watling Street

AL12AZ

St Julians Road

AL12RE

Griffiths Way

AL12NL

Tavistock Avenue

AL12EN

Monks Gate

AL11AG

Pullman Close

AL11HR

Holywell Hill

AL12JG

Maynard Drive

AL12PP

Vesta Avenue

AL12DW

Sopwell

AL12EW

Monks Close

AL11BH

Belmont Hill

AL11SU

Approach Road

AL11QW

Millers Rise

AL12RH

Wilshere Avenue

AL12PH

Wilshere Avenue

AL12LS

Holyrood Crescent

AL12LG

Creighton Avenue

AL12AS

Nunnery Stables

AL12HU

Gorham Drive

AL12PF

Vesta Avenue

AL12EP

Cottonmill Lane

AL12ED

Grindcobbe

AL12BS

Boleyn Drive

AL12BA

Prospect Road

AL12NX

Coningsby Bank

AL12JD

Berners Drive

AL12NF

Doggetts Way

AL11SL

Ramsbury Road

AL12BZ

Everard Close

AL11RY

Henrys Grant

AL11SH

Cornwall Road

AL12PQ

Vesta Avenue

AL12ER

Monks Close

AL12BY

Old Sopwell Gardens

AL12PG

Vesta Avenue

AL12AW

The Shrubberies

AL12LH

Creighton Avenue

AL12LR

Holyrood Crescent

AL11SS

Ramsbury Road

AL12LA

Abbots Avenue West

AL12NR

Remus Close

AL12EZ

Cottonmill Lane

AL12JS

Pemberton Close

AL12QU

Everard Close

AL12NH

Tavistock Avenue

AL12HR

Nuns Lane

AL12JZ

Abbots Avenue West

Data Sources

All data is sourced from official UK government agencies and public datasets. Last updated: 16/05/2026.