On the northern edge of Harpenden, nestled on the boundary between Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, sits a suburban locale dotted with luscious green-landscapes, a nature reserve, and flanked by the serene River Lea. Although this area boasts a range of natural beauty; the Harpenden North locale is significantly lower in price-value compared to the southerly suburban fabric - with house prices averaging around £500,000 for a detached mid-century property. Owing to its picturesque landscapes and direct commutability into London (with trains running from Harpenden to London taking only 27 minutes!), Harpenden has become an ideal home for many.

There is evidence to suggest that Harpenden has been occupied by human settlement for over 2,000 years. Suggestions aided by the proliferation of Iron Age relics found in the area. It’s also likely that Harpenden, even in antiquity functioned as a satellite town, but rather than for London, for the Roman city of Verulamium (now St Albans). In fact, in the 1820s, an archaeological excavation uncovered the remains of a Romano-Celtic sarcophagus dated from 150 AD! Although this proliferation of ancient ruins does not mean that Harpenden was a particularly illustrious town; in fact, Harpenden’s history is mostly quiet, rural, and agricultural.

In the Batford region of Harpenden, located just to the north-east of the town, there is a nature reserve known as Batford Springs! Now owned by Harpenden Town Council, the Batford Springs is a 3.5 hectare reserve offering a multi-layered fabric of natural resources; from the chalk streams and springs, to the woodlands and fen. This reserve is at the heart of the Harpenden North community, and reflects the pastoral yet suburban quality of the wider Harpenden locale.

Unlike most of the surrounding areas of Harpenden, the area of Harpenden North - particularly Batford and Bower Heath, feature properties with lower price-points than other sections of Harpenden. Whilst in the Harpenden Local Plan there is limited scope being offered for potential residential and mixed-use developments across Harpenden, Harpenden North has uniquely benefited from development. An allotment site was in 2023 converted into an estate of 24 affordable residential properties in partnership with the Peabody Group. Therefore, developmental projects are in swing across Harpenden!