To the western edge of the ancient St Albans locale sits the residential area of Bernards Heath which stretches out onto the Childwickbury Estate - a vast park and garden complex to the north-west of St Albans. Rich in history and a now much favoured suburb; Bernards Heath’s housing stock is varied and reflects the diverse nature of the suburb. From apartments and flats at £200,000, to Victorian-period manor homes priced at over £1.5 million!

Most of St Albans has origins in antiquity; from being the original capital city of the Celtic Catuvellauni tribe, known as Verlamion - originally recorded by Ptolemy in the 2nd century - to then being one of the major cities in Roman Britain, where it was known as Verulamium. St Albans continued to thrive as a metropolitan hub over the centuries. The area now known as Bernard’s Heath was, as the name implies, un-developed heathland for many years. This heathland became the site of the infamous Second Battle of St Albans in 1461, during the Wars of the Roses. This battle was fought between Lancastrian and Yorkist forces; and was inevitably won by Margaret of Anjou’s Lancastrian force. The battle is often commemorated in St Albans, and in 2011 a huge conference by the Battlefields Trust was helmed in St Albans to mark 550 years since the battle!

This heathland stretches up to small hamlet of Childwickbury and the vast Childwickbury Manor to the north-westerly edge of St Albans. The manor itself dates back to 1666, however there is evidence to suggest the manor itself dates back to its occupation by Benedictine Monks belonging to St Albans Abbey in the 10th century; although none of these original buildings remain. The Childwickbury manor is uniquely famous however, for being the once home of legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick! Kubrick bought the manor house in 1978 and lived there until his death in 1999 - his widow, Christiane Kubrick, still lives at the manor.

The area of Bernards Heath is littered with large Victorian-period homes interpersed with grand-scale new-build properties, and is situated with the catchment of the Green Belt which is protected by the government. Given these factors, development in Bernards Heath and beyond is often slow. Many residents oppose large-scale housing developments that interrupt the unique character of the locale. However the St Albans City and District Council has begun earmarking districts for potential developments across the city, including provisions for 17 units within the Bernards Heath locale! However much of the development is occurring to the southerly edge of St Albans.