Shaftenhoe End Smith's End, North Hertfordshire
1 address across 1 postcode (SG8), about 650 m (0.4 miles) long. USRN 27923098.
- Sales: 2 recorded sales since 1995; in 2014 the median was £570,000 across 1 sale.
- Flood: No address on its postcodes is in an area at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers, the sea or surface water.
- Council tax: Most homes around it are in council tax band G; Band D in North Hertfordshire costs £2,449 a year in 2026-27.
- Broadband: Gigabit broadband is available to 100% of premises.
- Transport: The nearest railway station is Royston, about 5.7 km (3.5 miles) away in a straight line.
- Air: Background air pollution in 2024 was 5.1 µg/m³ of nitrogen dioxide and 6.6 of PM2.5, within UK legal limits.
- Height: It is about 98 m above sea level.
- Noise: 1 of its 1 addresses is modelled at 55 dB or more from road traffic.
- Doctors: The nearest GP surgery is Roysia Surgery, about 5.8 km (3.6 miles) away.
- People: About 370 people lived in the census areas around it in 2021; 78% of households owned their home and 46% of adults held a degree or other higher qualification.
- Crime: 4 crimes were recorded within 250 m between September 2025 and August 2026, most often violence and sexual offences.
Sales on this street
| Year | Sales | Median price | Lowest | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 1 | £570,000 | £570,000 | £570,000 |
| 2005 | 1 | £280,000 | £280,000 | £280,000 |
| Date | Address | Type | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Oct 2014 | 1, PUTTY HALL COTTAGES SG8 8LF | Terraced | £570,000 | |
| 30 Jun 2005 | 2, PUTTY HALL COTTAGES SG8 8LF | Terraced | £280,000 |
Energy performance certificates
No certificates found for addresses on this street.
Council tax
What each band costs in North Hertfordshire in 2026-27: Band D £2,449 a year on average, including the police, fire and any county and parish charges.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £1,632 | £1,904 | £2,176 | £2,449 | £2,993 | £3,537 | £4,081 | £4,897 |
Homes by band in the neighbourhood around this street: most are in band G (26% of about 570 homes).
Planning and heritage
- Conservation area: no postcode centre in this street's postcodes is in one.
- Listed buildings on or by this street: none.
- Article 4 direction (removing permitted development rights): none recorded, though not every council has published theirs.
- Tree preservation orders: none recorded, though not every council has published theirs.
- Green belt: no.
Brownfield land registered for housing within 1 km (0.6 miles)
- Draytons Garage, High Street, Barley, Royston, SG8 8HT: up to 10 homes, permissioned (640 m (0.4 miles))
Roadworks
No street works under way, planned or finished in the last three months on this street, in permits up to 31 October 2026.
Flood risk
No address in this street's postcodes is in an area at high, medium or low risk of flooding from rivers, the sea or surface water. The rest are in areas at very low risk: less than a 0.1% (1 in 1,000) chance a year.
Rivers and the sea alone: no home is in an area at risk.
High: 3.3% (1 in 30) or more chance of flooding a year. Medium: 1% to 3.3%. Low: 0.1% to 1%. Very low: under 0.1%. The rivers and sea figures allow for flood defences. Counts cover whole postcodes, which can include other streets.
Flood zone for planning: no postcode centre is in flood zone 2 or 3.
Height above sea level
The street's address is about 98 m above sea level.
Broadband
| Postcode | Superfast (30 Mbit/s+) | Ultrafast (300 Mbit/s+) | Gigabit | Below 10 Mbit/s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SG8 8LF | 100% | 100% | 100% | 0% |
Getting around
| Nearest | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| Railway stations | Royston 1.4 million journeys in 2024–25 | 5.7 km (3.5 miles) |
| Meldreth 246,000 journeys in 2024–25 | 7.7 km (4.8 miles) | |
| Shepreth 110,000 journeys in 2024–25 | 10 km (6.2 miles) | |
| Bus stops | 4 stops within 400 m (0.2 miles), 6 within 800 m (0.5 miles); nearest St Margaret of Antioch Church Barley | 280 m |
| Bus or coach station | Bus Station Royston | 5 km (3.1 miles) |
| EV charging points | Roam Charging Station | 4.6 km (2.9 miles) |
| Airport with scheduled flights | London Stansted Airport STN | 20.4 km (13 miles) |
Local services
| Nearest | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| GP surgeries | Roysia Surgery | 5.8 km (3.6 miles) |
| Pharmacies | Royston Pharmacy | 5.2 km (3.2 miles) |
| NHS dentists | Royston Dental Care LTD | 5.1 km (3.2 miles) |
| Hospital | Royston Hospital | 4.7 km (2.9 miles) |
| Police station | Royston Police Station | 5 km (3.1 miles) |
| Cash machines | Esso Flint Cross, Heydon Cashzone | 4.8 km (3 miles) |
Parks and green space
| Nearest | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| Play area | 1 within 800 m (0.5 miles); nearest Unnamed 950 m² | 400 m (0.2 miles) |
| Playing field | 2 within 800 m (0.5 miles); nearest Unnamed 1.3 ha | 210 m |
| Allotments | 1 within 800 m (0.5 miles); nearest Unnamed 1,210 m² | 710 m (0.4 miles) |
Landmarks
The nearest historic landmark is Church of St Margaret of Antioch, a listed building (Grade II*), 270 m north. 64 listed buildings are within 1 km (0.6 miles), 3 of them Grade II*.
| Name | What it is | From the middle of the street |
|---|---|---|
| Church of St Margaret of Antioch | Listed building, Grade II* | 270 m north |
| The Town House | Listed building, Grade II* | 300 m north |
| Barley lock-up | Scheduled monument | 330 m north-west |
| Hill House | Listed building, Grade II* | 910 m (0.6 miles) north |
| Cokenach | Registered park or garden, Grade II | 2.2 km (1.4 miles) south |
| Name | What it is | From the middle of the street |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Hill | Hill | 320 m east |
| New Hill | Hill | 1.1 km (0.7 miles) north |
| Newhill Pond | Lake or reservoir | 1.3 km (0.8 miles) north |
| East Wood | Wood | 1.4 km (0.9 miles) south-west |
| Broadmoor Pond | Lake or reservoir | 1.5 km (0.9 miles) north |
| Cumberton Bottom | Valley | 1.7 km (1.1 miles) north |
Air quality
| Pollutant | Here | UK limit | WHO guideline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) | 5.1 | 40 | 10 |
| Fine particles (PM2.5) | 6.6 | 20 | 5 |
| Particles (PM10) | 11.3 | 40 | 15 |
All three are within the UK legal limits; PM2.5 is above the WHO guideline, as in most towns and cities.
Road and rail noise
| Level | Road traffic | Railways |
|---|---|---|
| 55 to 59 | 1 | 0 |
| Under 55 | 0 | 1 |
1 of the street's 1 addresses is modelled at 55 dB or more from road traffic, above the WHO guidelines.
Climate, daylight and earthquakes
Monthly temperatures and rainfall, sunrise and sunset through the year, and earthquakes recorded nearby since 1970 are much the same across the area, so they are worked out once for North Hertfordshire: see them on the North Hertfordshire page.
Nearest schools
| School | Phase | Ages | Distance | Inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barley (VA) Church of England First School | Primary | 3–9 | 300 m | Good (Jan 2023, overall grade under the previous framework) |
Food hygiene ratings nearby
| Business | Type | Distance | Rating | Rated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Margaret House SG8 8JS | Hospitals/Childcare/Caring Premises | 320 m | 5 Very good | 12 Nov 2025 |
| The Fox & Hounds SG8 8HU | Pub/bar/nightclub | 330 m | 5 Very good | 20 Feb 2026 |
| Barley Post Office & Stores SG8 8JW | Retailers - other | 330 m | 5 Very good | 21 Jun 2011 |
| Barley C of E School SG8 8JW | School/college/university | 330 m | 5 Very good | 5 Nov 2019 |
Crime within 250 m
| Category | Crimes |
|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 2 |
| Vehicle crime | 1 |
| Other theft | 1 |
Most of these are attached to: On or near School Lane (4).
People and work
Who lives here
| Around this street | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 56 | 40 |
| Children under 15 | 12% | 17% |
| Aged 65 and over | 37% | 18% |
Homes
| Around this street | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Owned (outright or with a mortgage) | 78% | 61% |
| Owned outright | 47% | 33% |
| Shared ownership | 0% | 1% |
| Social rented | 8% | 17% |
| Private rented | 14% | 21% |
Work and commuting
| Around this street | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Adults (16 and over) in work | 50% | 57% |
| Unemployment (of those working or looking for work) | 5% | 6% |
| Retired (of adults) | 34% | 22% |
| Long-term sick or disabled (of adults) | under 1% | 4% |
| Work mainly from home (of those in work) | 56% | 32% |
| Travel to work by car or van | 35% | 48% |
| By train, Underground, metro or tram | 4% | 4% |
| By any public transport, including bus | 4% | 8% |
| On foot or by bicycle | 4% | 10% |
| Work within 10 km (6 miles) of home (of those who travel to work) | 24% | 65% |
| Work 30 km (19 miles) or more away | 28% | 8% |
Education and languages
| Around this street | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Degree or other higher qualification, Level 4+ (of adults) | 46% | 34% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship as highest qualification | 5% | 5% |
| Main language English (aged 3 and over) | 99% | 91% |
| Cannot speak English well or at all | 0% | 2% |
Deprivation
The neighbourhood around this street is in decile 7 of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 1 is the most deprived tenth of England's 33,755 neighbourhoods and 10 the least.
What has changed
Nothing new since the change feed started on 30 October 2026. New sales and energy certificates, and hygiene ratings, school inspections and flood figures nearby, will be listed here as the sources update.
Postcodes on this street
- SG8 8LF: 1 address of 5 in the postcode
Nearby streets
Pudding Lane · School Lane · Pudding Lane · Church End · Crossways · Bank Side · Smith's End Lane
All the streets in SG8 and across North Hertfordshire.
What this page cannot tell you
- Whether a particular house is at risk of flooding, subsiding or anything else: the flood map is a model of areas and there is no property-level data here.
- What a home is worth now: sales are historic prices for the homes that happened to sell.
- How safe the street is: crime points are moved to anonymised locations and many crimes are never reported.
- Whether you would get a place at a school: distances are straight lines, not catchments.
- Who lives on the street now: census figures describe the small areas around it in March 2021, during a lockdown.
- How long a journey takes or how often anything runs: transport distances are straight lines to the nearest stops.
- Whether a GP practice is taking new patients, or a dentist new NHS patients.
- How loud a home is inside, or noise from industry, neighbours or smaller airfields: noise figures are models of road, rail and air traffic outside.
How each figure on this page is matched to the street and worked out: methodology.