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AL postcode area
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The AL postcode area, also known as the St Albans postcode area,[2] is a group of ten postcode districts in England, within five post towns. These cover central Hertfordshire, including St Albans, Harpenden, Welwyn, Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield.
Key Information
Mail for this area is processed at the Home Counties North Mail Centre in Hemel Hempstead, and is delivered from offices at St Albans (Brick Knoll Park AL1), Harpenden (Station Road AL5), and Hatfield (Town Centre AL10). The area covered includes most of the St Albans and Welwyn Hatfield districts, plus the northeastern part of the Dacorum district and very small parts of the Hertsmere, North Hertfordshire and East Hertfordshire districts.
Coverage
[edit]The approximate coverage of the postcode districts:
| Postcode district | Post town | Coverage | Local authority area(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AL1 | ST ALBANS | St Albans (centre) | St Albans |
| AL2 | ST ALBANS | St Albans (south), Bricket Wood, Colney Street, Frogmore, London Colney, Napsbury, Park Street, Potters Crouch, Chiswell Green | St Albans, Hertsmere |
| AL3 | ST ALBANS | St Albans (west), Childwickbury, Flamstead, Gorhambury, Markyate, New Greens, Porters Wood, Redbourn, Sandridge | St Albans, Dacorum |
| AL4 | ST ALBANS | St Albans (east), Blackmore End, Colney Heath, Jersey Farm, Marshalswick, Oaklands, Sandridge, Smallford, Tyttenhanger, Wheathampstead | St Albans, Hertsmere, North Hertfordshire |
| AL5 | HARPENDEN | Harpenden, Kinsbourne Green | St Albans |
| AL6 | WELWYN | Welwyn, Ayot St Peter, Ayot St Lawrence, Digswell, Rabley Heath, Tewin | Welwyn Hatfield, East Hertfordshire, North Hertfordshire |
| AL7 | WELWYN GARDEN CITY | Welwyn Garden City (east) | Welwyn Hatfield |
| AL8 | WELWYN GARDEN CITY | Welwyn Garden City (west), Lemsford | Welwyn Hatfield |
| AL9 | HATFIELD | Hatfield (Old Hatfield), Brookmans Park, Essendon, North Mymms, Welham Green | Welwyn Hatfield |
| AL10 | HATFIELD | Hatfield (new town) | Welwyn Hatfield |
Map
[edit]KML is from Wikidata
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "ONS Postcode Directory Version Notes" (ZIP). National Statistics Postcode Products. Office for National Statistics. May 2020. Table 2. Retrieved 19 June 2020. Coordinates from mean of unit postcode points, "Code-Point Open". OS OpenData. Ordnance Survey. February 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
- ^ Royal Mail, Address Management Guide, (2004)
AL postcode area
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Overview
Definition and Scope
The AL postcode area, also known as the St Albans postcode area, covers central Hertfordshire in England and is designated by the outward code "AL" in the UK's alphanumeric postcode system. This region centers on the city of St Albans and extends to surrounding locales, serving as a key postal division for mail routing within the area.[1] In the broader UK postcode hierarchy, postcode areas represent the largest geographic level, comprising one or two letters that identify major delivery zones managed by Royal Mail. The system enables systematic sorting at bulk mail centers and local delivery offices, with the full postcode—typically 6 to 8 characters—combining an outward code (such as AL followed by a numeral for the district) and an inward code to pinpoint exact addresses. The postcode area itself, however, refers solely to the initial "AL" identifier, distinguishing it from complete postcodes like AL1 1AA.[8] Royal Mail maintains the AL postcode area to support efficient mail delivery across its territory, which is geographically centered at approximately 51.777°N 0.286°W. This area includes 10 postcode districts that subdivide the region for refined processing, ensuring correspondence reaches households and businesses in central Hertfordshire promptly.[1][9]Key Statistics
The AL postcode area encompasses 5 post towns: St Albans, Harpenden, Welwyn, Welwyn Garden City, and Hatfield.[2] It is divided into 10 postcode districts, designated AL1 through AL10.[2] These districts further subdivide into 39 postcode sectors.[2] As of recent data, the area includes approximately 7,779 live postcodes, supporting daily mail delivery across its residential and commercial addresses.[2] The population served by the AL postcode area was 266,475 according to the 2021 Census, with approximately 99,209 households.[3] Updated estimates as of 2024 indicate a population of around 274,000 residents, with a density of 844 people per square kilometer.[10] The geographical extent of the AL postcode area covers roughly 115 square miles (298 km²) in central Hertfordshire, providing essential postal infrastructure for this suburban and semi-rural region.[2]History
Origins of the UK Postcode System
The origins of the UK postcode system trace back to the mid-19th century, when the rapid growth of mail volume in London prompted the introduction of postal districts in 1857. Devised by Sir Rowland Hill, the system divided the city into 10 districts using compass-based letters—EC (Eastern Central), WC (Western Central), N, NW, NE, E, SE, S, SW, and W—encompassing a 12-mile radius around the central General Post Office to enable local sorting and faster delivery.[6] This district model expanded to other major cities starting in the 1860s, with Liverpool divided into four districts in 1864–1865 and Manchester into eight numbered districts in 1867–1868; by 1917, London's districts were subdivided with numbers (e.g., SW1 for parts of Fulham), and the approach had been adopted in additional urban centers like Glasgow, which introduced alphanumeric districts such as G1 in 1923.[6][11] Post-World War II mail volumes surged, straining manual sorting processes and necessitating mechanization to improve efficiency. In response, the General Post Office developed an alphanumeric postcode system to facilitate machine-readable sorting. On 28 July 1959, Postmaster General Ernest Marples initiated a trial in Norwich, assigning six-character codes (e.g., NOR 09N, where "NOR" denoted the locality and the rest specified streets or buildings) to approximately 150,000 addresses, using adapted Single Position Letter Sorting Machines to test automated handling.[12][11][13] The Norwich experiment revealed the need for more granular divisions in the inward code, informing the final design with an outward code for regional sorting and an inward code for local delivery. In October 1965, Postmaster General Tony Benn announced the national rollout, beginning with London (starting in W1 in 1961 and completing major areas by 1967) and extending to provincial regions from 1967 to 1974, ultimately dividing the UK into 121 postcode areas to support nationwide mechanized operations.[12][14]Establishment of the AL Area
The AL postcode area was established during the provincial phase of the UK postcode system rollout, which began in 1967 after the initial implementation in London and continued through to 1974.[6] This phase focused on assigning alphanumeric codes to major provincial towns and their surrounding regions to improve mail sorting efficiency, with the AL code allocated to St Albans as the central head post office for Hertfordshire.[15] The initial districts (AL1 to AL10) were designed to cover existing postal delivery areas centered on St Albans, incorporating nearby towns such as Harpenden and Hatfield to reflect traditional mail routes and population centers.[16] The full implementation of the AL postcode area was completed by 1974, synchronizing with the nationwide postcode rollout's conclusion.[11] Following 1974, the AL area's boundaries underwent only minor tweaks, primarily in the 1980s to incorporate new housing developments and minor delivery route optimizations, with no significant alterations since that period to preserve sorting stability.[17]Coverage
Post Towns
The AL postcode area encompasses five designated post towns—St Albans, Harpenden, Welwyn, Welwyn Garden City, and Hatfield—which function as the second component of the outward code in postal addresses, enabling precise mail routing and delivery by Royal Mail.[18] These towns group underlying postcode districts and reflect the area's geographic and administrative organization within Hertfordshire. St Albans serves as the central hub and primary post town for the AL area, anchoring the urban core with its historic cathedral and Roman origins as Verulamium; it covers districts AL1 to AL4, which form the core of the City of St Albans local authority district with 148,000 residents (2021 Census).[19][20] As a longstanding administrative center in Hertfordshire, it has historically coordinated regional governance and commerce. Harpenden, positioned to the north, functions as a traditional market town with roots in medieval trade fairs; it serves roughly 31,000 residents primarily in district AL5.[21] Its role emphasizes commuter accessibility and local markets, tying into Hertfordshire's agrarian heritage. Welwyn acts as a post town for rural and village locales, including the eponymous village and surrounding hamlets; it covers district AL6, with an estimated 16,000 residents (2021 Census). Historically, it represents smaller administrative nodes in Hertfordshire's countryside, supporting light industry and conservation areas. Welwyn Garden City, designated as a post town for its planned urban extension, embodies early 20th-century garden city principles pioneered by Ebenezer Howard; it encompasses districts AL7 and AL8, home to approximately 50,000 residents.[22] This innovative development has historically driven industrial and residential growth in the region. Hatfield, the post town for southern extents including its airport legacy and the University of Hertfordshire campus, covers districts AL9 and AL10, accommodating about 41,000 residents.[23] It links to Hertfordshire's aviation history and modern education as an administrative outpost. Collectively, these post towns derive from Hertfordshire's historical market and administrative centers, evolving to manage mail for a diverse mix of urban, suburban, and rural settings while preserving regional identity.[20]Postcode Districts and Local Areas
The AL postcode area comprises ten districts, designated AL1 through AL10, each serving specific locales primarily within Hertfordshire. These districts facilitate mail delivery to a mix of urban, suburban, and rural communities, with boundaries that do not strictly align with administrative divisions but generally cluster around key post towns such as St Albans, Harpenden, Welwyn, and Hatfield.[24] The following table summarizes the postcode districts, their associated post towns, and principal local areas covered:| District | Post Town | Main Locales Served |
|---|---|---|
| AL1 | St Albans | Central St Albans city center |
| AL2 | St Albans | Northern and western St Albans, including Bricket Wood, Colney Street, Frogmore, London Colney, Napsbury, Park Street, Potters Crouch, and Chiswell Green |
| AL3 | St Albans | Southern and eastern St Albans, including Childwickbury, Flamstead, Gorhambury, Markyate, New Greens, Porters Wood, Redbourn, and Sandridge |
| AL4 | St Albans | Western St Albans, including Blackmore End, Colney Heath, Jersey Farm, Marshalswick, Oaklands, Smallford, Tyttenhanger, and Wheathampstead |
| AL5 | Harpenden | Harpenden town and Kinsbourne Green |
| AL6 | Welwyn | Welwyn village, including Ayot St Peter, Ayot St Lawrence, Digswell, Rabley Heath, and Tewin |
| AL7 | Welwyn Garden City | Southern and eastern parts of Welwyn Garden City |
| AL8 | Welwyn Garden City | Northern and western parts of Welwyn Garden City, including Lemsford |
| AL9 | Hatfield | Southern Hatfield, including Brookmans Park, Essendon, and North Mymms |
| AL10 | Hatfield | Central and northern Hatfield |