![[Header#^header-embed]]
> [!SUMMARY]
> Waterend Barn was operated as a restaurant and entertainment venue by the Thrale family for 40 years.
> [!TIP]
> There are two places known as `Waterend`, that are located 6 miles apart and can be confused:
> 1. [[Waterend House]]/*Water End*/*Waterend Farm* - is near the boundary between Sandridge and Wheathampstead at postcode AL6 0EA. It was in Sandridge but is now regarded as being in Wheathampstead; and
> 2. [[Waterend Barn]], is located in St Albans at postcode AL3 5EN.
## Ralph and William Thrale's ownership
In 1938 the Barn was no longer needed for its original use at the farm, and the [Brocket Estate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron_Brocket) decided to dismantle it - timber by timber, re-erect it on a site they owned in the middle of St Albans and let it as a restaurant.
<iframe width=100% height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="https://www.openstreetmap.org/export/embed.html?bbox=-0.3382909297943116%2C51.7519287610756%2C-0.3365394473075867%2C51.7532820225991&layer=mapnik&marker=51.75260539690583%2C-0.3374151885509491" style="border: 1px solid black"></iframe><br/><small><a href="https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=51.75261&mlon=-0.33742#map=19/51.75261/-0.33742">View Larger Map</a></small>
This was completed in 1939 and two brothers, [Ralph Thrale 1905-1993](https://www.thrale.com/sites/all/libraries/tng/getperson.php?personID=I277&tree=tree01) and [William Thrale 1900 - 1977](https://www.thrale.com/sites/all/libraries/tng/getperson.php?personID=I275&tree=tree01), who owned and ran a long-established local business took on the lease.
![[waterend-barn-postcard.jpg]]
<div class="caption">Promotional Waterend Barn postcard.</div>
In the next few years, the site was enlarged with the addition of the Little Barn, brought over from [Little Hormead](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Hormead), which is about 25 miles from St Albans.
In 2009 on a local blog[^1], John Whiley said:
> Best days at the Barn were in 1941 when Thrales had the place. Every Thursday night a dance!
![[waterend-barn-plaque.jpg]]
<div class="caption">Plaque outside Waterend Barn, St Albans.</div>
## Post-1978 ownership
In 1978 - after 40 years of Thrale ownership - the Thrale family sold to the Simmons family of Hatfield, another long-established family baking and catering business.
Later it was run by the Coles family - Robert Coles is the grandson of the founder, Reg Simmons - using the trading name of _Moorsom & Co. Ltd_.
## Currently
In 2005 Waterend Barn was refurbished as a Wetherspoons pub.
## See also
![[st albans 🔎#^st-albans-infoblock]]
![[hertfordshire🔎#^hertfordshire-infoblock]]
#history/place/england/hertfordshire/st-albans/waterend-barn
#history/person/THRALE/ralph-born-1905
#history/person/THRALE/william-born-1900
![[Footer#^footer-embed]]
[^1]: The blog had been deleted by 2023.