Cycling the Alban way

[hayfield]

Lunchtime we loaded the bikes on to the car and drove to St Albans so we could ride the Alban Way to Hatfield

 

http://www.stacc.org.uk/albanway/AW%20Map%20v2.1.pdf

 

Having rode the Watford to Rickmansworth line on Good Friday we decided to give this one a go, a gentle ride along the route which takes about 30 mins each way. Though we stopped at the Galeria and did not do the final bit through the town. 4.8 miles each way, so even walkable.

 

Parking was easy at St Albans in Cotton Mill Lane (no parking restrictions)

 

One station building still visable, London Road. And another 2 short platforms (about 60' long) still next to the track.

 

Well worth visiting.

[Bernard Lamb]

I rode along this route yesterday.

You have to get across the road at the Galeria and you can then pick up the track along the south side of the shopping centre and follow it right through to the old A1 by Hatfield staion. It does deviate a bit from the actual track bed at a few points in Hatfield so that a spot of navigation is required. The cycle path continues beside the road past Mill Green. If you then follow the road skirting round the QE11 hospital you can pick up the old railway line again and ride all the way to Hertford. This section is asphalt as far as the A414 and the rest is generally drier under wheel than the Alban Way which was quite sticky after the overnight rain. There are also less gates to negotiate on the Hertford line.

Either route, or both combined make a good outing.

Bernard

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

And thirdly, follow the signs into Welwyn Garden town centre, and from behind Campus West you can pick up the Luton and Dunstable branch cycle path, and 'go in to the woods'. I may be biased by having this one on my doorstep, but rate it the prettiest of the lot. All three of Hatfield's branchline track beds are at least preserved in most part by their adoption as cycle routes.

 

Incidentally, the main line North of Hatfield until the divergence of the Hertford and Luton and Dunstable branches at the location that became WGC, until quite recently presented a most impressive six track section, the up and down four track main line flanked East and West by the bidirectional branches. Eric Bruton took a number of notable photographs at selected locations in this section.

[Trevellan]

As a fair weather cyclist I used the Cole Green Way for commuting a few years back, but have never done the Alban Way. I'll have to give it a try. My only link with that was in a professional sense, when the County Council were planning to use it as part of the Central Herts light rail project.