Length: 14¼ km (8.9 miles). Toughness: 1/10
10:52 Crewe train from Euston, changing at Watford Junction (arr 11:13, dep 11:18 from Platform 11; be quick!) and arriving Garston at 11:23. If you don't trust West Midlands Trains to make this connection you'd have to take the 10:24 Birmingham train, arriving WJ at 10:44. [From south or west London you could take the 10:16 Southern train from Clapham Junction, arriving WJ at 10:58].
There are two stations in St Albans for the return journey. From the main (City) station there are fast Thameslink trains at xx:27 & xx:57 and slower ones at xx:07 & xx:37. If you want to return via Watford Junction, trains from the Abbey station are hourly at xx:41.
Tickets on the two lines are not interchangeable. However, an off-peak single to Garston is now pretty cheap as this line is included in the new fare structure (off-peak single = half price of return), so buying two singles is not as disadvantageous as it used to be. [And it's now cheaper to buy two singles even if you're returning from St Albans Abbey.]
Every now and again I feel like giving an outing to a classic walk which has become neglected. This one has had regular midweek outings in December but very few on a weekend; its last Sunday posting was 7½ years ago. I thought a procession of walkers into a cathedral city would be particularly appropriate on Palm Sunday, although you'll probably need to acquire a donkey from somewhere if you want to be greeted by cheering crowds waving palm branches.
The suggested place for a pub lunch is the Moor Mill Beefeater, after 6¼ km. There are some watering-holes further along in the next village (Park Street) and of course plenty of refreshment places in St Albans itself. The Cathedral is well worth visiting; if you're too late for its Abbot's Kitchen Café (closes 4pm) there are other places nearby which stay open later.
In normal circumstances ground conditions in spring ought to be better than December, but after the recent monsoons don't be too surprised if you come across some muddy woodland paths and squelchy meadows. Note that if the riverside path into St Albans is still blocked you'll have to follow a diversion; this is covered in the directions on the L=1.7 page.
7 comments:
Did anyone else survive this walk. I'm on 16.37 train . The valley flooding was quite a problem. 6 started, how many finished?
N=6 today.
The walk was fine to lunch and beyond. Mud mostly minimal. Firm surfaces, except for occasional patches, All was fine The walk wasn’t living up to its “Ghastly to St Awful”reputation at all. Until……..
Lunch was at a Beefeater in a wetlands, again quite fine, maybe a little slow with the service. An uninspiring range of drinks but hey ho! A kindly benefactor proffered crisps. Everyone happy. All fine until….
Off we plodded through a more muddy bit to Park Street, then back onto the Ver Trail. And that’s where the trouble began…..
The trail got progressively wetter and wetter until it wasn’t trail it was marsh. Like deep over-the- ankles water as far as the eye could see. (Well, as far as the distant gate anyway).
Somehow 3 wellywearers got across. Then a fourth managed to tuft-jump a way through. This left 2 who just couldn’t make it. And not for want of trying. That section is near impassable. Do not attempt without wellies. (I’m tempted to say without waders). I’ll never complain about wet socks again. Not now I know what wet socks are. :( The back two abandoned the walk there and retired to the Overdraught for more beer. Then to Park Street station for an earlier than planned return to London.
Still, at least it was w=sunny and, on the way back to the Overdraught we spotted an egret and a huge fox.
Well, overall it was enjoyable. However wouldnt ask to walk through marshland as an option. It was pretty filthy at times.
I needed six fairycakes on the train journey from the shop at St Albans City station to help me.
And no pints all day.
The pub couldn't provide any draught beer or hot water for tea, but the food came, I thought, surprisingly quickly, though cutlery with which to consume it appeared rather later. Prices were low by London standards.
The Roman name for St Albans was Verulanium. The river through it is still called the Ver. We saw several signs describing work to improve its ecology. Locals told us that water had been released from upstream, to ease these developments by lowering the water level. That, combined with recent rains, is what has waterlogged the area. It's not a permanent situation, but while it persists, wellingtons are certainly recommended.
And to cap it all, while we were trying to get across, 3 bears pedalled past in a giant swan. We thought they might lend a paw, but did they stop? No.
I spoke with a local dog walker after I had finished by careful walking and 'hopping' in the marshes.
He said that this is walkable by going to, and then staying nearer to the river, which was higher than the official route. So after leaving Park Street village and entering the country go to this higher area, not the marshy area as it is now.
Good walk, I thought, which can be repeated earlier rather than later. Some people have mis-nomered it Ghastly to St Albans, when this is not really accurate.
If the local authorities have deliberately contributed to the flooded meadow it does seem odd that they haven't publicised a diversion or laid a boardwalk over the worst bits. The OS map doesn't show any useful alternative right of way going in that direction and the waymarkers confirm that it's on the route of the River Ver Trail, Abbey River Walks and the Abbey Line Trail, and no doubt a few other published walks. You'd think that locals would be agitating for a proper solution.
Moontiger and I looked at our wet feet and bloodied fingers from the barbed wire and decided that the SWC would appreciate a diligent inspection of the Overdraught Inn before scuttling off to Park Street station.
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