Length: 14 km (8.7 miles)
Toughness: 2 out of 10 (a bit more when Bricket Common is slubberdub)
London Euston: 10-24 hrs West Midlands service to Northampton
Arrive Watford Junction: 10-39 hrs Change trains
Leave Watford Junction: 11-00 hrs West Midlands service from Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey
Arrive Garston: 11-05 hrs
Return
Either
St Albans Abbey to Euston, changing at Watford Junction: 15-07, 16-06, 16-52, 17-37, 18-37 and 19-17 hrs
Or
St Albans City to London St Pancras: 6 fast trains an hour plus stopping services
Rail ticket: if you are returning from the Abbey station, buy a day return to St Albans Abbey. If you are planning to return from the City station, you will need separate singles today.
We traditionally post this walk just before Christmas, as at walk-end it is a nice to visit the Cathedral - and the Christmas Market in its precincts (if it hasn't been cancelled this year).
As for the walk, it is surprisingly rural given much of its route is squeezed in between two motorways. Yes - in places you can hear traffic noise, depending on the wind's direction, but it seldom spoils ones enjoyment of this walk. Setting out from Garston, we soon walk through Bricket Wood Common, which at any time of year can be squelchy, and after periods of heavy rain - muddy. But this leg does not last long, and we are soon walking through the grounds of Munden House before we head along a long, undulating bridleway to Netherwylde Farm. We then cross the river Colne then a field and continue along a long field edge to Moor Mill, and the river Ver. I suggest we stop here for lunch at the Moor Mill (Inn), part of the Beefeater chain of family pub-restaurants - it is better than you might think, and perfectly adequate for a SWC lunch stop. After lunch we will spend a few minutes feeding the ducks from the twenty pence food dispensers - harmless fun !
The afternoon leg has us crossing a pedestrian bridge over the M25 before an undulating woodland section with lakes down below takes us towards the village of Park Street - with its two pubs, for anyone who did not fancy Moor Mill. We then continue over water meadows - which can be squelchy - to follow the River Ver on the Ver Valley walk towards St Albans - and its Cathedral. After visiting the Cathedral and taking tea, if you wish you can stay on to attend Choral Evensong at 5 pm - a delightful short service. We then say goodbye to the Cathedral and head down towards the Fighting Cocks pub - a must for lovers of real ale - then it's through Verulamium Park, with its lakes and Roman ruins. We leave the park just after the sports centre to cross an A road by lights - to head up a short section of access road to St Albans Abbey railway station. Directions to the alternative, St Albans City railway station are included in the Walk Directions - with link below.
T=1.7
Walk Directions are here: L=1.7
3 comments:
The tearoom at the cathedral serves great teas and cakes (closes 4pm). Usually at 5pm there is a 30 minute Evensong (check their website), which cannot be heard in a better setting or with better acoustics. Worth hanging around for while visiting the cathedral, a true historic monument with the oldest parts dating from the 11th C.
Thank you P Rainey for you mentioning Evensong in the Cathedral. Yes - it should take place today at 5 pm - and a treat for churchgoers and non-churchgoers who appreciate fine music.
4 off different trains met at Watford Junction, 1 was an hour ahead, and 1 an hour behind who joined us at lunch, so that made n=6 for today's walk to St Albans. Where were the rest of you ? You missed a lovely, Christmas walk.
It was unseasonably mild, and whilst it would have been nice to swap a few degrees for just a glimpse of the sun, we had no reason to complain as it was dry. So that is w=cloudy-and-mild.
Last weekend Mr M Tiger had a pop at the mud on his Sunday walk. Just as well he was not with us today, as mud levels all day were high; surprisingly so, given we had not had that much rain recently. Having squelched and slid through Bricket Wood Common we continued on our way to Moor Mill, where 3 of us had a good value two-course lunch at the Beefeater, with our fourth companion joining us for a beer.
After lunch I stayed behind the others, to take time over my coffee, but mainly because I was book checking, which is easier when alone. I was meant to re-join my companions in the St Albans Cathedral caff, but when crossing the soggy Ver Valley Meadows I slipped and tweaked a groin muscle. By the time I reached the outskirts of St Albans I was hobbling and down to a snails pace, and decided to head straight for the Abbey Station: I would not have made it up the hill to the Cathedral. Whilst I was disappointed not to meet up with my walking companions, and enjoy a visit to the Cathedral, I consoled myself over the fact I had visited the Cathedral recently - on 06 November, at the end of our Harpenden to St Albans walk. But I hope my colleagues enjoyed their visit today. Do post a comment if you retired post Cathedral caff to Ye Olde Fighting Cocks for a tincture, or maybe you stayed on for Evensong ?
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