Sunday Walk: Garston to St Albans

#2026-07-19T09:56

14.55km (9.04 miles), difficulty 2/10

From Garston this pleasant walk, a mix of sun and shade, goes through Bricket Wood Common, Munden parkland, and on to Moor Mill Inn, a possible early lunch stop. From there to  Park Street, where you find another lunch option. Then the Ver Valley walk takes you right into St Albans. In St Albans, you got Verulanium Park with its Roman remains. The museum there is open Sundays but last admission is 3:30. The historic Abbey/Cathedral is worth a look (free entry, donation suggested).

A kindly walk poster tried this walk out 2 weeks ago and found no obstructions. The  occasionally-boggy bit after Park Street was bone-dry (hopefully still the case, but feel free to wear your wellies if you must) and the diversion (mentioned at point 37) is gone. OK, so you pass a couple of motorways, but you can't have everything.

Trains:  Get the 9:56 Crewe train from Euston to Watford Junction arriving 1011. Change to the 10:18 St Albans Abbey train Platform 11. Arrive Garston 10;23

Return trains from St Albans Abbey are hourly at xx:41 changing again at Watford Jct. 

A return to St Albans Abbey is suggested. Follow the directions to finish there– you can still route round most of the sights.

Trains are faster and more frequent back from St Albans City but it's a trek to get there and you'd need a separate ticket to return. 

Freedom Pass holders could get the 9:13 Overground from Euston, platform10, free to Watford Junction (arrives 10:05 platform 1, stops everywhere).  Ticket needed beyond.

If wilting a bit, for a shorter walk, you could finish at Park Street, trains back at xx;47.

Lunch: choose between

Moor Mill (tel. 01727 875557), part of the Beefeater chain. Groups of more than 6 should try to book. 35 minutes later, in Park Street, there's the Overdraught pub (tel: 01727-768221).

Tea     

The suggested tea place is the Abbots Kitchen just inside the Cathedral, which is open daily until 4 pm. 

 An alternative is Abigails (tel: 01727-8560039) in the Village Arcade in the Cathedral precincts, which is open daily until 5 pm. 

Downhill from the cathedral, Ye Olde Fighting Cocks (tel: 01727869152), claims to be one of the oldest pubs in England. 

Directions: here T=1.7