I haven't been getting as much cycling in as I would like but this week everything is falling into place and I therefore found the time to ride the Alban Way from St Albans to Hatfield and take photographs as I went. An hour of up and down pedalling from High Barnet through Shenley got me to the St. Albans Retail Park which is the place where most people wouldn't expect an off road cycle ride to start but it simply shows you how cycle routes can hide in plain sight if you aren't really looking for them. Handy though as I was able to get some snacks in Sainsbury's and they have public toilets (don't forget to take your mask so you can enter the store).
You can see the National Cycle Route blue sticker on the pole, you get better at spotting these on long rides.
I have never seen a train on this line in my handful of visits, I am told it connects St Albans to Watford which is a most useful branch line. The approach is carefully arranged such that you cannot walk straight out, you slalom to the track.
Excellent signage and clearly St Albans is well organised for cycling.
This former station is now a children's nursery.
This sign could do with a clean. I turned the handle but I didn't hear anything.
Hard to appreciate the scale of the bridge without being there.
Lovely little bridge.
The lovely premises ocne occupied by Nicholson & Co. coat manufacturers.
There is a lot to do in this
park (click for link to website) Love the fact they used level crossing gates
A standard cycle route marker (they come in many colours)
A sad story.
Why forty shillings, not two pounds?
If you look up you see things, such as bird boxes
I thought this clock was musical but it turned out to be wind chimes nearby but no wind today so I didn't hear them.
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Milk often used to travel by train but once the network was cut road probably became the main delivery route
An awful lot of stops, best not be in a hurry but we travelled shorter distances back then.
Lovely sun illuminating the signal.
One of my favourite places on this route, right alongside the A1, I never knew this path existed despite using the A1 hundreds of times.
A tranquil route just yards from the A1
The end, the galleria.
I discovered that you can go under this road and then alongside the east side of the galleria and into central Hatfield.
All that was left was for me to take cycle route 12 though South Hatfield and Welham Green down Swanland Road to South Mimms services, skirt round Ridge, cross the horse bridge and return home along Galley Lane. Three and a half lovely hours in the saddle and taking photos. What would have been beyond me one year ago is now not at all daunting.
Enjoy your cycling.
Derek
