Hertfordshire Walks: 1. Elstree to St Albans

A lovely walk through the best of rural south Hertfordshire. This 12 mile walk will take you through quaint villages, along riverside trails and through open farmland, ending in the historic city of St Albans.

This is a full day out, and you should allow 3.5 to 4.5 hours of walking time with a perfectly situated pub stop along the way.

This is only a brief summary, and a print-out of an OS map (available at www.multimap.com) of the route is highly recommended

If you are driving, leave your car near the Thameslink station in St Albans and get a single ticket to Elstree. For those starting from Elstree you will have this journey to make at the end of the walk.

1. Elstree and Borehamwood station to Elstree golf course (around 20 minutes). Head across the railway bridge on leaving the station and take a right turn off Allum Lane onto a signposted woodland path after around 1/4 mile.

2. Elstree golf course to Butterfly Lane (15 minutes). Cross Watling Street with care and pass through a large field on a diagonal path.

3. Butterfly Lane to Letchmore Heath (30 minutes). Take the path on the right from Butterfly Lane, just after Slades Farm. Follow the signs until you reach Aldenham Road and follow into the village. A good place to rest (and grab a drink in the village pub)

4. Letchmore Heath to Blackbirds Farm (30 minutes). Pass through the village and take a farm track on the right, emerging on the busy B642. Go uphill and take the first left (High Cross). There are signs for Blackbirds Lane.

5. Blackbirds Farm to the Moor Mill (50 minutes). A long stretch. Take a right on reaching the farm, and then a left down a wide track. Once at the bottom of the hill go right and follow the path for around 15 minutes till a small path forks to the left and crosses the river at a footbridge. From here follow the river, crossing it again after the water pumping station to join a well used riverside walk. Cross the road at the end to reach the Moor Mill public house; a good place to stop for a drink or a meal. 

6. Moor Mill to Park Street (30 minutes) Take the path that leads behind the pub and soon crosses the M25 on a footbridge. A well marked path now through the woods in Frogmore Park, and there is an option to walk along the lakes before emerging in Park Street.

7. Park Street to St Albans (45 minutes). Take the small road just behind the newsagents (Burydell Lane) and then at the end follow the path on the left, across fields and eventually reaching Sopwell House. Here, turn left onto Cottonmill Lane and follow the road until you reach the old Abbey Line cycle path. You can follow this all the way to the station, or leave the path to head up to the city centre.

Have you walked all or part of this route? Any comments or suggestions of places to visit along the route are always welcome.

Andy also owns and edits the popular travel blog 501 Places, and is the regular travel correspondent on Radio Verulam.