Starad two

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Walked from St Albans to Radlett. Mostly fine but the meadow crossing is very difficult to walk dryshod in anything other than wellies except maybe in very dry conditions. The road walking at the south end is tedious but quick, safe and direct.

From St Albans City station, we turn right past the taxi rank taking the signposted cycle track towards St Albans City station. This crosses a minor road and passes through a residential building before descending an easily graded ramped zigzag path to join the Alban Way old railway path. This takes us over the river. Ignore the first path right down a flight of steps as there is a flat crossing a little further on.

We then follow Monks Gate onto Cottonmill Lane. This has a pavement most of the way apart from the short bendy section past the mill and over the river. Just beyond the bridge we take the signposted Ver Way path right, which follows the edge of a cow pasture (but is fenced off so no danger here). Just before the North Orbital Road bridge we cross to the west bank of the river and follow the track under the main road and back over the river into the riverside meadow nature reserve.

Our path leaves this track right, initially on a well marked path which continues beyond the point where we are asked to follow the signposts across the wettest part of the meadow. Although this crossing is not unsafe and has plenty of marker posts, there are plenty of places where it is easy to step into something deeper than a normal walking boot, perhaps because the posts cause the trodden lines to deepen. It may have been unusually wet when I walked it (there have been a lot of heavy showers over the last week), but it could be much wetter in winter flood conditions, so it is a bit of a shame that all four St Albans-Radlett routes are forced to use it.

Beyond the wet field the path is good again, and we soon reach Burydell Lane which takes us into Park Street where there are shops and pubs. We cross the main road and turn right onto Park Street Lane. The GPX line suggests staying on the road to the far side of the park/cricket field, but unless a match is in progress a direct line through the park is possible. We pass a primary school and go straight on into the riverside nature reserve, going mostly straight on to cross the river to Hyde Lane, where we cross the car park and go straight on.

Eventually we pass an industrial site and turn right under the M25, crossing under the motorway by the river. We follow Moor Mill Lane, bearing slightly right past a pub, then crossing Smug Oak Lane to the bridleway, which leads us up to Radlett Road. The remainder of the walk is on pavements - it is best to stay on the right/west side because the left hand pavement has a long gap both sides of Harper Lane. Eventually we reach suburban Radlett, where there are several places with central refuges to ease the crossing. There are plenty of pubs, shops and restaurants before the signposted road left to the station meeting point.

I walked this from St Albans to Radlett. The first part of the route quickly leaves St. Albans itself, and then follows the Alban way for a bit, and then the Abbey Line Trail - both former railway lines. It then follows the river Ver trail, which can be muddy in places. There is also a need to cross a rather soggy meadow. At least they have put the posts back up which were missing when I walked the Alban Way some months ago. The Frogmore lakes were lovely too. Up until going underneath the M25, this route would have been a 5 star one, but unfortunately the last 1½ mile is along a road, and although not unsafe as there is a segregated path for for most of the length, not entirely pleasant.

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