Yesterday, we cycled down to St Albans to go on a group ride organised by Siobhan, our local area volunteers co-ordinator, for Sustrans volunteer Rangers in that area. Since the Alban Way is one of the main routes for which they are responsible, it was nice to use that as the core part of our ride.
The Alban Way is a shared use (walking and cycling) path that runs along the old railway line between St Albans and Hatfield. There are a number of such routes in our area.
It's always interesting to me to see old abandoned platforms in various states of disrepair.
I love how the Alban Way feels like a green corridor through quite built-up areas. At times, you may become aware of very busy streets -- even the motorway -- a stone's throw away, but they feel miles away.
One of the things Sustrans Rangers are responsible for is clear, consistent signage. Here, the sign of most interest to me was the one pointed off to the right towards our lunch stop!
It is possible to use this route right through to Hatfield town centre, but we decided to only go as far as the Galleria shopping centre (about 1.5 miles west of the town) before turning back towards St. Albans.
Our lunch stop was The Plough in the picturesquely-named Sleapshyde. As the sign outside said, "it is out of the way but well worth finding". The website proudly hails its location as convenient for cyclists on the Alban Way -- as good an advertisement as any!
While the day was dry with some weak sunshine, the temperatures were chilly, so no one was outside. There was lots of space for our bikes.
Inside, we were greeted by a very inviting hearth fire. The background music -- slightly stagey Irish country -- soon had myself and Siobhan singing and perhaps even doing a little in-the-seat-of-our-chairs dancing. Or swaying, at the least.
We enjoyed a lovely lunch. Steak and ale pie was popular. A round of drinks led to another... and then another... It was enlightening and encouraging to share news of activities and events in our respective areas, and to offer a fresh outlook here and there when asked.
We could have stayed longer but knew we would soon lose the light. So we donned our jackets and hats and gloves and set off back to the Alban Way and the way home. But first, we had to traverse a somewhat rocky, slippy path between ploughed fields.
This was the first bit of 'off roading' I've done on the Enigma -- good fun!
The group split into two when various of our number had to make their way either to St Albans City train station or to St Albans Abbey train station. From City station, Siobhan and David caught trains back to Luton, while Adam set off southward to take care of a DIY matter for my tenant in London.
Me? Having not been to St Albans in 13 years and never having cycled there, I set off for a fast solo ride, reaching home just an hour later.
This was a very enjoyable day out -- lovely to meet new people and see new countryside.
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Field photos kindly taken by Siobhan McSwiggan.
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