Walk 289: St Albans to Redbourn Linear

5.3 miles (8.5 km) with 20m of total ascent

The River Ver before point 10 in the walk

This linear route follows sections of both The Hertfordshire Way and The River Ver Trail connecting St Albans and Redbourn. The route weaves alongside the River Ver through some lovely countryside. However there are days when walking this route is not possible because a section of The Hertfordshire Way will be closed to the public, details below.

A permissive path through the Gorhambury Estate west of St Albans will be closed on certain days including Saturdays from September to the end of January, see the sign below.

Information board at the entrance to the Gorhambury Estate

The section is a permissive footpath which follows The Drive through the Gorhambury Estate. It is also part of The Hertfordshire Way.

The permissive path along The Drive

According to the Gorhambury Estate, the footpath is:

"...normally open 8am-6pm and may be closed at the owner’s discretion at any time. Last access will be 5.30pm each day with the gates to the Drive being locked at 6pm".

The estate also states that notices about any closures will be "placed on the Gorhambury Estate website". Please check before setting off to avoid disappointment.

If the path is closed and you didn't read these directions before setting off you could follow a detour used by The Hertfordshire Way. It follows the busy A4147 NE then turns left on the A5183 to head NW and rejoin the route at point 11, but this involves walking on a pedestrian pavement along two busy A-roads for a total of 1.4km, which is not something we would recommend, see image below.

The detour marked with orange arrows

Other points to note: Dogs have to be kept on a lead when walking through the Gorhambury Estate. Our route crosses a livestock field between points 16 & 17 where you might meet cattle. And you will be conscious of noise from the A5183 from point 8 until the end.

Details of the bus services between the start and finish points are at the end of these directions. Click here to view them.

Fly through preview of walk

If you want to check what sort of landscape you will be crossing before you set off on this walk you can view a short 3D video of the route below. It's created using the free version of Relive.

Directions

Map for Walk 289: St Albans to Redbourn Linear
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Those with GPS devices can download GPX or KML files for this walk. We've added What3Words location references for those who use that system. If you print these walks you might want to use the green PrintFriendly icon at the bottom of these directions to delete elements such as photographs.

1: With your back to the Clock Tower in the centre of St Albans (location - https://w3w.co/puts.corner.chill) cross High Street then go through an archway (location - https://w3w.co/royal.fakes.ranked), see image below.

Waxhouse Gate in St Albans

Head SW through Waxhouse Gate then follow St Albans City footpath 12 as it heads downhill for 100m before reaching St Albans Cathedral (location - https://w3w.co/puts.pure.plan), see image below.

Turn left at the cathedral then keep right

2: Turn left when you reach St Albans Cathedral then, keeping the cathedral on the right, follow the footpath round to the right until you reach the gardens on the south side of the cathedral (location - https://w3w.co/jolly.marble.newly), see green line on the image below.

The route as it weaves round St Albans Cathedral

3: When you reach the lawns below and south of the cathedral turn left then follow St Albans City footpath 12 diagonally downhill heading SW, see image below.

Head SW and downhill from the cathedral

Continue for 305m until you reach a gap at the bottom of the hill (location - https://w3w.co/pads.congratulations.loss), see image below.

Go through the gap then head W

Go through the gap then head W for 20m with Ye Olde Fighting Cocks on your right. The pub claims to have been in business since 793 AD (location - https://w3w.co/jolly.fits.dices), see image below.

Ye Olde Fighting Cocks

After passing Ye Olde Fighting Cocks turn left to reach a bridge over the River Ver (location - https://w3w.co/income.noises.punch), see image below.

Cross the bridge over the River Ver

4: Cross the bridge over the River Ver then head SW on St Albans City footpath 34. Continue, with Verulamium Lake on the right for 300m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/casino.feared.laser), see image below.

Turn right then head NW

5: Turn right on St Albans City footpath 34 then head NW for 605m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/views.winter.tops), see image below.

Turn right then walk through St Michael's churchyard

6: Turn right at the junction then follow St Albans City footpath 34 as it heads through St Michael's churchyard. Continue for 115m until you reach a gate leading to a lane (location - https://w3w.co/caller.stars.sides), see image below.

Go through the gate then continue to St Michael's Street

7: Go through the gate then head N for 30m until you reach St Michael's Street (location - https://w3w.co/shaped.leaves.belong). Turn left on St Michael's Street then head NW for 80m until you reach the A4147 (location - https://w3w.co/dare.entry.rush), see image below.

Head NW down The Drive belonging to Gorhambury Estate

8: Cross the A4147 then head NW down a drive on the other side (location - https://w3w.co/lobby.note.camp). This is The Drive belonging to Gorhambury Estate. You are now on a section of The Hertfordshire Way. As mentioned earlier, this permissive path is closed on certain days including Saturdays from September to the end of January. You can check when it is closed by visiting the estate website where closures are supposed to be announced.

The lodge on The Drive of the Gorhambury Estate

After passing the lodge on The Drive you will reach a gate. Go through the gate then head NW.

The permissive path called the Gorhambury Walk

Continue heading NW for 1.3km until you reach a junction and a track on the right (location - https://w3w.co/posed.easy.intend), see image below.

Turn right then head NE

9: Turn right then head NE. Continue for 315m until you reach a bend immediately after a narrow bridge with a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/nights.bless.scarf), see image below.

Turn left on a permissive footpath which is also The Hertfordshire Way

10: Turn left then head NNW with the River Ver on the left. This section can be muddy after heavy rain.

Continue heading NNW with the River Ver on the left

Continue for 555m until you reach an exit from the Gorhambury Estate leading to the A5183 (location - https://w3w.co/anyway.below.boxing), see image below.

Go through the gate to reach the A5183

11: Go through the gate to reach the A5183. If you look back at this point you will a sign reminding walkers that this permissive path will be locked after 6pm.

The sign at point 11 in the walk

Cross the A5183 to reach a lane (location - https://w3w.co/solve.exist.unrealistic), see image below.

Follow this lane NNE until you reach a junction

Follow this lane, which is also both St Michael Rural footpath 6 and The Hertfordshire Way, NNE for 140m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/rang.violin.among), see image below.

Take the left fork at the junction

12: Take the left fork at the junction then continue heading N on St Michael Rural footpath 6, with the River Ver on the left, for 235m until you reach Shafford Mill, a grade II listed building on the left (location - https://w3w.co/craft.total.match), see image below.

Shafford Mill on the River Ver

Shafford Mill

13: Continue heading in a northerly direction on St Michael Rural footpath 6 with the River Ver on the left for 720m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/going.soon.frame), see image below.

Fork left on St Michael Rural footpath 6

14: Fork left through the hedgerow, still on The Hertfordshire Way. Continue heading N, for 275m until the footpath reaches a service road (location - https://w3w.co/lately.rips.answer) see image below.

Continue heading in a northerly direction on Redbourn footpath 27

15: Continue heading in a northerly direction now on Redbourn footpath 27 for 285m until you reach a gate leading to a livestock field (location - https://w3w.co/trader.think.memo), see image below.

Go through the gate then continue heading N

16: Go through the gate then continue heading N along the edge of a livestock field for 320m until you reach a gate exiting the field (location - https://w3w.co/ocean.feeds.traps), see image below.

Continue through the gate now heading NNW

17: Go through the gate then continue heading NNW, still on Redbourn footpath 27, for 230m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/ending.work.wiped), see image below.

Keep straight at the junction heading NNE

18: Keep straight at the junction heading NNE for 60m to reach a ford (location - https://w3w.co/inspector.casino.sand), see image below.

Take the steps to the right of the ford

19: Take the steps to the right of the ford (see orange arrow on the image above) then turn left to reach an elevated wooden walkway (location - https://w3w.co/jams.marker.kept), see image below.

Cross the walkway on Redbourn footpath 30

Cross the walkway on Redbourn footpath 30 heading WSW for 155m until you reach the River Ver (location - https://w3w.co/usage.fishery.jabs), see image below.

Keep to the right to cross the River Ver on a footbridge

20: Keep to the right to cross the River Ver on a footbridge. Then turn right to head WSW for 70m until you reach Redbournbury Watermill and Bakery on the right (location - https://w3w.co/aside.sugar.crazy), see image below.

Turn right into the watermill grounds

21: Turn right into the watermill grounds passing the bakery on your left and the mill on the right.

Redbournbury Watermill

Head for the path to the left of the mill (location - https://w3w.co/magic.news.ants), see image below.

Head N then NW on Redbourn footpath 29

Head N then NW on Redbourn footpath 29 passing through a couple of gates and continuing for 715m until you reach a gate leading to the A5183 (location - https://w3w.co/dust.estate.slurs), see image below.

Go through the gate then cross the A5183

22: Go through the gate then cross the A5183 taking a footpath on the opposite side (location - https://w3w.co/dinner.weeks.sailor), see image below.

Cross the A5183 to reach a footpath

Follow Redbourn footpath 24 WSW

Follow Redbourn footpath 24 WSW for 35m. You might be able to pick up some farm produce or plants at this point, see images below.

Fresh eggs from Dolittle Laying

Plants for sale

Continue until Redbourn footpath 24 turns right (location - https://w3w.co/angle.count.flute), see image below.

Turn right to continue on Redbourn footpath 24

23: Turn right to head NW on Redbourn footpath 24. Continue for 820m until you reach the Redbourn Bypass (location - https://w3w.co/moss.lance.pits), see image below.

Cross the bypass heading for a footpath on the other side

24: Cross the bypass heading for a continuation of Redbourn footpath 24 on the other side (location - https://w3w.co/solve.safely.form). Take this footpath then cross a track.

Follow the footpath up a former railway embankment

Continue on Redbourn footpath 24 heading up a former railway embankment until you reach The Nickey Line (location - https://w3w.co/cars.candle.from), see image below.

Turn right on The Nicky Line

The Nickey Line (also known as the Harpenden to Hemel Hempstead branch railway) is a disused railway that once linked the towns of Hemel Hempstead and, initially, Luton but later Harpenden via Redbourn.

25: Turn right on The Nickey Line then follow the former track NE for 245 until you cross a bridge to reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/jars.town.orange), see image below.

Turn left then go down the steps

26: Turn left, then go down the steps to reach High Street in Redbourn (location - https://w3w.co/sobs.gown.necks). Turn right on High Street then head NNW for 320m to reach the bus stop where you can catch a bus to the start of the walk  (location - https://w3w.co/from.engage.spout).

Bus information

When we tested this walk in November 2024 we parked in a public car park in Redbourn (location - https://w3w.co/hope.holly.rivers) then walked to High Street to catch the number 34 bus to St Albans then walked back to Redbourn. The number 34 bus takes 15 mins and runs every day apart from Sunday.

If you are doing this walk on a Sunday and want to get the bus back you will need to catch the 357. On Sundays the 357 runs four times a day and goes via Harpenden taking 40 mins. Check the Sunday timetable for the 357 at BusTimes.

The bus stops for both the 34 and 357 are along High Street in Redbourn at (location - https://w3w.co/just.tiles.jets).

In St Albans the number 34 stops at stand 12 in St Peters Street (location - https://w3w.co/play.glad.books). You can check bus times at Intalink and at BusTimes. The 357 stops at stands 2 & 13 in St Peters Street, St Albans (location - https://w3w.co/movie.letter.public).

Interactive map

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