Green Ring Recce

Seven riders set off, we were delighted to welcome three ladies to their first Fabulous ride.  The objective was to circumnavigate the proposed route of the Green Ring, paying special attention to the three small sections currently out for consultation.

Strictly speaking, we failed in our objective, as we did not actually wiggle past the oak tree at the back of Morrisons.

Well, we know it well, and we had already shifted our meeting spot to the sunny side of Hatfield Road, so hey!  Off we went up Woodstock Road, and our objective was again modified to accommodate the closure of Jennings Road footbridge, we diverted via Blenheim Road and Sandpit Lane.  Being fabulous, it did not trouble us to walk the footway up the hill to Lemsford Road, but it was a relief even so to get a bit further away from the horrible traffic and wend our way through an autumnal informal path.

Our next opportunity for muddy trails through trees came on the next consulting section, across Bernards Heath, firstly from Sandridge Road to Harpenden Road and then through to emerge on  NCN 6 (see left).  Those of us with local knowledge opined that Everlasting Lane would be too muddy even for intrepid explorers such as ourselves, so we reconnoitred Ladies Grove.  Some of us were even bold enough to ride up through Oysterfields and Temple View to check out the third consulting section, a link across the park.

The picture (left) is misleading on two counts – that is not a temple, it’s a lamp post, a hospital chimney and a litter bin, and that is an existing path, not the proposed one, which is off to the left.

After all this hard work, we were ready for our coffee stop at the Inn on the Park and thereafter an easy ride through the park and along the Alban Way back to Morrisons.  You have until 12 December to get your Green Ring three sections comments in.  Our coffee stop was an impromptu planning meeting, so watch out for dates, but expect at least two rides from Harpenden in 2014 as well as the usual Fleetville rendezvous.