Six riders again this month, for our final ride of 2014. We were revisiting the Green Ring, to see what has happened in the last 12 months. First off, big round of applause for St Albans District Council's Alban Way improvement - the retaining wall by the oak tree just west of Sutton Road. We stayed on road around Hatfield Road - quiet at 09:30h on a Saturday morning - and up Woodstock Road and Jennings Road. It is a gradual uphill here, we were glad to get over the railway bridge and onto Lemsford Road. This time last year the bridge was closed for water main works.
Since last year a raised table has been built, so it was easy to get onto Lemsford Road itself for a short way, then we walked up through the woodland alongside Sandpit Lane. The official notice to upgrade the informal path through this 'common land' was posted in the paper this week. We walked over to cross where the toucan crossing will be installed, walked up the footway and then rode along Heath Road and Boundary Road.
Over Sandridge Road onto Bernards Heath, where youngsters were setting up some sort of training session - the very youngest waved at us! This section across the heath has already been upgraded for the Green Ring. The next section from Heath Farm to Harpenden Road is also still at statutory formalities stage - that white square in the photo is an official notice!
We did not fancy a muddy path today, so rode carefully down Heath Farm Road and crossed straight over the Harpenden Road. There is to be a toucan crossing, a bit further down. As there was no-one on the pavement, we rode slowly along. But this was too flagrant for a man on the other side, who actually crossed the road to harangue our back marker. Oh dear, bit embarrassing. The more so since none of us would normally ride this bit of pavement, we have alternative routes for our usual journeys. Anyway, we were soon on legitimate shared use pavement and NCN6 to Batchwood Drive. The footway starts off as shared use here, and there is no actual end of route sign. But we did go with great care on the narrower section along to Everlasting Lane, where we were back on road through Ladies Grove to Downedge, then a quick footway link to Oysterfields.
The crossing of Verulam Road is at design stage, we deemed it preferable to just ride on the road through to Branch Road and St Michaels round to Verulamium Park. Lots of activity in the park, kids scooting, cycling and playing and adults pounding along with rucksacks doing 'warrior fitness'. From here on the Green Ring is almost all done, save upgrading the crossing of Holywell Hill to toucan and installing a raised table at the Prospect Road junction. The footway is signed for shared use from Prospect Road round to Griffiths Way and along to the level crossing. Back onto the Alban Way, we were ready for coffee.
We went to Sandino's on Hatfield Road for our refreshment and perusal of maps and plans. Having missed out on art in September, we took advantage of the
pop-up art gallery at 131 Hatfield Road, where steampunk pieces made of bicycle components were displayed on a table made out of an old road-sign. And the lamp has a cycle chain pull-cord.
The gallery is open until late December, the art changes from week to week. More info, including gallery opening times and pictures of more artworks can be found at
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