Saturday 30 April 2022 - Southdown via Redbourn

Forecast said cold, and it was not hot, but it was sunny, gloriously so.  Seven of us set off from Fleetville on a fairly ambitious route suitable for a sunny day.  Out via Homewood Road, King Will, Ancient Briton and on up the Harpenden Road.  Although the cycle track is bumpy, it is a relief to be free of the traffic.  The verge has just been well trimmed, tidy along the edge, left to grow long by the hedge.

A lovely freewheel down Beesonend Lane brought us out at Redbournbury.  Ongoing erosion at the ford means the path is getting trickier and trickier, but we managed, no-one got wet!

It was very busy at the mill, lots of people buying bread.  We carried on to Redbourn, using the path next to the road, it has been 'sided', but it's still a narrow, rough path.  We rode around the common instead of up the High Street, re-joined the 'A5' at the north end of the village and continued northward, then turned into Luton Lane and scuttled across the A5183 to get onto lanes to Harpenden.

It was tiresome to be in the traffic again through Leyton Green, but we made it through to Southdown via Rothhamstead and Cravells Road.  We filled the cycle stands at the bottom of Piggotshill, and we overflowed the bench - could we have another one installed please so that we can all have a seat while we enjoy our drinks and cakes from Simmons?

Back to St Albans via Cross Lane and West Common, and through beautiful Childwickbury.

One had already peeled off, and from Batchwood we were dropping out for home, the last of the group heading through Verulamium Park and onto the Alban Way.  The ride was around 19 miles if you got all the way back to Morrisons.

Saturday 23 April 2022 - Ellenbrook Fields

 Mild and breezy, fairly overcast.  Just a Fabulous group out this morning. We decided to evade the easterly headwind by sneaking along in shelter of the Alban Way.  As it has been dry for some time we opted for some off-road options.  Firstly we cut down a byway from the Alban Way to Wilkins Green, then we went for an explore in Ellenbrook Fields.

We headed north and got as far as the memorial, then we backtracked and headed along the taxiway, then along the grass sward next to the hedge to bring us out by Notcutts.

We are unimpressed by the cycle stands, but we managed to secure our cycles one way and another, before we sauntered through the lush nursery and meandered to the cafe, where we had a good-going natter.  Having set the world to rights we emerged, crossed the Hatfield Road and snuck along the field edge through to the hamlet of Springfield, rejoined the Alban Way and sped back with a tailwind.  The Alban Way is lovely at this time of year.

We covered about 9 miles, this does include the distance hiked through Notcutts!