Cottonmill Community and Cycling Centre

For years people have been saying 'if only St Albans had a cycle hub'.  And now, the Cottonmill and Sopwell community, with support from Verulam Cycling Club (who organise youth cycling at the Hub site) and other local organisations and St Albans District Council, are making it happen!  Years of campaigning and consulting and the building is now being built.

However, in spite of all the fundraising effort and successful grant applications, because of rising costs there is a budget shortfall.  If you would like to help with closing the funding gap, head over to the Cottonmill and Sopwell Hub website for details of the Crowdfunder and also contact info if you are a business that would like to donate rewards or sponsor the project.

The target for Crowdfunder (ie donations from individual people) is £20,000, and this will pay for:

- a Changing Places toilet

- kitting out the Community Kitchen

- creating the Quiet Room

- building the all-ability Cycling Track

The Hub will be a boon for Five Miles to Fabulous, giving us a starting point further west and also access to a cycle workshop and refreshments.

Saturday 13 November 2021 - Further Faster Lazy Llama

Seven of us set out along the Alban Way to Verulamium Park, where the Park Run had just finished. We all managed to cycle up The Causeway, although we were panting at the top! We went along the King Harry Lane path to the Hemel Hempstead Road, then up Bedmond Lane to Potters Crouch. The ride was a figure-of-eight, as we went past Potters Crouch Farm and down Blunts Lane, over the motorway to Whitehouse Lane and Sergehill, turning right into Bedmond Lane. Then back up to Potters Crouch Farm and this time going past Plaistows Farm and along Noke Lane. We cycled on the path at the Noke and joined the road into Chiswell Green. We cut down to Greenwood Park and stopped at the Lazy Llama café, where the service was very efficient. Aly split off there as she lived close by, and the rest of us cycled through the wood, joined Watford Road, then down Robert Avenue to Vesta Avenue. We then went through by the garages onto Abbots Avenue West, then Berners Drive and back on the Alban Way to Morrisons. We cycled nearly 15 miles. The weather was dry with no wind. Everyone enjoyed the ride and was pleased to be out in the fresh air.

Saturday 6 November 2021 - Hatfield

Our simple booking system did its thing again, coping well with a little flurry of late adjustments.  Planned leader was Rona, but she was on the sick list.  However, with a squad of 'regulars' booked on and a late leader substitution courtesy of Angela, the ride went ahead in a spirit of fabulous capability.

It went quite a way east in fact:

5 of us had a gentle cycle ride to Hatfield
Plenty of time for a nice coffee stop (Erols)
And home easy by lunchtime.

That is the ride report.

No photo attached, but submitted along with the ride report was an instruction to arrange good weather for an season-closing ride in early December.  Check your emails in due course....

If you fancy stopping off at Erol's, here is the gen: Erol's Cafe - Cafe (business.site)

Saturday 23 October 2021 - Further Faster Southdown

 It was a lovely morning for a Further Faster ride led by Teresa.

Six of us set out from Morrisons. Most of us had not been on a formal ride since lockdown, so it was lovely to catch up with everyone.

We went via Sandridgebury Lane to Sandridge, then up Coleman Green Lane. Here we were harangued by a woman in Heartwood Forest about the rubbish that had been dumped in the layby. We took some photos and will forward them to the Council. We managed to curtail the ranting and moved on.

Going left at Drovers Road then across Nomansland we were surprised at how little traffic there was, although it was half-term.  We then went down Pipers Lane, along Grove Road and to the café in Southdown.

Afterwards we cycled back along Grove Road, then up Cross Lane past the stables. We came out on East Common, headed along and then right onto Ayres End Lane. Crossing Harpenden Road we cycled back to St Albans on the cycle path, which was muddy and overgrown in parts. We split at New Greens Ave with some going to the centre of St Albans and some to Marshalswick. The rider who returned to Park Street did the furthest ride! Most of us did about 12-15 miles on a cool, dry day with no wind. 

We forgot to take photos of the group, so here is a picture of the rubbish instead!

Reporting fly tipping: Sadly, we see so much rubbish dumped on our local lanes.  It helps if you report it, and it helps if you take a picture for the report.

Here is the link to St Albans District Council with contacts for reporting fly tipping:

Fly Tipping | St Albans City and District Council  

If further afield, this is the Hertfordshire County Council reporting page:

Report littering or fly tipping | Hertfordshire County Council

If you are not sure who to report to, the ClearWaste website or app will sort it for you:

ClearWaste.com - The Free app for licensed waste removal & Fly‑tip reporting

If you see a fly-tip in progress be vary careful, these can be dangerous people.  Keep yourself safe and dial 999.

Saturday 2 October 2021 - Sandridgebury

For various reasons this ride was scheduled at short notice.  Four riders mustered, with Teresa leading and Rona back-marking.  It is a while since we have ridden north, and we knew that there was a canopy at John The Butcher at The Bothy in Sandridgebury, which was an attractive asset given the weather forecast.

We headed for Jersey Lane, we rode very gently and had very cheerful interactions with the many walkers and their dogs along the way.  We boldly embarked on a loop along Coleman Green Lane, Drovers Lane and back across the edge of Nomansland and Heartwood on the newly installed path.  Rather than tussle with the traffic on the High Street, we rode up to the Heartwood Car Park, hopped over the horse hop and onto the bridleway up to the Scout Hut.  This turned out to be an easier climb than we expected, but we were nonetheless ready for a cuppa.  

We timed our arrival just as a group were moving on, so we got seats under cover.  This was also good timing as the rain got heavier.

Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and a very delicious bacon roll duly arrived.  It was very pleasant to relax and watch the horses going to and fro. We couldn't chat for too long though, more rain on its way, so off we went, one of our baskets heavier by a marrow, very nice veg for sale.

At the back of STAGS we split, two heading off towards Batchwood, the other two ostensibly returning to Morrisons. But they did a little diversion to Botox Bikes, resulting in a bike booked in for a service and one rider completing the course on shank's pony!

Since everyone finished their ride in a different spot the distance ridden can only be indicative, but it was around ten miles, which is pretty good going for a gentle ride.

Saturday 4 September 2021 - Autumn Celebration

 Nine riders today, we split into a Further Faster quintet and a Fabulous foursome.

The Fabulous riders headed off along the Alban Way, but turned off at Hill End Lane and looped through Highfield Park, down Nightingale Lane, along the A414 and up Highfield Lane.  We had a short chat with the chickens at Highfield Farm, then continued up to Highfield Park again, and worked our way west along Highfield Park Drive and Herons Way and down to Ayletts.

Having enjoyed the dahlias we repaired to the Tea Tent for refreshments.  Be advised the tea tent can take card payments only.

The Further Faster riders also headed off along the Alban Way and toured through Roestock, Colney Heath and Tyttenhanger, joining the others at Ayletts Celebration Garden for elevenses.

After coffee and chat we regrouped for the return to Fleetville, via the Camp cycle route.

Saturday 3 July 2021 - Sandridge

Eight riders gathered at Morrisons and split into a trio going Further Faster and a quintet going not so far considerably slower.

Our outward route took us along the Alban Way then through Oaklands College.  The quintet admired alpacas, looking very smart and freshly shorn, and also paused for some botany.  The tall blue not-a-cornflower that does not show up in the photo has been identified (we think) as chicory.

From Sandpit Lane the further faster sped up past Nashe's Farm and through Simonshyde Woods.  The merely fabulous wiggled up to Jersey Lane and glided down to Sandridge, and got to the meeting point first.

We had chosen this quiet corner of the churchyard as it has a bench, a tree for shade (not required today) and plenty of walls and trees to lean bikes against.  Those without flasks popped over to the shop for a carry-out. The booking instructions had said to bring a plastic bag or some such in case the grass was damp, we are very impressed that one of our riders brought a camp chair that folds right down into to a small bag 14" long and 4" diameter, made by Trekology.

We reformed into one group for the return leg, reduced by two who wanted to ride further / take a more direct homebound route.  We ambled up Sandridgebury Lane, splitting off in various directions for home at the junction with Valley Road.

Another shorter, easier ride - the planned routes were seven and twelve mile loops.