03 Jan 2025
If you want to make 2025 your year to take up – or improve – your running, then you are living in the right place. St Albans has a plethora of interesting running routes and clubs to help keep you motivated. Here’s our pick of some of the best…
Off-the-beaten track running routes
These routes will take you away from traffic and pavements busy with pedestrians so you can soak up being in nature while running. The combination has been proven to be a huge stress-buster.
Gorhambury Drive: Gorhambury Drive offers a peaceful running route minutes away from the bustling city centre. The part compacted gravel, part concrete path is accessible from Bluehouse Hill, Beech Tree Lane and Redbourn Road, St Albans.
From Bluehouse Hill to Beech Tree Lane, the route is approximately 2.5 miles passing the Roman Theatre, Gorhambury House, and the ruins of the Old Gorhambury House built by Sir Nicholas Bacon in the 16th century and once visited by Queen Elizabeth I. You’ll have countryside views and sheep, cows, pheasants and horses for spectators while red kites soar overhead.
Be warned there is a steep hill to climb on the way up to the Houses so for a flatter route, turn right at the bottom and head to the Redbourn Road. You can run out and back on along Gorhambury Drive, or from the Beech Tree Lane exit, carefully cross the A414 to run into Appspond Lane and then loop back to Bluehouse Hill by turning on to Potterscrouch Lane.
Or follow Blunts Lane or Ragged Hall Lane to reach Chiswell Green and run around Greenwood Park. From the exit of Bluehouse Hill at Gorhambury Drive, you can cross the
road to run into Verulamium Park and on to the Alban Way. From the Redbourn Road exit, you can carry on along footpaths parallel to the Redbourn Road to reach the Nickey Line or run across to the Harpenden Road. So there are plenty of options to include Gorhambury Drive as part of a shorter to long run.
Please note the Drive offers a permissive footpath over private land and is only usually open between 8am and 6pm and may be closed at the owner’s discretion at any time. Check their website for more details and planned closures: gorhamburyestate.co.uk
Nickey Line: This is an eight mile long converted railway line between Hemel Hempstead and Harpenden.
There are numerous access points along the way including off Redbourn High Street and off Luton Road and Hollybush Lane in Harpenden.
For longer routes, you can come off to loop Redbourn Common or follow permissive paths across fields to reach Rothamsted Park. Be aware that the path involves some crossings of the B487 and A5183. It can get muddy and slippy in some places in the autumn and winter months as some sections are compacted dirt rather than concrete.
For a full history of the line and numerous suggested routes along it, visit: www.nickeyline.org
Alban Way: This is another converted railway line of approximately between St Albans and Hatfield. It is approximately six miles from the entrance off Cottonmill Lane in Sopwell, St Albans to Hertford Road in Hatfield opposite the historic Hatfield House.
There are numerous points where you can access the line along the way including from Orient Close, Ashley Road, Hill End Lane and Ellenbrook Lane.
The section through Smallford has some beautifully decorated former platforms while an underpass beneath Cavendish Way has some colourful motivational art. You can also come off the line at various exits to take in some of St Albans’ pretty parks on your run. For example, if you exit at Camp Road you can then run up to Clarence Park, or from Hill End Lane follow Hixberry Lane to access routes around Highfield Park and Tyttenhanger.
Lea Valley Walk: This route follows the path of the River Lea from Leagrave to East London. It’s 50 miles to run the whole thing but you can pick it up at numerous points in Hertfordshire for a picturesque, traffic-free run.
You can join it from Harpenden at points including Ox Lane, Westfield Road and Waveney Road.
From there you can head North towards Luton on an undulating path passing the Luton Hoo estate and statues of famous local residents, or head south towards Wheathampstead and then on to Brocket Hall.
Heartwood Forest, Childwickbury and Batchwood Forest: Heartwood Forest can be found between Sandridge and Wheathampstead, there are many routes on trail paths to
explore here including across the ancient Nomansland Common.
Owned and managed by the Woodland Trust, you’ll pass ancient trees and newly planted orchards. It’s a beautiful sight throughout the seasons with bluebells filling the woods in April, and autumn colours abundant from September to November.
For a longer run, you can exit at Sandridge High Street to pick up a footpath off House Lane that will then take you through Jersey Farm to Marshalswick. You can then run across Oaklands College via North Drive off Sandpit Lane.
Another option is to exit Heartwood Forest at Ayres End Lane and then head down to the Harpenden Road. You can then run along Childwick Green past Childwickbury House on a path surrounded by fields with views of Gorhambury House.
You can follow the path behind Batchwood Golf Course to exit onto Batchwood Drive, or loop into Batchwood Forest and past the Hawkswick Lodge fruit farm to rejoin Harpenden Road and then head to Sandridgebury Lane to take you back into Heartwood Forest.
Bricket Wood and the Mundens: Paths through Bricket Wood Common can get muddy in the winter but are ripe for exploring if you have trail shoes. For a firmer path, follow School Lane through the woods and you’ll pass the quirky Bricket Picture House.
From School Lane you can also take paths into the Munden Estate and run through this scenic rural estate all the way to Watford. There are also traffic-free trail routes here that will take you into Aldenham and Radlett.
From Drop Lane, you can also run along the pretty Riverside Walk, then cross over Smug Oak Lane to pass the Moor Mill and into Frogmoor fishing lakes to come out on Park Street Lane.
Get on track
If you want to improve your running speed this year, then running intervals on the track (such as five times 1K with two minutes recovery) is a great way to do it.
The track in Verulamium Park was threatened with closure in 2023 due to lack of funding but has been saved by volunteers establishing the Abbey View Community Athletics Track charity. The track is now open to the public at certain times, please see the website for more information and to book an hourly slot: stalbanstrack.co.uk.
If you want to join in a group track session for company and the support of expert coaches, then the track is also home to clubs including St Albans Striders (stalbansstriders.com), St Albans AC (stalbansac.co.uk) and Athena Ladies Running Club (athenarunning.co.uk).
All clubs offer members the chance to train on the track at certain times, as well as doing numerous other social runs. Joining a club is an excellent way to meet new people, find new running routes and increase your fitness. Visit their websites for more information.
Join in a parkrun
Another way to run with others on a marked out route is by joining in a parkrun. These are timed 5K runs held every Saturday at 9am. It’s all completely free. You just need to register on their website in advance for a barcode so you can be sent your 5K time afterwards.
Although it is timed, it is not a race and you don’t have to be fast to join in. You can walk all of it if you choose so you can join in as part of a Couch to 5K plan if you’re starting that in 2025.
St Albans parkrun is held in Verulamium Park. Starting at the basketball courts, it loops around the football pitches before doing two hilly laps of the former golf course behind the track then heading back to the basketball courts to finish.
On the other side of the city, Jersey Farm parkrun loops around Jersey Farm Woodland Park in Sandridge.
Both routes get quite muddy in the winter so trail shoes are recommended.
There are numerous other parkruns in Hertfordshire including in Cassiobury Park and Leavesden Country Park in Watford and Gadebridge in Hemel. For more information visit parkrun.org.uk.
Lucy Waterlow is a journalist, marathon runner and British Athletics coach. She is the author of running books including The Ultimate Guide to parkrun: Everything you need to know about the friendliest 5K in the world, on sale now.
