The Abbey Flyer walks
Bricket Wood: The Common
| Distance: | Short route 3 km (1½ m) Long route 6.5 km (4 m) |
|---|---|
| Time: | Short route approx 1 hour Long route approx 2 hours |
| Rating: | Short route easy Long route moderate Some roadside stretches and muddy paths on both routes. Wellingtons needed in winter |
| Starting point: | Bricket Wood stationshow me on a map |
Route description
Start by taking the Abbey Flyer to Bricket Wood Station
The Abbey Flyer runs between Watford Junction and St Albans Abbey stations. For train times call the Intalink Traveline on 0870 608 2 608
The Abbey Flyer waymarks (shown below) will guide you around this circular walk. Follow the route in a clockwise direction. Beware of traffic on Drop Lane, School Lane and when crossing Smug Oak Lane.
Short Route
Loop 1 clockwise
- Turn left onto Station Road, then right down Drop Lane.
- Turn right through a kissing gate (K) into a field.
- Turn right and take the farm track to School Lane.
Long Route
Loop 2 then Loop 1 clockwise
- Continue on Drop Lane.
- Turn left and follow the hedge around the training college complex.
- Do not cross the motorway bridge, instead turn right and follow the Ver Valley Walk back to Smug Oak Lane.
- Cross the Lane and head down Riverside Way, which runs parallel to Drop Lane and the river Ver.
- Turn left to return to Point 2 and then go left to complete.
Points of interest
From School Lane you get a good view of Bricket Wood Common. Parts of the Common are ancient semi-natural woodland, having been there for well over 600 years. However, as little as one hundred years ago there would have been a lot more open heathland. This is because local people with grazing rights over the common used the area to feed their animals. This prevented woodland establishing on the heathland.
Commoners rights are no longer exercised and therefore woodland has re-colonised areas of heathland. The Common is now sensitively managed to ensure a rich diversity of plant and animal species remains.
There are a number of paths for walkers to use to explore the Common further.
Loop 2 of the walk follows the course of the River Ver, a chalk stream that starts north of Redbourn in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and ends here in Bricket Wood where it meets the River Colne. Chalk streams are an internationally rare wildlife habitat. They support some of our most threatened plants and animals and contribute to the beauty of the landscape.
This walk explores part of Watling Chase Community Forest. Watling Chase has a thirty year programme to improve the countryside around towns. This will make the area a more attractive place in which to live, work and enjoy leisure time, and benefit wildlife too.
This is one of a series of walks starting at Abbey Flyer stations. Others explore Verulanium from St Albans Abbey station, the River Ver from Park Street Station, and the Moors from How Wood station.
Rights of Way symbols you might see
|
Yellow arrows indicate footpaths for pedestrian use only |
| Blue arrows indicate bridleways for horse riders, cyclists and pedestrian use only |
| Red arrows indicate Byways Open to All Traffic (BOAT) for horse riders, cyclists and pedestrians and may be legally used by other wheeled vehicles |
| Black arrows indicate Roads Used as Public Paths (RUPP) for horse riders, cyclists and pedestrians and may be legally used by other wheeled vehicles |
Maps
This map is based on Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Hertfordshire County Council 100019606 2004.
The Ordnance Survey mapping included within this web-site is provided by Hertfordshire County Council under licence from the Ordnance Survey in order to fulfill its public function to provide information relating to its activities, services and plans. Persons viewing this mapping should contact Ordnance Survey copyright for advice where they wish to license Ordnance survey mapping for their own use.
See the Ordnance Survey site for more information.
Download the leaflet
bricketwood.pdf 324kB
