Summary of route

This 50 mile circular route starts at St.Marks, Colney Heath, which takes in 43 churches. The route passes through Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Hertford, Ware, Hertford (again), Waterford, Bramfield, Welwyn Garden City, Lemsford, St.Albans.

The route has been chosen to avoid busy roads and hills (!), and to use cycle paths where possible.

This table summarises the churches visited on this route. Starting at St.Marks at 10:00, we only managed to get to number 38 by 6pm, but then we spent a lot of time looking in the other churches on the route.

1  Colney Heath           St.Mark's Close     St.Marks                          197 062
2  Hatfield               Bishop's Rise       St.John                           220 069
3  Hatfield               Bishop's Rise       St.Peter (RC)                     220 076
4  Hatfield               Woods Ave           Oxlease Methodist Church          225 078
5  Hatfield               St.Albans Road East St.Luke                           227 088
6  Hatfield               St.Albans Road East Christ Church URC                 229 089
7  Hatfield               Birchwood Ave       St.Michael                        226 094
8  Hatfield               Birchwood Ave       Birchwood Avenue Methodist Church 223 094
9  Welwyn Garden City     Hollybush Lane      St.Mary                           246 112
10 Letty Green          * Chapel Lane         St.John                           286 109
11 Hertingfordbury        St.Mary's Lane      St.Mary                           309 119
12 Hertford               St.Andrew St        St.Andrew                         323 126
13 Hertford               Cowbridge           Cowbridge URC                     324 128
14 Hertford               A414                All Saints                        328 125
15 Hertford               Railway St          Society of Friends House          328 127
16 Hertford               St.John's St        St.Joseph's (RC)                  329 129
17 Ware                   New Road            Christ Church                     360 145
18 Ware                   High St             Leaside Methodist/URC             358 144
19 Ware                   Church St           St.Mary the Virgin                356 145
20 Ware                 * High St             Salvation Army                    356 145
21 Hertford               St.Leonard's Rd     Friend's of St.Leonards           330 136
22 Hertford               New Road            Holy Trinity                      325 136
23 Waterford              Goldings Lane       St.Michael                        313 146
24 Bramfield                                  St.Andrew                         291 157
25 Digswell                                   Warren Way Village Church         244 154
26 Welwyn Garden City     Haldens             Christ the King                   248 142
27 Welwyn Garden City     Parkway             St.Francis                        237 128
28 Lemsford               Lemsford Village Rd St.John                           218 120
29 Wheathampstead                             St Thomas More(RC)                178 139
30 Wheathampstead                             St.Helen                          176 140
31 Wheathampstead                             Brewhouse Hill URC                175 138
32 St.Albans              Childwick Bury      St.Mary                           141 107
33 St.Albans              High Oaks           Christ Church                     147 092
34 St.Albans              St.Peter's St       St.Peter's                        150 076
35 St.Albans                                  St.Albans Cathedral               145 070
36 St.Albans              Malborough Rd       Malborough Rd Methodist Church    150 071
37 St.Albans              Upper Lattimore Rd  Society of Friends                152 072
38 St.Albans              Beaconsfield Rd     Trinity URC                       154 071
39 St.Albans              Sandpit Lane        St.Saviour's                      156 080
40 St.Albans              Homewood Rd         Homewood Rd URC                   166 081
41 St.Albans              Marshalswick Lane   St.Mary's                         168 087
42 St.Albans              Ashley Rd           Ashley Hall FIEC                  170 073
43 St.Albans              Cell Barnes Lane    St.Luke                           164 066

Hatfield

Start at St.Marks[1], Colney Heath. Go down the High Street towards Welham Green. At the roundabout by the Queen's Head, turn left up Roestock Lane. Keep going along here, then take the subway under the A1(M). At the top of the subway ramp, turn right up the path (Lane End) by the Hotel. Keep going up the lane, crossing a road, until you come out at Willow Way. Turn left, then immediately right to the main road. St.John[2] is directly opposite.

Leave St.John to the North up Bishops Rise. Just past the mini-roundabout at the top of Woods Avenue, on the right, is St.Peter(RC)[3].

Leave St.Peter, back along Bishops Rise, then turn left at the mini-roundabout, down Woods Avenue. At the bottom of the hill, just before the next roundabout is the Oxlease Methodist Church[4].

Leave the church, and continue along Woods Avenue, which is left at the roundabout by the church. Go straight over the next two roundabouts, and St.Luke[5] is just off the second of these two roundabouts.

Leave St.Luke North East up St.Albans Road East, and at the fork in the road turn right into Christ Church URC[6].

Leave Christ Church to the right, continuing up St.Albans Road East to the mini roundabout, and turn left into Ground Lane. Continue along here as it becomes Homestead Road to the roundabout. Turn left into Birchwood avenue, and St.Michael[7] is almost immediately on the left.

Leave St.Michael, continuing up Birchwood avenue. Just before the next road junction you'll find the Birchwood Avenue Methodist Church[8] on the right.

Leave the Methodist church back along Birchwood avenue, then right at the roundabout back up Homstead road. At the top of the small slope take the path to the left, and follow it round, crossing over the railway and along a short stretch of the Great North Road to the traffic lights. Turn left down the Hertford Road (A1000) towards Welwyn Garden City.

Welwyn Garden City

Continue straight on, over the A414 and straight at the traffic lights. Turn right up Ascot Lane, just after the cycle path crosses the road. It is best to cycle up the path at the left hand side of the road. Take the first left turn up Hollybush Lane. When the lane emerges amongst the houses, turn slightly right to follow the road up to Howlands. Turn left then immediately right to continue up Hollybush Lane. St.Mary[9] is a short distance up on the right.

Leave St.Mary, continuing up Hollybush Lane, and take the first right turn into Homestead Lane. At the end of Homestead Lane turn right into Cole Green Lane. Go straight at the roundabout towards the B195. Just before the B195, turn right onto the cycle path, then right again to enter the Cole Green Way.

Follow the Cole Green Way for a few miles towards Hertford. The Cole Green Way passes under A414. It then goes over a small road, and from the bridge you can see a pub on the left. Shortly afterwards you'll find a path on the right. If you go up this path you'll come to St.Johns[10], Letty Green. I've not put that on the list as it will be closing soon, but if it is on the blue list, take the bonus !

Continue along the Cole Green Way over another road, then up a ramp to cross another road and down the other side back onto the way. When you get to the next bridge over a road you'll be able to see St.Mary, Hertingfordbury on the right.

Hertford

Immediately after going over the road, turn right down a steep path to the road and turn right. Just up the road on the right is St.Mary[11].

Leave St.Mary and retrace your path back to the Cole Green Way. Continue along the Cole Green Way. At the end of the Cole Green Way, turn left down the track towards Hertford. At the top of a short steep slope turn left onto the road. Continue down the narrow road (with cars parked everywhere) almost to the end. Don't go onto the dual carriageway at the end, but turn left onto the pavement just before the end. Follow the pavement along the left hand side of the A414 until you get to a pedestrian subway. Use the subway to cross under the A414. Turn right at the top of the subway exit ramp, and you'll find St.Andrew's[12] almost immediately on the right.

Leave St.Andrew's, continuing along Andrew Street to the traffic lights. Turn left at the lights and you'll find Cowbridge URC[13] a short distance along on the left.

Leave there back the way you came, to the lights. Go straight at the lights and take the second left turning on the left, in what looks like a small square (up Fore Street). Take the second on the right up Church Street. At the end of Church Street on the right is a subway under the A414. Go through the subway, and at the top of the exit ramp turn left and left again to go to All Saints[14].

Leave All Saints, back the way you came, until you get back to Fore Street. Turn right into Fore Street (it's one way). Follow the main road, left then right into Railway Street. Just before leaving the one way system, take the right hand pavement a few yards to the Society of Friends House[15] on the right.

Leave there to the right continuing along Railway Street (which is now two way) to the small roundabout. Turn left and continue along Railway Street. Take the second left turn into St.John's Street to find St.Joseph's(RC)[16].

Leave St.Josephs, back to the Railway Street, and turn left to continue along it. Go straight at the mini roundabout and follow the road round a right hand bend. Take the next left turn along Talbot Street. Continue straight along here, doing a left-right dogleg into Tamworth Road. Continue to the end of this and turn left at the end. The road is signed as a no through road, but don't panic.

Follow the path over the railway line, then turn right. Follow the short road, then track, across the fields towards the river.

Ware

Go right along the river towards Ware. By a large weir, the cycle path is diverted right into a field. Take this path, which comes out in Broadmeads. At the end of Broadmeads, turn left to the center of Ware. Cross the river and turn left at the roundabout. Turn almost immediately right up New Road. Christ Church[17] is a short distance up on the right.

Leave Christ Church back down New Road. Just before the end, turn right into East Street. Just before you reach the High Street, you'll find Leaside Methodist/URC[18] through an archway on the right.

On leaving, continue to the right along the side of the High Street. Shortly, you'll get to St.Mary the Virgin[19].

After leaving St.Mary's, continue along the High Street for a few yards, where on the left you'll find the Salvation Army[20].

Go back down the High Street, and turn almost immediately right into Priory Street. Follow this around as it becomes Harris's Lane to a cross roads. Turn left into Park Road. At the next corner keep going straight along a path towards Hertford.

Hertford (again)

...to be continued !