St Albans, the Ver & Colne Valley & Ye Olde Fighting Cocks/Afternoon Hike

Walk length 9miles/15.5km approx. Linear

A picturesque linear hike from Garston to the historic town of St Albans along the Rivers Ver and Colne.

The Ver has a rich and varied history. There is evidence of human occupation in the valley as far back as 3000BC. The Romans founded an important city, Verulamium on the banks of the river close to the site of modern day St. Albans.

St Albans has some of the best old pubs in England. We can visit Ye Olde Fighting Cocks at the end which was once recognized as the oldest pub in England and also an old barn dating from the 17th century that is now a very classy pub..

THIS HIKE IS LARGELY FLAT.

Meeting and Transport

We are meeting outside Garston rail station for the hike to start at 12.50pm after the train from London arrives.

Train from London: The 12.23pm from Euston gets to Garston railway station at 12.50pm return ticket to St Albans Abbey with a change at Watford Junction should be about £11 with a group save or network railcard discount (return to St Albans Abbey).

Meet outside Euston station at 11.50am to give us time to get tickets, close to the ticket office (see photo below).

If driving you will need to get a single train ticket either from Garston or St Albans for either the start or end of the walk as this is a linear hike to collect your car. Please check for parking restrictions and leave enough time to park. Garston station has side roads that should be free on a Saturday.

Walk Cost: £7 cash on the day organizer fee (the host is a qualified London guide). For paypal it is 'colin45@hotmail.co.uk' Please send as friends and family to avoid charges. For bank transfer message organizer.

Lunch and Finish

Please bring a late snack lunch and water for the hike. The walk will finish at about 4.30pm, however the time may be earlier or later than this depending on the weather and pace.

Please make a note of the organizers numbers - Colin 07709305681.

Walking Safety

Walking is a great way to keep fit and generally very safe; however it does contain an element of risk. Before going on any of these walks you need to be reasonably fit and be prepared to be responsible for your own safety. You must wear appropriate clothing such as proper walking boots, warm and wet weather clothing and carry sufficient food and water. Please see our Terms and Conditions (https://www.meetup.com/Chiltern-Explorers/pages/Terms_and_Conditions/)

COULD EVERYONE PLEASE AVOID COMMENTS BELOW THAT ARE NOT SPECIFIC TO THE EVENT AS THIS GENERATES SPAM, JUST CHANGE YOUR RSVP IF YOU CAN'T GO. YOU CAN MESSAGE THE ORGANIZER, MANY THANKS.