Metro-land ride via Hatch End

A select group of four people turned up at the Bedmond start for Roger’s ride to Hatch End and St Albans. It initially looked like a rather urban cycle ride but turned out not to be so. We set off south through Abbots Langley, Chandlers Cross and Croxley Green, then Roger led us down a tarmac lane to cross the Grand Union canal and into Croxley Meadow. We used a newly surfaced path to access the Ebury Way where we followed it to the end in Rickmansworth. We then used the private roads through the magnificent Moor Park estate and some other very quiet suburban roads to reach our coffee stop at the Moon & Sixpence JD Wetherspoon pub in Hatch End. The manager kindly allowed us to wheel or bikes into the back garden where we enjoyed a very tranquil coffee break. Afterwards we continued along the back roads of metro-land until we passed under the A41 and the M1 to head north along an ancient lane, now a well-surfaced bridleway, to reach Bricket Wood. The photo shows us using a narrow path across a field for about 100 yds so we could use a bridge, rather than the submerged stepping stones in the River Colne. A short ride took us to our lunch stop in St Albans where we met John R and Steve B who had gone directly there. Another great day out with West Herts CTC!