• A gentle walk from Redbourn for those unfamiliar with its footpaths.

The walk starts in Redbourn at The Cricketers Pub and is about 3 to 3.5 miles. Time required is around 2 hours. The terrain is fairly flat but can be muddy in one or two places. Care is required when crossing main roads. There is a car park on Redbourn Common opposite the old schoolhouse.

Start from Redbourn Common in front of The Cricketers Pub. Just behind the Cricketers is the first of the mill remains; The Silk Mill House which is now Redbourn Museum.

Walk directly down passing the footpath entrance to the old Brooke Bond site, now the entrance to a housing estate. Keep the Old School House and the children’s play area on your right and head towards the fine stand of willow trees on the Moor.

Across the road is a flat concrete footbridge crossing the River Red, whose water is mainly run off from roads, follow the path up to the Nicky Line Railway footpath through a large kissing gate. Turn left on the old railway track and follow it to Chequer Lane. Cross the road, turn right and continue down to the by-pass. Follow the signed track, (Ver Valley Walk) opposite Chequer Lane.

Here you cross the river again; the river can be seen on the left, just as you enter the track. A hedge is to the left and barbed wire to the right Keep straight on on the footpath,through the gate, and straight on past hedges that obscure the view of the confluence of the River Red and the River Ver. The field to your right is cultivated with various crops and was a picture of poppies in 2002.

The path crosses a style that leads to a fenced path. The field next to the path often has horses.

On leaving the fenced path turn left and pass Dolittle Mill house and barn which are now private residences.

Across the busy main road a style gives access to a path that curves to the right on the left hand hedge of an arable field, the path here can be muddy. The broken hedge allows views of the River Ver and often of herons searching for food.

After curving gently the path goes via two kissing gates that skirt the Redbournbury Mill Garden and Mill House. This is the third mill on the walk and is now restored to working order. Stoneground flour may be available.

To return turn left along the lane and then keeping left cross two footbridges across the arms of the Ver. The ancient Redbournbury Farm House was once Redbourn’s Manor House. Turn left immediately after the second bridge along a trackway. You should be able to see large pieces of Puddingstone from nearby fields that have been used to form the riverbank.

The track is now firm and wide, follow a yellow arrow up a right fork by a hedge. Follow this trail untill another marker, at a junction of footpaths, shows a left turn. This path has a broken hedge to the right, keep following the yellow waymarkers obliquely left across a large cultivated field and then via two stiles and so reaching the busy St Albans road near The Chequers Pub. A short stretch of the old Chequer lane next to the pub can be used to reach the point where the bypass was first crossed.

An alternative route is to follow the grass verge up to the roundabout then go under the bridge up onto the Nicky Line Railway footpath via a flight of steps on the righthand side of the bridge across Redbourn High Street

If you wish to visit the High Street pass under the old rail bridge. From the High Street take Fish Street which leads to the east end of Redbourn Common by the War Memorial and the Golden Jubilee Flagpole. (Toilets are available at Redbourn Village Hall car park. The village hall is on the right hand side of the High Street higher up than Fish Street.)

Cross the road keeping the War Memorial to your right following the footpath back to the Silk Mill House, (Redbourn Museum), and The Cricketers Pub.

If you went up the steps by the rail bridge turn right on the Nicky Line Railway footpath crossing the old rail bridge then cross another bridge over the River Ver from which the stream gauging station is visible. Where the path meets the road turn right up Chequer Lane back to The Cricketers

See also: Footpaths Around Redbourn, Redbourn Common

-- Bob Boutland - 31 Jul 2002