The best walks and hikes around St Albans

The Roman town of Verulamium

St Albans was an important settlement during the Iron Age, when it was the centre of the Celtic Catuvellauni tribe and known as Verlamion. Under the Romans, it became Verulamium, the second largest town in Roman Britain after Londinium (London), which it was linked to via the ancient Watling Street road. 

Traces of Verulamium, such as parts of the city wall, can still be seen during walks in St Albans’s 100-acre (40 ha) Verulamium Park. The park is centred around an ornamental lake, which is inhabited by all manner of waterbirds and makes for a lovely objective. 

History buffs can seek out the 1,800-year-old hypocaust and mosaic, which were unearthed in the 1930s and are free to view. There are also the remains of the nearby Roman theatre, which would have once seated 2,000 spectators, though there is an entry fee.

Around St Albans District

After exploring the city centre and admiring the Romanesque architecture of its magnificent cathedral, there are many possibilities for superb hikes around St Albans. The region’s patchwork pastureland boasts a network of footpaths, pockets of woodland, yet more Roman sites and trails along its two rivers, the River Ver and the River Lea. 

Around St Albans, the Ver’s course is shadowed by a section of the Hertfordshire Way, a grand 194-mile (312 km) circuit of the county. Following the Way south brings you to the attractive village of Frogmore, with its period cottages and pleasant lake.

The River Lea flows through Harpenden and Wheathampstead and is home to the Batford Springs Nature Reserve. Its chalk streams and wet woodlands provide unique habitats. Keep your eyes peeled for reptiles, bats and woodpeckers, as well as fish in the amazingly clear river water. Nearby Harpenden Common is another scenic greenspace, stretching southwards for 2 miles (3.2 km) from the town.

Getting closer to nature at Heartwood Forest

Some of the best hiking routes around St Albans can be discovered in Heartwood Forest. Covering an area of 860 acres (347 ha) and managed by the Woodland Trust, most of the trees here are newly planted, though there is a 44-acre (18 ha) area of ancient forest. Late spring is glorious, when a sea of bluebells dominate the forest floor and Heartwood’s butterfly species flit and dart from flower to flower. Marked trails and walking paths allow you to discover this peaceful woodland haven.