An online map of the route for walking from St Albans City to St Albans Abbey station is available here route for walking (opens in new window or tab) Source : openstreetmap.org © OpenStreetMap contributors

The most straightforward route to navigate is via the City centre. By moving upwards on the map, along Victoria Street to the City centre then turning left down Holywell Hill. For a fit person, it would be best to allow at least half an hour. In the other direction this involves walking up Holywell Hill, which is steep. It is also possible to walk via minor roads.

We will now outline alternatives which should be more pleasant. All alternatives make use of the Alban Way which is not lit after dark.

From the map as it was prior to moving upwards, or by clicking again on the above link, all alternatives are by walking southwards from the City station and then walking along the Alban Way, which is the route of the former St Albans Abbey to Hatfield line. To walk southwards from the City station there are two alternatives, either on the west or on the east of the Midland Main Line (MML). Let us outline the first of these two, on the west of the Midland Main Line (MML). By use of the station footbridge if necessary, leaving the station by the platform 4 exit and turning south along Ridgmont Road, with St Albans South signal box museum on your left, then through some bollards and continuing along Ridgmont Road. Bearing left into Grosvenor Road one continues until it meets London Road at a roundabout. The aim is to cross to the road opposite, there being a means to cross the busy London Road a short distance to your right, which can be viewed by zooming in on the map. Returning and then along Orient Close which bears left, one arrives at a T-junction, also Orient Close. These are lightly used roads. The former London Road station is on your left. Turning right along Orient Close, this becomes the Alban Way footpath and cycle track. By continuing along this and passing beneath Cottomill Lane, one arrives at a pedestrian T-junction.

At this pedestrian T-junction, it is possible to turn right as signposted for the Abbey station, walking alongside Cottonmill Lane, crossing Leyland Avenue, to the mini-roundabout, then along Prospect Road until the end, turning left at the main road and left into the station.

Although not signposted, there is an alternative by turning left at the pedestrian T-junction and using the foot crossing to cross the Abbey line, turning right on a footpath and cycle track alongside Griffiths Way with Sainsbury's on your right. Continuing along this road, by turning right at the main road, the station is on your right. The corner can be cut off by crossing Everard Close from Griffiths Way and then along it, then left into Abbey View, then beside the entrance to the underground car park. There are then some steps leading to the main road where turning right the station is on your right.

Now let us describe the route that is, of all these, considered to be the most traffic-free. This is by walking southwards from the City station and on the east of the Midland Main Line. Leaving the station, this time by the main exit, with bus stops in front of you, turn right past the taxi rank and beneath Victoria Street. Following the footpath the main line is on your right. Lightly-used Charrington Place is on your left with a crossing which can be viewed by zooming in on the map. Using the crossing then continuing beside Charrington Place until the mini-roundabout, bear left past Med Pharmacy and Hatfield Road Surgery, take the path on a downhill slope with apartments on either side rather than following the road. Descending the back-and-forth zig-zag path one arrives at the Alban Way. By turning right on the Alban way, also marked St Albans Green Ring, and walking along it, with the Midland Main Line passing overhead by means of an impressive single-arch bridge, and then under London Road, walking past the platform of the former London Road station - this is the route of the former St Albans Abbey to Hatfield line - one continues along the Alban Way until passing beneath Cottonmill Lane one arrives at the pedestrian T-junction as earlier.

In passing, as it were, it is possible to walk or cycle on the Alban Way all the way to Hatfield, reference https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alban_Way and with external links that include photos of the MML single-arch bridge.

Here is a photo of the former London Road station, courtesy of Google street view and now in private use as a day nursery and preschool.

For the journey between St Albans City and St Albans Abbey stations by bus, information is available at intalink.org.uk

AbbeyRail home page home page

Last revised 20 August 2023