Kings Langley to St Albans
Arriving at Kings Langley in damp sunshine, there was enough time to pose on the platform in such a way as to make it look as though I were being blessed by St Alban, before moving walking up from the railway through the former Ovaltine egg farm. Ovaltine was a major employer in these parts for many years, with Numbers Farm and Parsonage Farm set up as "model farms" showcasing the latest in 1920s technology and animal welfare, and the company possessing over a mile of frontage on the Grand Union Canal for its factory, warehousing and docks. Parsonage Farm takes an interesting form on the map, with a clearly visible semi-circular building, and was laid out by the Ovaltine company in a style derived from farms on the Palace of Versailles estate.
Crossing the M25 by bridge, we then joined up with the Hertfordshire Way, crossing Round Wood while discussing our respective Christmas plans. Later, as we crossed East Lane and walked across a gently descending meadow, we heard the unmistakeable and beautiful song of the skylark, something I don't think I've heard for four or five years. Skylarks used to be a common sight and sound in England, but they have gone through a period of decline and are now listed as "Red" on the UK's "Birds of Conservation Concern" list. Conservation action does appear to be working, however, with a recent trend towards increasing numbers which is to be celebrated and supported.
This section nestles in to big blue lines on the map, denoting the M25 and M1 motorways, and I remarked to Robbie that I'd expected it to feel more "edgelandy" than it had done so far. Within five minutes, my words were punished, as we walked a boundary path between woodland and fields strewn with flytipped rubbish and a burned out motorcycle for good measure. Soon, we crossed first the M1 and then the M25 along a path which weaves over and under bridges and viaducts and through those wooded bits of junctions you see as a flash from your car window. Junction 6a/21 doesn't appear to get many walkers but it was easy enough to navigate.
Writing this in January 2026, I have no real memory of the ground between the motorway junction and the first housing estates of St Albans. Even satellite photos aren't jogging much, and so we move on in the tale to Verulamium.
This stage is quite short and gave us plenty of time to explore Roman Verulamium, on which modern St Albans is built. We walked some of the walls, explored Verulamium Park and enjoyed the remains of the villa and impressively preserved hypocaust. After tea and hot chocolate at the park cafe, we walked around Verulamium Museum and took in a short talk by a St Albans tour guide on what the inhabitants of Verulamium did for fun.
What modern Britons do for fun is hike, and drink beer in pubs. Having done the former, we then enthusiastically took part in the latter pursuit, first in Ye Olde Fighting Cocks and then at the Goat. Our walk to St Albans City station was enlivened by Santa Claws moving in state through St Albans on a float or open topped bus of some kind, which I think it's fair to say was unexpected.