Photo Opportunities on the Run

My legs felt as if they were full of lead for most of my five and a half mile run this morning. This was probably down to the sizeable pick 'n' mix I consumed at the cinema last night. Juliet and I had taken advantage of Hannah's attendance at a birthday sleepover to watch the brilliant film, The King's Speech. Starring Colin Firth as King George VI and Geoffrey Rush as his speech therapist Lionel Logue, it tells the uplifting, although at times painful to watch story of King George VI's battle to overcome his debilitating stammer. The performances of Firth and Rush are magnificent and Helena Bonham Carter is pretty good too as a rather foxy Queen Elizabeth (later known as the Queen Mother).

Anyway, with such heavy legs it was lucky I had already decided to make a photographic record of my Sunday run this week. I usually try to complete my Sunday run without stopping. However, being Lord Lichfield for the morning would involve making a number of short stops and give my strawberry bonbon and chocolate brazil afflicted legs valuable little breathers in which to revive themselves. The lengthy weekend run is a necessary feature of building up towards a long distance event. I'm only up to around 6 miles at the moment but this will steadily build, eventually nearing 20 miles as I approach this year's marathon attempt in November. Whilst listening to music or a podcast can help the time to pass more quickly, these solitary long runs can be be rather tedious. To lessen this I like to have a number of different circuits to choose from - these can then be combined to make up the really long runs. On each run I also like to identify a number of landmarks along the way. This breaks the distance up, making it seem more manageable. Today I am going to guide you photographically around my 'Cotton Mill Lane' circuit.

Access to the Alban Way from Hill End Lane

The first two and a bit miles of this run is along the Alban Way, formerly the Hatfield to St Albans branch line of the Great Northern Railway and now a trail for walkers, runners and cyclists. I love running along it because it is either flat or very gently sloping and its 'tree tunnel' effect for long stretches keeps the sun at bay during the summer. Apart from the very few places where it crosses a road, the Alban Way is also traffic free. In 2003 the St Albans Cycle Campaign (STACC) produced an excellent pictorial map to raise awareness of this great leisure facility.

Immediately after joining the trail at Hill End Lane, the old platform of Hill End Station comes into view. During the 2nd World War St Bartholomew’s Hospital relocated to Hill End Hospital, and this platform  is where many of the war wounded and Londoners injured during the Blitz would disembark to begin their treatment.

The old platform at Hill End Station

The route continues and shortly after passing behind Morrisons, Fleetville Junior School and the Hatfield Road Cemetery the Alban Way crosses over the Camp Road Bridge, high above the passing traffic.

Camp Road Bridge

This leads into a lovely tree-covered, gently down hill half mile or so en route to to the impressive railway bridge conveying trains along the London to Bedford main line. If feels cavernous below the bridge, and if you shout loudly you can hear a clear echo. You can hear a clear echo.

London Road Railway Bridge

Just beyond this structure the much more modest bridge conveying London Road itself is passed under, bringing the very attractive London Road Station into view. This is currently is use as a children's nursery.

Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery - formerly London Road Station

The Alban Way now passes through the modern houses of Orient Close and crosses the river Ver before coming to an end where it is passed over by Cotton Mill Lane. The next mile of this run proceeds along Cotton Mill Lane, again crossing the river Ver as part of a tight double chicane close to the site of the old cotton mill itself.

Bridge over the River Ver

Coming out of the chicane on the right hand side can be seen the 450 year old tithe barn, which now houses Blacks of Sopwell, a family run furniture business.

Blacks of Sopwell, housed in an old Tithe Barn.

Next on the right hand side is Sopwell House itself. Most of the current House was built in the eighteenth century by master mason, Edward Strong. Perhaps its most notable tenant over the years was Prince Louis of Battenberg, whose four children including Lord Mountbatten grew up at Sopwell. Like many similar properties in the UK, Sopwell House is nowadays plying its trade as a country house hotel. The gatehouse lodge marks the three mile point of my run.

Sopwell House Hotel, Country Club and Spa

Sopwell House Gatehouse Lodge

Cotton Mill Lane has now become Mile House Lane, which dissects Verulam Golf Course at this point. Samuel Ryder, a wealthy St Albans seed merchant was a member here and in 1926 donated the trophy that was to become known as the Ryder Cup. The rest, as they say, is history. The green of the third hole is adjacent to the road here. If you look carefully level with the right hand side of the bunker, St Albans Abbey can just be made out a mile or so in the distance across the valley.

The third hole at Verulam Golf Course, 'Sopwell View'. An ominously moody sky.

The busy London Road is reached via the end of Mile House Lane, but only after it has passed again below the mainline railway. After about a quarter of a mile the run turns left into Highfield Park Drive, with Highfield Park remaining to the right for the final 1.5 miles of the run via Hill End Lane and back to Colney Heath Lane and Firwood Avenue.

Sunday Morning Football in Highfield Park

Highfield Park comprises 60 acres and is managed by a charitable trust. It houses two orchards, a throwback to when the two hospitals in the area grew their own fruit and vegetables. The park in its current form was opened in 1996 and includes playing fields, allotments, ponds and a fine example of a Hertfordshire Puddingstone, which provides inspiration for one of the nearby road names. The park is regularly the venue for community events including a Christmas fair, a Summer Fete and an Apple Day to promote conservation and healthy eating.

A Puddingstone is a conglomerate of small pebbles bonded together by nature to form a solid rock

And that's the run - 5.53 miles according to the Runkeeper app on my iphone. As you can see, it's full of local, historical and natural interest, and there's a lot more I could have written about if I had the time. If you're from the area or will be visiting at some point, why not walk (or even run) it yourself?

My legs may have started off a little leaden, but thanks to my frequent short photography stops, they gradually came back to life and the time I spent actually running was three minutes less than when I ran the same route last weekend. A great workout for mind and body!