Discovering The Alban Way – The Old Hatfield To St Albans Line

We are walking with friends Dave and Marion, a section of the old Hatfield To St Albans Line, now a walking and cycle path. With a lot of family and personal history for us, we look at Smallford Station, the Nast Hyde Halt near Hatfield and visit St Albans Abbey Station.

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what I thought you were going to say something no we were in Hatfield yes near the gallery waiting for you 10 minutes of silence not sure I’d sort of compose myself yet we’re um yeah we’re on our way we’re going to a for a little walk with Dave Marian and it’s going to take us from smallford uh to Nast hide and we’ll walk in the old um Railway from Hatfield to St orb yeah which closed the passengers in 1951 but they’ve reopened it all as a cycle and walkway walkway yeah well the weather’s reasonable it’s a little bit cool 12 degre but it’s not raining [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] talking of old we’re on the old A1 here aren’t we yeah that’s right this is the way um forther built the a1m we used to come we used to come to Welling Garden to see my grandparents yeah this is the Galleria which is a that was wasn’t there then no obviously not no no that’s massive as well isn’t it remember the comet Hotel yeah Comet hotel and there’s a model sort of a I don’t know quarter size model of the Comet plane isn’t there outside it the original one yeah can’t see that at the moment but there always was well you will probably see when we get around yeah it’s yeah that little red thing up there yeah student accommodation was the atfield University here isn’t the deavin campus no you did one of your courses wasn’t it here uh not this place no no no nearby wasn’t it no was balls Park in Hartford part of the same University right I thought you used to come here well no I came once didn’t there the other place which is just off the A1 can’t remember what campus that was but basically for computer studies I think it was does bring back some memories this yeah but this is the route we always used to take yeah well Dave used to just live on those in those houses just back there didn’t they that’s right in the masonet the masonet back there right so this is smallford yeah there not g Center Garden Center and there’s a a caravan place there as well yeah PJ Outdoors it’s at the back there yeah we might visit that a little bit later but yeah we’re going left here Station Road into Station Road just have a friend that lives somewhere up here oh yeah in these houses there supposed to be a car park just by the bridge coming up see [Music] here okay yeah car par Straight Ahead oh yeah so it’s good job we didn’t bring the van yeah 2 m height bar nice big poth hole there kick back from the platform Edge obviously a platform here yep yeah so parked at the station it’s great that they kept the platform isn’t it this is the smallford station and Alan way Heritage Society yeah you remember Oakland’s College don’t you that we used to be near where we liveed we used to go for walks through there they’ve done some of the students there have done all these paintings okay okay very nice catfield thatp house that’s a good house East Coast Express by Ln Speedy traveling comfort verium veranium Museum which we’ve done a video on which wasn’t our most popular video ever no no this is a shame yes it’s a fascinating Place yeah yeah cuz this used to go to St Alman Abby station didn’t it which is the one that you used to get on yeah and brick it wood other way so presumably you can can walk to Abbey station from here then yes or cycle yeah or cycle yeah I wonder I might come back and bring me bike go a bit further visit verium a park of Wonders in St alens brilliant and that’s obviously the old uh station house or whatever here sorry for itself yeah it’s a shame isn’t it but I mean it’s a great view that way isn’t it yes you could imagine the ra the the railway here now yeah that Way’s Hatfield behind you is and Orin yeah my mom would have got on that to go and see my dad mhm yeah I mean I’ve seen some old pictures of just this platform was all covered in Weeds and trees and goodness knows what done a fantastic job haven’t they clearing it all yeah no I just think it’s brilliant that they kept the platform I would like to see some Heritage trains on there though yeah no I mean it’s getting good use we’re walking few few Cycles have gone pastors a runner as well yeah I think it’d be brilliant to bring the bike here yeah we’re just going to wait for David Mar in there oh Sun as well nothing thing we can get down that way sorry can’t get down that way no no you can fall off the edge though obviously kept the old bridge there that’s still in use isn’t that bridge there yeah that’s right that’s the road road also kept I suppose these are reproduction crossing gates aren’t they really but they’ve kept that there must have been perhaps a crossing here I don’t know but well that was obviously the goods yard wasn’t it so probably okay okay things got got loaded onto the train I think it carried on there a Goods train Goods yard and everything it closed the passengers 51 yeah and then it carried on goods and whatever trains um until about 69 something like that right then it closed yeah it’s coming Monday they’re having a Mayday Monday popup Cafe and donations go towards the smallford platform refurbishment and restoration of the former Goods van which will be moving to the station car park to house a permanent ex exhibition of the history of the former hat till to nor Railway line think show not here then isn’t it well that must be going there isn’t it that’s it says Goods van so it will be there yes that’d be interesting yeah it’s one of the other stations further down was for the Salvation Army and I think it was in fleetville which is where he used to go to school yeah um and uh it kept the line going for a while because they needed various supplies for everything yeah and when I was young my mom used to um get the hats and put Peaks on them and okay you know they wear like a band thing around it right she used to do that in don’t know why but she used to yeah you’re following all this pups yeah pupp is fascinating aren’t it’s Shing sits proudly at the end of the platform for all to admire an ambition to restore this listed structure back to its former Glory okay first opened in 1866 it was called Springfield renamed smallford in 1879 it referred to as smallford for Cony Heath how confusing there’s a picture of it there in 1967 I think probably just when it was the goods yard isn’t it yeah it was then yeah smallford Hamlet there’s quite a keen group restoring this particular station there yeah working on it more and more yeah well there’s the there’s the route Hatfield yeah Nast tide that’s where we’re walking to and we are just there but you can go all the way to St alman’s have you cycled the whole so there’s there’s the Salvation Army one I was talking about there oh yeah Jenny was saying about the Salvation Army and mom used to work there we didn’t work there she used to do work for them used to do the hats with the bands around yeah my brother used to work for the Salvation Army all right he was in charge of all their um clothing banks oh huge wasn’t it yeah yeah he was um yeah coordinating collecting all the clothing banks were negotiating contracts to place them all right complicated business and people used to get in the clothing banks and steal the clothes oh no Blackberry Arch the Blackberry Arch all right can you very just the Blackberry Arch it’s quite straight isn’t it oh there a bit of a curve coming up train yeah be prefer walking to being on the train probably she would okay sustr marker I suppose is it Royal Bank of Scotland one of the thousand Milestone markers funded by the Royal Bank of Scotland in the creation of the national cycle Network okay C’s 3 and a half miles 2 miles to Hatfield okay very nice not sure what it’s meant to be but sign yeah beautiful day yeah good advice there look both up and down the line before you cross yeah this is starting to be M stuff now okay so there’s obviously another path going down there yeah I used to come up here on my bike it was used to be absolutely thick mud all right okay yeah it’s put obviously put some thing down this is a sad thing on this spot in the year of 20 1929 Edith Violet Mason aged just 18 died after she was hit by a passing train please remember each time you pass through here Ethel Now Now lies in peace in at Mark Mark’s Church graveyard in con he along with her father William who died in the year 1955 gone but not forgotten it’s nicely titled Dead Man’s Crossing beware of trains dear I think it was a notorious spot yeah morning over there is Hatfield College moved level crossing 440 yards behind there a load of bites coming there’s nce tide through there there’s what nce tide okay right okay is was this a platform here further on but do take care now approaching nasey halt next stop will be have your ticket oh this looks lovely it was to start wow just keep off platform Edge to avoid injury and damage got all the old uh signs yeah them Camp coffee is the best some great posters there aren’t they I like that one War and Peace we serve Queen of Scots queen of SC to Glasgow that’s brilliant Scotsman there’s an open day every now and then just to raise money for the signalment Charles Dickens 1866 a ghost story and the ghost train okay yes fil okay available via YouTube or via the media link at nasde .w wordpress.com search nasd Holk ghost train short film okay there you are there’s a website we can check out nasti Holt wordpress.com nasti Holt Ghost Train Murder Mystery termination at the HT featuring station Master Mike isard book to be published mid 2022 so it must be out by now oo Cube yeah black form one form one on the weekend on that weekend go by train from your local bu buau Bureau even Lion’s tea and there was once upon a time there was a boy who really loved trains it was me the end it’s a notice board over there I think this is quite as well yeah yeah I like that got a little notice board here as well oh some lovely pictures here atfield station 1902 lens of Road halt a view of Cent or’s Abbey station 1940s the original station masc that’s good and there’s the London Road station London Road yeah yeah that was still there the building isn’t it by some company yeah just down the road from where we used to live I mom would have got off there sorry Mom would have got off there coming got a little Cemetery there for the people that died from end and there sort of a memorial garden very nice as well yeah so is it since 2015 so 10 years I me I think you might have to freeze frame that yeah I didn’t bother to ask permission to carry out Improvement just started quietly on my own when the council eventually found out they were blown away with my work and presenting me with the Civic Ward and a special license agreement to protect the HK from any generations to come very good yeah there must have been a crossing here as well then a little bit of a track here yeah they’ve got that it down by L loader I think got a whole load of people to help them yeah just need a wagon or something ory okay all right yeah needed a wagon or something to go on there don’t they yes nasde reopened as a ghost station on start of the 22nd of October 2009 June right yeah NE Valley okay it’s yeah donated from the ne Valley Railway Andy Stevens collected the track yeah lovely and that’s the old um is it signalman’s Cottage or st’s Cottage yeah or the crossing manager I suppose Crossing cage yeah oh it says yes Crossing keeper Cottage yeah okay CLE up here and then need be Caravan par okay all right I like that so be aware of the trains look both up and down the line before you cross dream of noise and wheels and coal and steam there’s the train that he fundraised all right for the kids for the kids and I think there’s also a wheelchair swing in there fundraised for that as well okay yeah so there’s a swing for people in whe chairs exped yeah track oh yeah okay nice old signal here here’s the rout opened on Monday the 16th of October 1865 the first train left St orans London Road at 8:30 with the engine decorated with flowers however in 1868 passenger man was destroyed by the new Midland Mainline Railway running through St Alman City and onto St paneris most of the sixmile track is across flat country and was relatively cheap to build £87,000 but the annual revenue of under was that £15,000 it did not cover the interest on loans oh dear there we are St aubin’s Abby station London Road station Salvation Army halt Sanders siding Salvation Army sidings fleetville sidings Hill end station butterwick siding Nas smallford Nast hide fiddle Bridge sidings lford Road and Hatfield station to change for London and the North Station clock up there that’s great oh thanks for bringing us here really enjoyed that that was good down on Long Acres right okay somehow in the middle of a housing estate hopefully we’ve found Alan way the way onto Alan way so we’ll have a look along there now why did you want to come here because this is the station that my mom used to get off at when she used to go and see my dad so she’d come from Welling Garden onto Hatfield and then along this line okay and he’ meet her at the platform here oh lovely I think my Uncle J used to go to work in smallford yeah and he used to get on the train to go there yeah so this is the old platform then it’s all there is of Hill end station is there just a platform yeah there’s a level crossing further along but yeah that’s quite interesting okay so it says hillend station and Hill end sidings to the West were constructed to serve the hillend Asylum later renamed hillend mental hospital which closed in 1995 trains brought millions of Leicester red bricks for the hospital’s construction which needed 7,000 tons of coal each year for heating wow wow was a little bit about the hospital it was was a home of some barus teaching Hospital during from 39 to 61 present Highfield residential area sits within the old hospital footprint the grounds of the hospital are now in the stewardship of Highfield Park trust okay so that’s presumably the house is behind behind here yeah yeah yeah so opposite the station platform was Hill end brick Works 40 so that would have been over there over there where the houses 40 years it reclaimed land was home to Marone instruments which now relocated to Colchester right so it’s now called Marcone residential estate and between Ashley Road Bridge and Hill end on the south side of the route was Owen Brick Works yeah more pictures here so that’s what it would look like when Mom came yeah [Music] passing through the sings and that’s I actually been in Hill end Hospital not for treatment I hasten to add but installing telephones yeah cuz it was there till 1995 wasn’t it yeah my dad lived at sell Bar’s Cottages yeah opposite cellbound Hospital which was a similar hospital to end yeah yeah yeah a lot in it built in this area so we are there St orban’s city was there and St orban’s Abbey is there yeah so this this line is eventually going to the St Al Abbey one yeah where you could go on to Watford okay so I think the next stop we’ll go up to London Road station yeah I don’t think we’re going to see the Salvation Army halt but it’s near you know the big Cemetery yeah in Hatfield Road it’s it’s near there okay Camp Road we’ve just been out camp road hav’t we yeah yeah yeah okay right on with then this is really good this yeah really enjoying this yes so this must have been a cross in here then yeah probably for this original Road whatever it was yeah are we D we drive up here remember it think so yeah there are oh yeah so this that’s called Marone way would you believe all right yeah well that’s the Marone estate isn’t it yeah okay yeah so that way back to Hatfield okay oh it’s good right come on let’s go to London Road then okay back up here cheese eat Boll buy Boll no yeah so it’s a nursery now so don’t want to film too much don’t really want to be walking around filming do I but that you can see the old platform there can’t you of buildings yeah yeah up up there and yeah what number were we we were number eight so we were the one on the right where it says 7 to 12 where where the Tulips are yeah that’s right yeah replaced all the windows haven’t they with PVC ones yeah it was a small flat wasn’t it just a lounge Lounge a bedroom at the front and a lounge and a tiny kitchen on the side yeah but we could afford it just had to Shell out 448 to park here obviously it expects you going on the train but let’s have a look at the station I used to come on this station when they come from school and we walk down from St uh from St Julian’s and walked down to this station and it take me back to bricket Wood so oh fin me this brings back memories yeah well it’s um electric line now yeah yeah this this this isn’t the line we were looking at obviously this is a still a a working Line This is Cent orb’s Abby like I said this goes up to Watford VI bricket would so where would the other line have come in then at the back here just over here at the back right okay I think you’ve actually got the old platform here on that side that would have been the platform down there all right okay I think so a little bit here isn’t there Trail here Abby Line Trail yeah yeah Park Street brick Atwood Gaston Watford yeah so you could you can walk along the line not along the line no Follow The Line there The Abbey line was the first Railway the ancient city of St Aubin received London and Northwestern Railway um received parliamentary Powers construct with six mile 32 chain Long Branch line and the line was opened to public transport in uh Wednesday 5th of May 1858 so all the various points of interest along the way Watford Junction first Railway stations to open in Watford Orphanage Road has the London or Asylum col Valley mundon estate Brickwood common Riverside way Watling Street softwell Nursery yeah it’s quite good isn’t it m I can see the uh where the old line was under there assum that must have been the old platform I don’t I think when we as kids we it we obviously gone years ago I mean we’re talking about the 70s the line had closed in the 60s isn’t it yeah 69 69 but obviously this is where it came in you sort of vaguely remember it do you well V remember there being more like a platform there than there is at the moment black holes aren’t as black as they are painted very good you are in a black hole don’t give up there’s a way out yeah no I do remember this remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet BBY yeah you can clearly see more of it here yeah there’s bits of the track aren’t there well it looks like taken up and left there yeah yeah look there’s more over the other side get the camera through there yeah oh yeah I can’t get my camera back there disaster I could have had there couldn’t you yeah oh I’m glad I came here it was good I don’t know if this is going to be of any interest to anyone else this if you come from St Al isn’t it yeah yeah if you if you’re thinking of visiting Sor you can catch the train from here to Watford right so we’re at the Abbey station and we’re now going to take a look around the Abbey which is what a lot of people would have done when they came in on the old Al way line they would have got off and walked to the Abbey cathedral was called it Abbey but well it wasn’t Abby was it wasn’t happy yeah hey shut up yeah so why don’t you join us in that video we’ll catch you soon see you soon bye bye then beautiful building it is