Walks near St Albans by train
Hertfordshire · South East England
Stations: St Albans Abbey · St Albans City
MapA day hike in the countryside is just a simple train journey away — explore the most charmingly located railway stations near St Albans and plan your next day of green.
Alternatively, view walks directly from St Albans.
Tring Circular via Ashridge Estate (Hertfordshire)
45 minutes from St Albans Abbey, with one change.
Beginner-friendly: It’s nearly all in a big National Trust estate that’s extremely well sign-posted. It’s completely fine to deviate from the route — explore and shorten as you like! The lunch options are simple cafés, so no messing around with booking a table in advance. The Ashridge Estate is very beautiful if you appreciate woodland, and covers more then enough ground to cover a day of hiking in itself. There are paths everywhere and you can wander freely. Ancient trees, rolling chalk downlands and lush meadows.
Woodland: half under tree cover.
Ashridge Estate (National Trust)
The Ashridge Estate Café (National Trust; 45m in)
Pitstone Common Woodland Walk (National Trust; 1h in)
Ashridge House (2h15 in)
Time: 5h (3h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
2 lunch spots: the Ashridge Estate Café (45m in), or Ashridge House café (2h15 in)
1 end-of-walk reward: the Valiant Trooper
Warnings: Relatively busy. Take the minor paths to avoid the crowds. Can be muddy.
Source: Trains2Green.
East Croydon to Oxted (Surrey)
1 hour direct from St Albans City.
First stage of the Vanguard Way, from suburban East Croydon out through Selsdon Wood and the North Downs to Oxted.
Woodland: a third under tree cover.
Time: 7h30 (5h30 walking, 1h30 lunch, 30m break)
Walk details: Walking Post (tips, photos and local insights).
Tring to Berkhamsted (Hertfordshire)
45 minutes from St Albans Abbey, with one change.
Canal towpath, ancient woodland, chalk commons, open grassy hillsides, beech and oak estate woodland and ridge paths with town views.
Time: 5h30 (4h walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Reverse direction: Walking Post (inc. GPX).
Tring to Wendover (Hertfordshire)
45 minutes from St Albans Abbey, with one change.
Flat canal towpath, reservoir banks, open arable fields, wooded Chilterns hills and steep descents.
Woodland: a third under tree cover.
Time: 7h30 (6h walking, 1h30 lunch)
1 lunch spot: the Partridge (3h in)
1 end-of-walk reward: Wendover Woods Café
Warnings: Steep chalky descent.
Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.
Reverse direction: Walk by Rail.
Harpenden Circular via the Devil's Dyke (Hertfordshire)
5 minutes direct from St Albans City.
Woodland: a fifth under tree cover.
St Albans (2h in)
The Devil's Dyke (National Trust)
Time: 5h (3h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
3 lunch spots: the Swan (1h in), the Bull (1h15 in), or the Wicked Lady (2h in)
2 end-of-walk rewards: the Marquis of Granby, or the Amble Inn
Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).
Flitwick Circular via Old St. Mary's Church (Bedfordshire)
30 minutes direct from St Albans City.
River valley, wooded wetland fringes, quiet villages, rolling fields, escarpment ridge, nature reserve lakes and ancient woodland.
Time: 7h (5h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Berkhamsted Circular via Hockeridge Woods (Hertfordshire)
30 minutes from St Albans Abbey, with one change.
Canal towpath, wide bridleways, fields, woodland paths, school playing fields and town centre.
Time: 5h30 (4h walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Bedford Circular via Stevington Cross (Bedfordshire)
30 minutes from St Albans City, with one change.
Largely flat riverside paths, fields, woods, parks and pedestrianised town centre.
Time: 8h (6h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Wellingborough Circular via Summer Leys Nature Reserve (Northamptonshire)
45 minutes from St Albans City, with one change.
River Nene towpath, gravel quarry-edge paths, fishing lakes, grassy fields, nature reserve, four villages and Swanspool Brook parkland.
Time: 8h30 (7h walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Ealing Broadway Circular via Osterley Park (Middlesex)
45 minutes from St Albans City, with one change.
Urban green spaces, canal towpath, river Thames towpath, parks, gardens and suburban streets.
Time: 6h (4h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Kettering Circular via Pytchley (Northamptonshire)
1 hour from St Albans City, with one change.
Villages and countryside.
Time: 6h30 (5h walking, 1h30 lunch)
5 lunch spots: Broughton (3h30 in) — Best Plaice, the Red Lion, Broughton Fish and Chips, or the Broughton & Cransley WMC; plus the Overstone Arms (1h15 in)
Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.
Hitchin Circular via Pegsdon Hills (Hertfordshire)
1 hour from St Albans City, with one change.
Chilterns chalk ridge, farm tracks, field boundaries, grassy lanes, woods, steep chalk downland, flat-bottomed valleys, alder and willow fen woodland, chalk river and historic market town.
Time: 8h (6h walking, 1h30 lunch, 30m break)
Warnings: Can be hilly.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).