The Cole Green Way is a picturesque walking, equestrian and cycling route between Welwyn Garden City and Hertford.
This charming trail also has an intriguing history as it used to be a railway line.
It opened on March 1st 1858 and was eventually closed a century later in August 1962 as part of the Beeching cuts.
The track was dismantled shortly after and has provided the service as a flat, scenic footpath ever since.
Walking here on a beautiful Autumn afternoon, sun shining through the arches of trees and the sound of rustling leaves underfoot and birdsong overhead paints the classic experience of a pure English landscape.
The canopy consists of predominantly deciduous trees such as oak, hawthorn and beech allowing for splendid Autumnal colours.
Avid birdwatchers may see the occasional kite soaring overhead and the silent hovering of a kestrel hunting for prey.
As with many of these old rail routes that were renovated in the 1990’s when the national cycle network was revitalised, the decaying architecture of the lines can be seen and experienced.
Here, this is most obviously seen at Cole Green, the site of the old station where you can walk along the old platforms imagining how the line was in its heyday.
You can also see the foundations of the old station building and the signs and benches hark back to this time.
The Cole Green Way is a four-mile route progressing through Hertingfordbury, Cole Green and Letty Green. To extend the route, you can walk or cycle from Welwyn Garden City all the way to Hertford using other footpaths.
It is close to the main A414 so access is easy by car but also using the stations at Hertford or Welwyn Garden City if public transport is your choice.
Just as a note, there is one section that runs near the A414 that is quite noisy but this is the exception to an otherwise peaceful route.
For those in need of refreshment or snacks, there are a number of fantastic pubs along the route serving drinks and food.
A great example is the Cowper Arms in Letty Green – a very short walk off the route and behind where the Cole Green station used to be.
This pub was very busy on Sunday afternoon so it is recommended booking ahead of time if visiting at the weekend.
If the weather is favourable, be sure to have a well-earned drink outside in the comfortable, well-appointed garden.