8 St Albans green spaces you need to visit

Forget the big hitters like Clarence and Verulamium – St Albans has many more green spaces on offer, some of which you may not have heard of.

Wherever you are in the city there’s sure to be some gorgeous outside space close at hand – and with limited entertainment options currently on offer, there’s never been a better time to explore.

So try venturing a little further on your next walk, run or bike ride and get to know another area of our lovely city.

Toulmin Drive

Toulmin Drive is sport central, and there’s ample space to play rugby or football within a very safe distance of others. For dog walkers and adventurous kids, the neighbouring woodland provides hours of entertainment.

Bentsley Spinney

This little-known patch of woodland is hidden away in the heart of Marshalswick, accessible from The Ridgeway and Skys Wood Road. Popular with dog walkers, the 2.79 acre site feels like a world away from the suburban semis that surround it.

The Wick

Flanked by some of St Albans’ most expensive properties, The Wick offers a lovely patch of woodland and an open field ideal for kicking a ball about. Accessible from Sandpit Land and Marshal’s Drive, it’s an attractive spot for a stroll or dog walk among the oak and hornbeam trees.

Highfield Park

Everyone’s heard of Highfield, but did you know just how much the 82-acre site has to offer? As well as new and ancient woodland, meadows and orchards there’s a maze, pond and petanque courts to enjoy. There are many access points, the main one being on Hill End Lane.

Sopwell Nunnery

These attractive ruins, set back from Cottonmill Lane, are an ideal place for a stroll. The nunnery was founded here in 1140, but was demolished 400 years later when Sir Richard Lee, an adviser to Henry VIII, built a mansion on its foundations. It’s the remains of his former home that we now know as the nunnery.

Oaklands College

The winding route from the main college entrance on Hatfield Road to Sandpit Lane is about a mile long, and takes in the main college buildings and many interesting animals, including sheep, cows, horses and alpacas. Expect to see a mix of serious runners and cyclists and slow-moving families en route.

Jersey Farm Woodland Park

This green space covers 55 acres, with two miles of bridleway and footpaths spanning the site, which connects Marshalswick to Sandridge.

The first of around 10,000 trees were planted here in 1991, after it was stopped from being turned into a floodlit school sports ground by community-minded residents.

Greenwood Park

The fab new play area may be closed, but Chiswell Green’s finest still has an open field on offer, with plenty of space for football and other games. Located off Tippendell Lane, its woodland walks and wildflower meadows also make it a popular spot with dog walkers.