Saturday 1 August 2015

The Hertfordshire parkrun venues

The county of Hertfordshire.

The pins on the map mark the locations of parkruns within the county. The green pins show the venues I have officially visited while the red pins are venues that I still need to visit. The list below covers 5k events only, not junior parkruns.




Aldenham - Aldenham Country Park, Elstree, Hertfordshire (London+)
Course: Two laps (not identical) around Aldenham Reservoir
Underfoot: Dirt paths, grass and tarmac
Profile: Flat
Notes: Car park is expensive
Further reading: My Aldenham parkrun blog post


Barclay - Barclay Park, Hoddlesdon, Hertfordshire
Course: Three laps
Underfoot: Tarmac, Grass (and mud)
Profile: Undulating
Notes: Really enjoyable three-lapper
Further reading: My Barclay parkrun blog post


Cassiobury - Cassiobury Park, Watford, Hertfordshire (London+)
Course: Two and a half laps
Underfoot: Tarmac
Profile: Flat
Notes: Flat, fast and a pleasant course (has a couple of tight turns)
Further reading: My Cassiobury parkrun blog post


Castle Park - Castle Park, Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire
Course: Two laps plus a little tail
Underfoot: Grass and tarmac (muddy in winter)
Profile: Flat
Notes: Hatfield Forest parkrun (Essex) has relocated here
Further reading: My Castle Park parkrun blog post


Ellenbrook Fields - Ellenbrook Fields, Hatfield, Hertfordshire (CLOSED)
Course: Small loop followed by a large loop
Underfoot: Grass / tarmac / dirt(mud)
Profile: Flat
Notes: Takes place on the former site of Hatfield Aerodrome - lots of interesting history.
Further reading: My Ellenbrook Fields parkrun blog post


Gadebridge - Gadebridge Park, Leighton Buzzard Road, Hemel Hempstead
Course: A start tail then two anti-clockwise laps
Underfoot: Tarmac and grass
Profile: Undulating (some may say hilly)
Elevation gain: 54m
GPS data: Gadebridge parkrun
Notes: Nice park. Nice view from the high point.
Further reading: My Gadebridge parkrun blog post.


Heartwood Forest - High Street, Sandridge, St Albans, Hertfordshire (CLOSED)
Course: approx one-and-three-quarter laps
Underfoot: Gravel paths and grass
Profile: Undulating
Notes: A brand new forest. See Heartwood Forest parkrun's news page for info regarding closure
Further reading: My Heartwood Forest parkrun blog post.


Jersey Farm - Jersey Farm Woodland Park, Sandridge, St Albans, Hertfordshire
Course: Two laps
Underfoot: Grass and bridleway
Profile: Gently undulating
Notes: This venue replaces Heartwood Forest
Further reading: My Jersey Farm parkrun blog post.


Leavesden Country - Leavesden Country Park, Abbotts Langley, Hertfordshire (London+)
Course: Three laps (plus start/finish tail)
Underfoot: 50/50 mix of hard paths and grass/mud
Profile: Gently undulating
Notes: Just down the road from the Harry Potter Studio Tour
Further reading: My Leavesden Country parkrun blog post


Letchworth - The Grange Recreation Ground, Letchworth, Hertfordshire
Course: Two laps
Underfoot: Grass, gravel and trail
Profile: long gradual incline each lap
Notes: Enjoy the views of the fields of crops
Further reading: My Letchworth parkrun blog post


Panshanger - Panshanger Park, Thieves Lane Entrance, Hertford, Hertfordshire
Course: 1 lap (or point to point)
Underfoot: trail paths, grass, dirt (mud)
Profile: undulating with a short uphill finish
Notes: fun course in a beautiful country park, but that short uphill finish is tough!
Further reading: My Panshanger parkrun blog post


Rickmansworth - Rickmansworth Aquadrome, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire (London+)
Course: 2 laps plus a start-finish tail
Underfoot: Tarmac and a slightly stony footpath
Profile: Flat
Notes: Watch out for vehicles near the start-finish / watch out for loose dogs
Further reading: My Rickmansworth parkrun blog post


South Oxhey - South Oxhey Playing Fields, Green Lane, Watford (London+)
Course: Three laps
Underfoot: Grass (you can run about 150 metres each lap on tarmac if you choose)
Profile: Long steady incline / decline on each lap
Notes: You can chill out in a hammock post-run
Further reading: My South Oxhey parkrun blog post


St. Albans - Verulamium Park, St. Albans, Herfordshire
Course: Out - three laps of a lake, then back
Underfoot: Tarmac (grass at the start/finish)
Profile: flat with just the slightest of gradients during the out / back
Elevation gain: 11m
GPS data: St. Albans parkrun
Notes: Hang around and enjoy some of the Roman history
Further reading: My St. Albans parkrun blog post


Stevenage - Six Hills Way, Stevenage, Hertfordshire
Course: Almost two laps
Underfoot: Tarmac with a short section on a dirt path
Profile: Mildly undulating
Notes: Has a bit of everything - very good
Further reading: My Stevenage parkrun blog post


Tring - Tring Park, Tring, Hertfordshire (CLOSED)
Course: One lap
Underfoot: Grass, dirt (mud)
Profile: A hill, then flat-ish, then undulating
Elevation gain: 85m
GPS data: Tring parkrun
Notes: A brilliant venue. Free roaming cows. Now closed.
Further reading: My Tring parkrun blog entry


Westmill - Edge Outdoor Activities, Westmill Farm, Ware, Hertfordshire
Course: Almost two laps
Underfoot: Grass / dirt paths / small amount of gravel/tarmac
Profile: undulating
Notes: Great views across the lakes and out into the coutryside.
Further reading: My Westmill parkrun blog entry



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