National Cycle Route 61
This signed Sustrans cycle route runs from Maidenhead to Hoddesdon on a mixture of traffic free paths and quiet lanes.
Route Highlights include the waterside stretch along the Jubilee River, the traffic free Alban Way, the popular Colne Valley Trail, the Ebury Way, the Grand Union Canal, the Cole Green Way, the Lee Valley and the Smallford Rail Trail on the St Albans to Harlow Cycle route. As such the route includes lots of off road sections on disused railway lines and lovely waterside stretches along the local rivers and canals.
See the list below for manageable day rides along the route. Scroll down further for route videos and the gpx file.
Cycle Routes along National Cycle Route 61
- Jubilee River - Follow the Jubilee River path from Maidenhead to Eton and Slough on this waterside walk or cycle on the border of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire
- Alban Way - Follow the disused Hatfield to St Albans railway line on this route from St Albans to Hatfield
- Colne Valley Trail - Follow the Colne Valley Trail from Uxbridge to Rickmansworth and enjoy riverside and canalside walking or cycling.
The trails follows the Grand Union Canal and the River Colne while also passing a series of pretty Lakes including Lynsters, Stocker's and Batchworth Lake - Ebury Way - This is an easy short cycle and walking route ideal for families
- Grand Union Canal Walk - Follow the towpath of Britain's longest canal from London to Birmingham on this fabulous waterside walk
- Lee Valley - This short, pleasant traffic free ride takes you through Lee Valley Park and along the River Lee
- Cole Green Way - Travel from Welwyn Garden City to Hertford along a disused railway line on this easy cycle or walk in Hertfordshire
- St Albans to Harlow - Starting in St Albans follow National Cycle route 61 from St Albans to Harlow via Welywn Garden City, Ware and Hertford
- Welwyn Garden City to St Margarets - This pleasant ride along National Cycle route 61 is mainly off road running along the Lee Valley Walk and cycle path from Welywn Garden City to Hertford
- Hertford to Harpenden - This route starts in Hertford by the tourist information centre and heads west to Welwyn Garden City along National Cycle route 61
National Cycle Route 61 Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
National Cycle Route 61 Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
National Cycle Route 61 OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
National Cycle Route 61 Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
Footbridge over Jubilee River. The recently constructed Jubilee River flood relief scheme runs from Taplow to 1km south of this photo, near Datchet. This photo is taken from a spot less than half a mile from Central Slough, facing south.
Nast Hyde station on the Alban Way, Hatfield, Hertfordshire
Batchwood Lake at the Aquadrome Rickmansworth
Watford: Ebury Way viewed looking west towards the A4145 Tolpits Lane bridge and then to Rickmansworth. Ebury Way follows the trackbed of the long dismantled railway line from Watford to Rickmansworth. Opened in 1862, it was shortly afterwards taken over by the London & North Western Railway, but was an early victim of the post-war Nationalization of the railways, closing to passenger traffic in 1952. It is now a popular route for cyclists. The blue sign has a wildly overoptimistic distance of ¼ mile to Cassiobury Park and Watford Met Line Station. The very nearest point in the park is at least 1 mile away and the station at least a ¼ mile beyond that!
River Colne joins the canal near Hill End in the London Borough of Hillingdon. A cyclist can be seen on the bridge taking you over the two waterways.
One of the entrance/exit points to the Cole Green Way. The Cole Green Way runs from Hertford to Welwyn Garden City along the path of a former railway.
Hatfield: Site of the former Nast Hyde Halt The Hatfield & St Albans Railway opened their line through here, linking the two towns, in 1865. The railway was subsequently absorbed into the Great Northern Railway in 1883, but Nast Hyde Halt was not built until 1910. Passenger services on the railway were an early casualty of the pre-Beeching era of British Railways, closing just 3 years into Nationalization in 1951, with the halt obviously closing at the same time. Freight traffic on the line lingered into the 1960s, and the track was still in use in 1967. Today the route of the railway forms the Alban Way, or the Smallford Trail, and a section of National Cycle Network Route 61.
The New River, Ware. The New River is something of a misnomer since it is neither a river nor new. It is an aqueduct built under the direction of Sir Hugh Myddleton between 1607 and 1612 to bring fresh drinking water from Chadwell and Amwell Springs near Ware about 40 miles down the Lee Valley to London. It is seen here with London Road beyond the railings to the left.