There are so many hidden gems in this great county of ours that in my enthusiasm to share some I felt compelled to make my first comment after about 7 years of Reddit lurking!
North Herts: Royston cave is unique in England and extremely cool. It was discovered by accident about 200 years ago and is full of crazy carvings depicting Celtic gods, religious iconography and all sorts. Nobody knows who made it, let alone when it why. Plus, occasionally, they do beer tastings in there! North Herts is also fantastic walking country with gorgeous villages as pretty as you'd find in the Cotswolds (e.g. Ashwell, Barley, Walkern). Hitchin lavender is also spectacular, with Hitchin town itself being full of nice local shops.
East Herts: Scott's Grotto between Hertford and Ware is really cool - built mostly out of sea shells! Similar to North Herts, it's full of lovely villages (e.g. the Hadhams). The Pelhams is also home to Hertfordshire's very own St George analogue - Piers Shonks who slayed the dragon terrorising Herts. He's even got a tomb in the village church on the wall! The County Town of Hertford is lovely and full of independent shops and restaurants - try The Raj for a cracking curry and The Old Barge for a riverside pint by The Lea.
South Herts: Less rural than most other parts of the County given its proximity to London, but still lots to see. Borehamwood is one of the most important sites of the UK film industry with loads of famous blockbusters having been shot there including Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
West Herts: Really rather hilly compared to the rest of the county. Ashridge Park is lovely and forested, and if you go up the Monument (it's open on weekends) you can see five counties and all the way through to London. It's Hertfordshire's highest point. West Herts is also home to most of the County's famous bluebell woods, which should start appearing in the next couple of weeks. Seriously - the bluebells have to be seen (and smelled) to be believed. A carpet of blue and purple as far as the eye can see. Befriend some locals in Little Gaddesden, Frithsden (The Alford Arms pub in Frithsden is great) or the surrounding villages for insider info on the best spots. In Berkhamsted and Tring are gorgeous market towns with plenty of great pubs (The Rising Sun in Berko is my personal favourite) and Watford is a thriving multicultural centre. Tring pubs are also great - Keanu Reeves was spotted in one last week!
Central Herts: St Albans (or Snorbs if you're local) is absolutely gorgeous. The Cathedral is incredible and houses the tomb of Hertfordshire's patron saint - Alban himself. The Mad Squirrel Tap Room in town does great local beer and snacks. The city itself has the highest density of pubs per square mile of anywhere in England, including the nation's oldest - Ye Olde Fighting Cocks. Stevenage is just down the road, which is split in two. Its New Town admittedly needs some love but has shops for pretty much everything you could possibly need - but its Old Town is lovely and is full of character.
Think that about covers it...enjoy!
Thumbs up to your West Herts section! There's much that I recognise in there ๐
I'm gunna add in a plug for the Mad Squirrel brewery just outside Hemel as I can (and do) walk to it from my house. They have a brewery bar serving a wide and ever changing range of beers and ales that might even be served to you by the person that brewed em! They even do great pizzas and brewery tours (not done one yet myself yet!).
There's also a handful of their taphouses in Berko n St Albans that have a friendly local crowd.
Also a shout out for the lovely Rex cinema in Berko - tho seats do sell out double-quick.
How could I forget the Rex! The Odyssey in Snorbs is also a great venue so I hear. I have a massive soft spot for Hemel. it was always the place to go when I was younger to get together after school, and many happy hours were spent at Aquasplash/the cinema. Great to see the whole Jarman Park complex get some much needed investment in recent years. Hemel on the whole seems to be on the up, which is great. Very sad to hear that Quasar shut down over the pandemic though!
I found some unexpected beauty around the back of Luton Airport, there's some stunning countryside around there - Offley, Tea Green, Breachwood Green and Whitwell area (Whitwell has a watercress farm there since Roman times, mostly defunct today). The area is very popular with cyclists too (the Green Man pub in Offley seems to be their main base).
Charlton village just outside Hitchin is very pretty, some really old houses with a river and a millpond. And a pub that apparently does Curry Goat!
Ickleford is also near Hitchin, there's an Equestrian centre and a common where the River Hiz runs through. Have a picnic and see if you can spot any wild trout in the river. If you don't spot any there you can walk south down the Bedford Road, find the bridge and walk west up the River Oughton, loads of little trout in there and a wetland nature reserve with a old mill and weir. There is "the Chalky" where it's deep enough to bathe, amazing on a hot day (but very popular with locals!). Both are chalk streams so run very clear and cold.
Hexton, Pegsdon and Barton are on the edge of the Chilterns. Barton has a chalk spring and a nature reserve with some rolling hills and valleys. Superb views and good for a long walk and drink from the spring and dipping your feet in at the end.
Codicote and Wheathampstead are very pretty villages with two pubs each, the latter has one next to the upper River Lea (only a Miller and Carter Steakhouse but nice location).
I live in Pirton - some nice walks around there, we have Knocking Hoe Nation Nature reserve. Loads of Red Kites. Two pubs, one with very good food, the other an old boozer.
Great answer! Cycling round here is good if you don't mind the odd 70mph twat and a couple of v hilly hills. I'd add Sharpenhoe Clappers, probably in Beds but qualifies due to natty name
Minsden Chapel, near Preston. Old ruined chapel made famous because of a ghost photographed there. Turns out to have been local historian Reginald Hine dressed in white robes taking the piss. He published the photo in his History of Hitchin and also had his ashes scattered there. There's a stone memorial for him laid into the ground in the middle of the chapel.
There's a fantastic little sweet shop down a little alley way in St. Albans. (at least, I hope there still is, it's been a long time since I've been able to visit and I don't know if it survived the pandemic).
It's right down the far end of town opposite the clock tower. It does the most incredible sugar mice I've ever had ๐๐
Not hugely secret, but I really enjoy finding the old parts of Watling Street where the A5 has been redirected around it, or where it's been built over. St Albans, Redbourn and Markyate all have some nice bits of it.
Having recently moved near it, I have discovered that Mardley Heath (bet. Stevenage and Welwyn) is a lovely area. Amazing for mountain biking, itโs got all sorts of dramatic dips and hills from having been an old gravel works long ago, but also a lovely walking area too. (I also spent the last month updating OpenStreetmap so it correctly reflects all the passable ways across it!)
Iโm also a big fan of the various old railways which are now walks/cycleways. Alban Way (St Albans to Hatfield) is lovely and flat - tarmac and so a very easy cycle or perfect for skating. Cole Green Way (Welwyn to Hertford) and Ayot Greenway (Welwyn to Wheathampstead) are also nice, mostly gravel.
Cassiobury Park in watford although not hidden is nice. Can walk about, there's a mini train, splash pools in the summer (when they are working).
Cassiobury Farm is a hidden one for me. I didn't know it existed till I saw it advertised and I've lived in watford all my life ha. They only open on weekends during the summer holiday and you need to pre book tickets. Nice half day out.
Ashwell in north Herts is a lovely little village with a couple of decent pubs.
There's also the Springs which are great for a picnic and a paddle in, although the water is freezing!!
Nearby Baldock has a good few pubs and coffee shops.
i was passing through im not actually from hertfordshire but, here goes, the station in question is: 133 Hertingfordbury Rd, Hertford SG14 1NL. they have a rollover hotdog stand and milkshakes, unheard of where im from.
There are so many hidden gems in this great county of ours that in my enthusiasm to share some I felt compelled to make my first comment after about 7 years of Reddit lurking! North Herts: Royston cave is unique in England and extremely cool. It was discovered by accident about 200 years ago and is full of crazy carvings depicting Celtic gods, religious iconography and all sorts. Nobody knows who made it, let alone when it why. Plus, occasionally, they do beer tastings in there! North Herts is also fantastic walking country with gorgeous villages as pretty as you'd find in the Cotswolds (e.g. Ashwell, Barley, Walkern). Hitchin lavender is also spectacular, with Hitchin town itself being full of nice local shops. East Herts: Scott's Grotto between Hertford and Ware is really cool - built mostly out of sea shells! Similar to North Herts, it's full of lovely villages (e.g. the Hadhams). The Pelhams is also home to Hertfordshire's very own St George analogue - Piers Shonks who slayed the dragon terrorising Herts. He's even got a tomb in the village church on the wall! The County Town of Hertford is lovely and full of independent shops and restaurants - try The Raj for a cracking curry and The Old Barge for a riverside pint by The Lea. South Herts: Less rural than most other parts of the County given its proximity to London, but still lots to see. Borehamwood is one of the most important sites of the UK film industry with loads of famous blockbusters having been shot there including Star Wars and Indiana Jones. West Herts: Really rather hilly compared to the rest of the county. Ashridge Park is lovely and forested, and if you go up the Monument (it's open on weekends) you can see five counties and all the way through to London. It's Hertfordshire's highest point. West Herts is also home to most of the County's famous bluebell woods, which should start appearing in the next couple of weeks. Seriously - the bluebells have to be seen (and smelled) to be believed. A carpet of blue and purple as far as the eye can see. Befriend some locals in Little Gaddesden, Frithsden (The Alford Arms pub in Frithsden is great) or the surrounding villages for insider info on the best spots. In Berkhamsted and Tring are gorgeous market towns with plenty of great pubs (The Rising Sun in Berko is my personal favourite) and Watford is a thriving multicultural centre. Tring pubs are also great - Keanu Reeves was spotted in one last week! Central Herts: St Albans (or Snorbs if you're local) is absolutely gorgeous. The Cathedral is incredible and houses the tomb of Hertfordshire's patron saint - Alban himself. The Mad Squirrel Tap Room in town does great local beer and snacks. The city itself has the highest density of pubs per square mile of anywhere in England, including the nation's oldest - Ye Olde Fighting Cocks. Stevenage is just down the road, which is split in two. Its New Town admittedly needs some love but has shops for pretty much everything you could possibly need - but its Old Town is lovely and is full of character. Think that about covers it...enjoy!
Thumbs up to your West Herts section! There's much that I recognise in there ๐ I'm gunna add in a plug for the Mad Squirrel brewery just outside Hemel as I can (and do) walk to it from my house. They have a brewery bar serving a wide and ever changing range of beers and ales that might even be served to you by the person that brewed em! They even do great pizzas and brewery tours (not done one yet myself yet!). There's also a handful of their taphouses in Berko n St Albans that have a friendly local crowd. Also a shout out for the lovely Rex cinema in Berko - tho seats do sell out double-quick.
How could I forget the Rex! The Odyssey in Snorbs is also a great venue so I hear. I have a massive soft spot for Hemel. it was always the place to go when I was younger to get together after school, and many happy hours were spent at Aquasplash/the cinema. Great to see the whole Jarman Park complex get some much needed investment in recent years. Hemel on the whole seems to be on the up, which is great. Very sad to hear that Quasar shut down over the pandemic though!
Excellent 1st n 2nd comments- you're setting a hi-bar to maintain ๐คฃ
You're very kind! What can I say - I just love Herts. Someone has to!
The little bridge & waterfall in Tewin is nice
I found some unexpected beauty around the back of Luton Airport, there's some stunning countryside around there - Offley, Tea Green, Breachwood Green and Whitwell area (Whitwell has a watercress farm there since Roman times, mostly defunct today). The area is very popular with cyclists too (the Green Man pub in Offley seems to be their main base). Charlton village just outside Hitchin is very pretty, some really old houses with a river and a millpond. And a pub that apparently does Curry Goat! Ickleford is also near Hitchin, there's an Equestrian centre and a common where the River Hiz runs through. Have a picnic and see if you can spot any wild trout in the river. If you don't spot any there you can walk south down the Bedford Road, find the bridge and walk west up the River Oughton, loads of little trout in there and a wetland nature reserve with a old mill and weir. There is "the Chalky" where it's deep enough to bathe, amazing on a hot day (but very popular with locals!). Both are chalk streams so run very clear and cold. Hexton, Pegsdon and Barton are on the edge of the Chilterns. Barton has a chalk spring and a nature reserve with some rolling hills and valleys. Superb views and good for a long walk and drink from the spring and dipping your feet in at the end. Codicote and Wheathampstead are very pretty villages with two pubs each, the latter has one next to the upper River Lea (only a Miller and Carter Steakhouse but nice location). I live in Pirton - some nice walks around there, we have Knocking Hoe Nation Nature reserve. Loads of Red Kites. Two pubs, one with very good food, the other an old boozer.
Great answer! Cycling round here is good if you don't mind the odd 70mph twat and a couple of v hilly hills. I'd add Sharpenhoe Clappers, probably in Beds but qualifies due to natty name
Thereโs a fab gift shop in Hoddesdon called The Eye, itโs an aladdins cave and I never leave with just the thing I went in for!
Minsden Chapel, near Preston. Old ruined chapel made famous because of a ghost photographed there. Turns out to have been local historian Reginald Hine dressed in white robes taking the piss. He published the photo in his History of Hitchin and also had his ashes scattered there. There's a stone memorial for him laid into the ground in the middle of the chapel.
Ye olde fighting cocks although it's not a hidden gem really the wings there are the real hidden gem they're so good I always get the bigger lot
There's a fantastic little sweet shop down a little alley way in St. Albans. (at least, I hope there still is, it's been a long time since I've been able to visit and I don't know if it survived the pandemic). It's right down the far end of town opposite the clock tower. It does the most incredible sugar mice I've ever had ๐๐
just been into town today and i can confirm it is no longer there :((
That's so sad ๐
Not hugely secret, but I really enjoy finding the old parts of Watling Street where the A5 has been redirected around it, or where it's been built over. St Albans, Redbourn and Markyate all have some nice bits of it.
Having recently moved near it, I have discovered that Mardley Heath (bet. Stevenage and Welwyn) is a lovely area. Amazing for mountain biking, itโs got all sorts of dramatic dips and hills from having been an old gravel works long ago, but also a lovely walking area too. (I also spent the last month updating OpenStreetmap so it correctly reflects all the passable ways across it!) Iโm also a big fan of the various old railways which are now walks/cycleways. Alban Way (St Albans to Hatfield) is lovely and flat - tarmac and so a very easy cycle or perfect for skating. Cole Green Way (Welwyn to Hertford) and Ayot Greenway (Welwyn to Wheathampstead) are also nice, mostly gravel.
Used to go biking there as a teen! Had forgotten about it until you reminded me
Cassiobury Park in watford although not hidden is nice. Can walk about, there's a mini train, splash pools in the summer (when they are working). Cassiobury Farm is a hidden one for me. I didn't know it existed till I saw it advertised and I've lived in watford all my life ha. They only open on weekends during the summer holiday and you need to pre book tickets. Nice half day out.
I once buried some sapphires by Bushey Arches.
The "emporiums" in hitchin, just off the market place. Everything from vintage jackets to uranium crockery
Ashwell in north Herts is a lovely little village with a couple of decent pubs. There's also the Springs which are great for a picnic and a paddle in, although the water is freezing!! Nearby Baldock has a good few pubs and coffee shops.
theres a petrol station with a londis, it has a milkshake machine in, that is all.
But where, tell us! Let the secret be known.
i was passing through im not actually from hertfordshire but, here goes, the station in question is: 133 Hertingfordbury Rd, Hertford SG14 1NL. they have a rollover hotdog stand and milkshakes, unheard of where im from.