WALKING IN WATFORD

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: october 2018 :: RMTnews 21 Watford does not immediately conjure up images of a rural idyll but look closer and there is The Ebury Way, a 3.5-mile rail trail running between Rickmansworth and Watford. RMT South East regional admin manager Stewart Cameron and his brother-in-law and RMT LUL rep Laszlo Rollinger are big fans of the Ebury Way and both remember watching steam trains running along the line to and from a paper mill when they were both at junior school. “As kids this was a forgotten world with railway tracks and bridges we used to mess about in for whole summers,” Stewart reminisces. Today, acting as a ‘green corridor’ for wildlife and well away from the bustle of nearby towns, it passes through an amazing variety of habitats, including open common land, scrubby wood, wetlands and water. One of the highlights is Croxley Common Moor, a 100- acre nature reserve which provides habitat for wildflowers and many bird species including the green woodpecker. A stroll across the moor, which commonly provides grazing for cattle, brings you to the banks of the tranquil River Gade where kingfishers are a common sight. The route crosses three rivers; The River Colne, River Chess and River Gade as well as the Grand Union Canal. The path’s origin as the Watford and Rickmansworth Railway endows it with generous width and gentle gradient making it ideal for family cycling. It forms part of National Cycle Network Route 61 which runs between Windsor to the south-west and Ware to the north-east. The characteristics of abandoned railways—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various reasons. By bike it is a 30-minute ride, though for the more adventurous it forms part of route 61 of the National Cycle Network which runs west to Uxbridge and Windsor and beyond, and from Watford Route 6 goes from London to the Lake District. The surface has been designed to be easy going for all users including wheelchairs, with many accessible entry points along the way. *If you have a favourite railway walk let RMT News know and e- mail: bdenny@rmt.org.uk RMT south east regional office manager Stewart Camreon with his son Connor and RMT LUL rep Laszlo Rollinger RAILWAY WALKS WALKING IN WATFORD The Ebury Way offers country strolls through lakes and fields shared by walkers and cyclists Grand Union Canal