Ellenbrook Fields (The Old Hatfield Aerodrome)
St Albans
Type of walk
Flat
What's here
Free Parking, Off Lead Areas, On Lead Areas, Animals On Route
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Description
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Nature Reserve
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Ellenbrook Fields is really well hidden, beside Notcutts Garden Centre in St Albans. I always wrote it off as either part of the garden centre or land belonging to the university. It turns out it's neither! It's the site of the old runway and taxi path for the now closed De Haviland airport, and a really easy walk for humans and hounds.
Park in the car park for Notcutts, or try sneaking into the car park for The Three Horseshoes pub across the road. The entrance is to the right hand side of Notcutts. Walk across their frontage to find it. At the time of writing, Notcutts had disguised the entrance to the fields with a decorative line of daffodils, but just behind them is a metal gate, and a sign saying "Hatfield Business Park". Follow that lane down for a short distance and on your right, you will see an opening into the fields. A vast expanse of fields should open up before you as you step into them.
The area is totally flat grassland, so quite suitable for a buggy or wheelchair push, although there are some raised mounds beside the paths. I was told that these were originally put in place as bumpers if a plane overshot the runway. A dog could probably scale them quite happily, and I bet children would have a great time playing on and around them. The site neighbours an aggregates processing plant, and there are ponds of what they describe as slurry; however they are fenced off and signposted. If you follow the park around, there are small wooded areas to explore, and some softer ground to be careful on if you're on wheels. There are some information boards up at key points, such as the position of the old runway, and to show how big an aeroplane was.
If you're a movie or TV buff who likes a bit of Spielberg, this was the field in which battle scenes from Saving Private Ryan and Band Of Brothers were filmed, although they cleared up well after themselves. There are some fabled polystyrene trees hiding, but I'd imagine they're long decomposed, or thieved by local students! The locals like to tell tales of how they would come across people dressed as German soldiers during filming while they walked their dogs. These days, the only dangerous creature you might encounter are the cattle which occasionally graze in a fenced off area near the housing development at the back of the park, or a bird of prey hovering in the air.
In terms of facilties, it's lacking, but it is literally a field and nothing more. It's a great place for your dog to run about like mad, and owners to explore. There are no pooh bins, no toilets, and nowhere to get/eat food. Dogs aren't allowed into Notcutts itself, but you might be able to get a drink and snack in the Three Horseshoes across the road. Alternatively, head up to The Galleria shopping centre and get yourself a sneaky burger from one of the many drive through restaurants. I'll be the one with the chocolate milkshake and flagging beagle!
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Ellenbrook Fields (The Old Hatfield Aerodrome), St Albans
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Comments (13)
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ruthwithmoose
11 years ago
Thank you for posting this walk! We've just explored it for the first time - but it's unlikely to be the last! Fantastic space for my energetic dog to run for miles and stalk imaginary birds. A real hidden gem. -
Anonymous
10 years ago
Great place to walk the dogs. I would never have found it without this site. Thank you. -
alexyarrow
8 years ago
Please be aware that there is a planning application to turn the park into a quarry for the next 30 Years, please visit herts Link →. Ref PL/0755/16 to stop it -
moth
7 years ago
You can take dogs into Nottcutts but not into the cafe unfortunately, however I've not yet asked if I could sit in the outside area with my dog. -
DaddyR
6 years ago
If you want to avoid Notcutts' or the pub's parking, you can drive up to the University car park at De Havilland and park by the Sports Village to access Ellenbrook Fields from a little further east. The entrances and immediate area here have been landscaped (after the initial quarrying) and there are poo bins (but no other facilities) and you can access the main part of Ellenbrooks Fields from either the runway or the more open fields adjacent to where the cows graze. This is also the venue every Saturday morning for the Ellenbrooks Field parkrun (dogs welcome). -
Shallas-Person
6 years ago
We are regular walkers in EFP - great walk, well maintained (mostly by the walkers themselves) and a really friendly dog walking community. The wildlife is really diverse, first time I ever saw a live Weasel, loads of birds of prey, deer and foxes. We also speak to the many twitchers who use the park and are happy to share their knowledge. There is a standpipe near the Albatross Way entrance which means you're able to take water with you and water dogs when you're ready to leave. The one criticism we do have is park users NOT CLOSING THE GATE BEHIND THEM!! We are trying to negotiate spring loaded gates with the management. The local MP, Grant Shapps, is supporting the installations, recognising that dogs and children can (and have) dashed through gates left agape - nearly coming to serious harm. We'd would respectfully ask all users to remember to close the gates on Albatross Way. Walkers regularly meet up at 10am and around 4pm - please come and join us. -
Allyturnbu
3 years ago
Hidden gem, such a expansive area and we have lived nearby for 12 years and never knew about it till we got a dog! Nice and quiet too -
DPants21
3 years ago
It was a little tricky to find first off, but we parked at the garden centre and eventually saw the gate to walk down a path did a right through the bushes in to wonderful big open fields which was a great for our spaniel. If your dog likes lots of space to run freely this is perfect. -
Radish136
3 years ago
Great space (although threatened by part-closure for gravel quarrying). Parking now difficult on the Hatfield side - there are No Stopping signs where I used to park on Albatross Way. I’m trying to get Welhat Council to advise where to park. The northern entrance on Coopers Green Lane has a couple of verge-side spaces but there’s nothing as far as I can see down near the University. -
Greyhound01
2 years ago
Nice walk up into the woods -
jacqw
a year ago
Can anyone recommend the best place to park for this walk? -
Radish136
a year ago
See my comment above! I wrote to MP Grant Shapps 18 months ago about this parking question. I never got a reply. The only legal place I can see is on Coopers Green Road, at the northern end of Ellenbrook Fields. -
jacqw
a year ago
Thanks to this page I walked my dogs here today as I was in the area. Parked in Notcutts and popped in there to get some bulbs afterwards. It was cold and windy and the tracks are waterlogged and muddy but it's a great safe space if you have dogs that like to run and sniff. They did spot a muntjac in the distance but it was long gone by the time they got to where it was. I found the information points really interesting too.
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How to get there
Address
605 Hatfield Rd, St Albans AL4, UK View on Google
what3words address
///spins.issues.exact View on w3w
Location details
Next door to Notcutts Garden Centre, AL4 0HN
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