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The Commons and Greens
If Church Green, Leyton Green and the High Street Greens with
their magnificent horse chestnut and lime trees give their own particular
character to ‘the village’, it is the glorious Harpenden
Common, reaching into the very edge of the shopping centre and stretching
away  to
the south for more than a mile that makes Harpenden unique. The
Common presents an expanse of 238 acres, rising to a height of 400
feet above sea level. All but a small part is owned and administered
by the Town Council, which jealously guards the rights of the public
to enjoy the ‘air and exercise’ which the Common laws
and regulations protect.
Sporting and cultural activities including golf, football, cricket,
art exhibitions and car rallies are allowed to take place in defined
areas. In addition, fairs, including the annual ‘Statty’
fair; and non-animal circuses are held regularly on parts of the
Common near the town. On the more southerly part of the Common,
where Harpenden Common Golf Club flourishes, the remains of the
pre-1914 Harpenden Racecourse can still be seen. In spring, the
Common is ablaze with flowering gorse. A two-mile nature trail takes
in many features of interest, and a permissive horseride around
the edge of the Common allows horseriders to enjoy the Common also.
On the other side of the main road to St. Albans the common land
is known as West Common. At the brow of the hill is the lane towards
Redbourn, leading into Hatching Green, another area of Town Council-owned
Common surrounded by many attractive properties, large and small.
In 2001 the Town Council was delighted that Harpenden Common was
designated a County Wildlife site by Hertfordshire Biological Records
Centre, which confirmed that the management of the Common over many
years had preserved this unique environment for the Community and
in recognition of its continued quality the Common has been awarded
a Green Flag for four consecutive years since 2007. The Green Flag
award is a key component of the Government's commitment to create
cleaner, safer, greener communities.
In 2002, the Town Council approved a 10-year Management Plan for
the Common, drawn up in conjunction with Countryside Management
Service and users of the Common to ensure this facility can be enjoyed
today and into the future.
Harpenden Common is governed by Byelaws, copies of the recently
updated Byelaws are displayed on a number of boards around the Common
and are available on the Harpenden Town Council website.
Southdown Ponds
At the beginning of the 20th century, the site presently occupied
by Southdown Ponds comprised old gravel pits originally dug out
in the 1870s. In 1928, the Urban District Council reshaped the gravel
pits to provide three balancing ponds, at descending levels, to
take storm and surface water from Harpenden.
Harpenden Town Council, with sponsorship, carried out work to improve
the ponds as a Millennium Project. Unfortunately the planting partially
failed, due to the fluctuating water levels, grazing by ducks and
disturbance by dogs and in 2001, Pond One and Two developed leaks.
A new plan was drafted to restore the area including the installation
of a petrol interceptor, treating the polluted silts and re-lining
and replanting both Ponds One and Two with Pond Two transformed
into a wetland, to aid in the removal of residual pollutants and
encourage bio-diversity. Works on the ponds were carried out in
2004 and interpretation  boards
were erected to educate visitors about the ponds.
The Nature Trail
Harpenden Common Nature Trail provides residents and visitors
with more leisurely pursuits on the Common. Interpretation boards
and directional posts are positioned on the Common guiding the public
around 4 miles of Common (there are 3 distances of walk to enjoy),
footpaths and bridleways to view flora and fauna and other areas
of interest. A leaflet is available from the Town Hall.
Bowers Parade Sensory Garden - Update
The sensory garden in Harpenden is situated next to Bowers Parade
in the Town Centre. The garden was principally selected because
the location is convenient to all visitors to the Town Centre, especially
those with physical disabilities. The concept of the garden was
originally started as a Millennium project. In 2010 the Town Council
were successful in receiving a grant from The Abbeyfield Harpenden
Society Ltd to improve the garden. The central flower bed was raised
to make access easier and promote the ability to touch, smell and
see all the new plants in detail. A tactile/Braille map and seating
were also added along with a Mosaic which was designed by a local
resident and forms the central feature.
Lydekker Park
Lydekker Park, formally opened to the public on 1st July 1998,
is situated close to the High Street in the middle of Harpenden
and provides a haven of peace and tranquillity. Within its 3 acres
can be found a mixture of shrub beds, a formal seating area and
a mature pond area, which is managed with an emphasis on wildlife
and nature conservation. Next to the park is a 93-space fee-paying
car park. A Teddy Bears Picnic is held in the park in August each
year.
The land was formerly part of the grounds of Harpenden Lodge, which
was built in 1803 and bought by the Lydekkers, one of Harpenden’s
oldest families, in 1857. The property remained in the Lydekker
family until 1987 when the executors of the last surviving member
of the family entered into an agreement with St Albans District
Council to retain a total of three acres as public open space with
a car park. Discussions between the Town and District Councils took
place and an agreement was reached in 1998 that Ha rpenden
Town Council would lease Lydekker Park and the new car park from
St Albans District Council at a peppercorn rent.
The Nickey Line
The Nickey Line (National Cycle Network route 57) is a footpath
and cycleway which follows the route of a disused railway line from
Harpenden, through Redbourn, and on into Hemel Hempstead. The Line
runs for 83⁄4 miles through hedge-lined paths with oak, ash
and cherry trees. In the dappled shade you can find shrubs such
as hazel and elm, with underlying blackthorn, hawthorn, dog rose,
bramble, dog’s mercury and bluebells. The Line also has areas
of open grassland which are home to a wealth of flowering plant
species. In addition, remnants of the railway heritage, such as
the Halt and signal near Roundwood Park School in Harpenden, can
be seen. A leaflet is available from the Town Hall, Leyton Road.
Batford Springs Local Nature Reserve
Though surrounded by urban development, this small area, set in
10 acres of the floodplain of the River Lea, retains a wealth of
wildlife and an extensive flora. Part of the site comprises derelict
watercress beds, last worked in 1958. Five boreholes were drilled
into the chalk to provide water for the beds; these still flow,
though the cressbeds have now largely silted up. Reed and sedge
have colonised the shallow water with an adjacent small woodland
of willows and poplars. In 2002 a Management Plan was introduced
comprising hay meadow management, tree thinning and reedbed restoration.
The site has been maintained for many years by the volunteers of
the Upper Lea Valley Group (ULVG) now called the Batford Springs
Volunteers, who are responsible for creating and maintaining the
Harpenden section of the Lea Valley Walk - a 50 mile regional route
from the source of the Lea to the Thames in London.
The ULVG welcomes new volunteers to its work parties, which are
held regularly throughout the year and are advertised in the window
of their headquarters at 91 Lower Luton Road or visit: www.batfordsprings.org.uk
for further information about the group.
A leaflet describing the reserve is available from the Town Hall,
Leyton Road.
Rothamsted Park
Harpenden Leisure Centre and Swimming Pool
The centre boasts a fully air conditioned fitness suite with cardiovascular
and resistance machines along with a wide selection of free weights
and a dance studio. An extremely varied range of classes from Body
Pump and Step Aerobics to the more sedate yoga and Pilates are run
at the centre. There is also a crèche facility which is extremely
well regarded. For further details or to make a booking Tel: 01582
767722.
The indoor swimming complex consists of a 25-metre main pool and
learner pool, with a well appointed Health Suite boasting a Sauna,
Saunarium, Steam Room, Spa and Relaxation areas with its own showers
and changing rooms. For details of the pool programme Tel: 01582
460683.
There are also a number of outdoor facilities set in the attractive
park grounds, including floodlit tennis courts, hockey, cricket
and football pitches all of which are available for hire and an
orienteering course.
 Harpenden
Skate Park
An aspiration of the Harpenden Youth Town Council and following
generous donations from Plowright Homes, businesses and residents
in the community, the Harpenden Skate Park facility was officially
opened in 2003 by the Harpenden Town and St Albans District Mayors,
following a partnership arrangement between the two councils. Based
in Rothamsted Park, the facility features a variety of state-of-the-art
ramps, jumps and half-pipes, which are designed to allow skate boarders,
in-liners and BMX riders to practise and enjoy their skills safely
and away from pedestrian areas. Open throughout the year and free
of charge, the facility is protected by CCTV surveillance equipment.
Rothamsted Research
- World class science for sustainable crop management
Harpenden is the home of the oldest, most famous and one of the
largest agricultural stations in the world. By finding ways to increase
the fertility of the soil and control crop pests and diseases, Rothamsted
Research has helped to improve crop productivity in rich and poor
countries alike.
It all started when John Bennet Lawes, the Squire of Rothamsted
Manor, set out whilst still a young man to combine his practice
of estate management with his enthusiasm for chemistry. In 1842
he patented a process for combining ash with acid to create what
he called “super-phosphate of lime” and set up a successful
fertiliser business. In 1843 Lawes was joined by J.H. Gilbert, a
chemist and in the same year, they set up their first large-scale
experiment in Broadbalk Field where, in separate plots, the effects
on wheat yields of various inorganic fertilisers were compared with
farmyard manure. This experiment has been run continuously ever
since. Indeed, the world’s longest running field experiments
and best-documented fields lie on the estate.
In 1889, Lawes used the profits of the fertiliser business to create
the Lawes Agricultural  Trust
to be responsible for the work of the experimental station. Rothamsted
Research is now sponsored by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences
Research Council. Behind the façade of the Russell Building,
which is a familiar sight to all the Town’s residents, some
500 scientists are engaged in multi-disciplinary research to improve
all aspects of the efficiency and environmental acceptability of
arable crop production.
Facilities at Rothamsted include a modern conference complex, seating
up to 250 people, together with adjacent seminar rooms and a new
restaurant, which are available for use by local organisations.
For further information about Rothamsted Tel: 01582 763133 or visit
the website www.rothamsted.bbsrc.ac.uk
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