Skip to main content

Jersey Farm parkrun

This week, I wanted to tick off another event with an uncommon letter. I have booked my hotel for Queen Elizabeth next week, which only leaves "Y" and "J" of the uncommon letters to focus on. The weather this week has been very wet, and so I didn't fancy a 3+ hour drive to York or Yeovil, which left "J", and Jersey Farm, so through a process of elimination, Jersey Farm it is!

The area

Jersey Farm Woodland Park is located within the city of St Albans, slightly north of London. The city of St Albans (formerly known as Verulamium during Roman occupation) is a popular home for many commuters into London. The city's residents were revealed to be the 10th most active in England in a 2007 study by Sport England, with over 30% of residents performing more than 90 minutes of activity at least 3 times a week.

Jersey Farm Woodland Park itself is part of the remains of Evans Farm, which was a dairy farm situated on part of the much bigger Marshalswick Estate. The name is derived from the herd of Jersey cows which were a common sight on the pastures while the farm was still active. The park is a mixture of meadows, surrounded on all sides by woodlands.

The course

The course begins in the open meadow adjacent to St Heliers Road, and initially follows the central path to the east of the park before following two clockwise mildly undulating laps around the perimeter of the park, and veering off the path onto the meadow near the starting point for the finish. The course is on grass and trail paths, so be prepared for mud, and possibly take trail shoes.

The undulations of Jersey Farm

Parking is available a short walk from the park in the parish car park, which is also where public toilets can be found.

The run

The event began with the first timers briefing, which was attended by a lot of tourists who were also ticking off their "J" without traveling to Jersey, or Newcastle for Jesmond Dene parkrun. It was during the first timer briefing that we were also told that the Athena St Albans running club was also taking over this week to mark International Women's Day, which felt like déjà vu after they also took over Ellenbrook Fields last week!

First timer briefing at Jersey Farm

The course itself was quite muddy, and there were a number of puddles which were quite big, but shallow enough to run through them.

Ian running with a group of other runners

The run seemed to pass very quickly, as the scenery and direction were constantly changing, so you could never get too comfortable before something new was in front of you!

Thank you again to the ladies of Athena St Albans for taking over this week, and to the core team for coordinating the day!

Links: Run report 1 | Run report 2 | Results | Strava

Labels:
Location: Jersey Farm Woodland Park, St Albans AL4, UK

Popular posts from this blog

Coldham's Common parkrun

As my recovery from injury is still underway, I decided that I would attend a flat course this week to avoid any potential for reaggrevation. Unfortunately this means I will need to pause my completion of the Essex events, as the remaining courses are all somewhat lumpy. Having visited all of the other Cambridge parkruns, including Storeys Field parkrun, Fulbourn Hospital parkrun, and Cambridge parkrun knowing that they are all relatively flat, I decided that this week I would complete the Cambridge set. The area Coldham's Common has a long history, serving as both a hospital during the 17th century smallpox outbreak, and a quarry during the 19th century, as well as a rifle range also during the 19th century. The course The route follows two laps of the perimeter of the common through an hour-glass shape, connecting two fields through a five-bar-gate. The course is all on grass, and is all flat. Limited parking is available nearby, while toilets are available in
Read more

Aldenham parkrun

Icey conditions in days leading up to parkrun day meant many events were cancelled this week. While I would have ideally been able to visit another event in Essex, I decided that I valued having options more in the event of cancellation this week, and so I instead headed to the cluster of events surrounding the Watford area. The area Aldenham Country Park is located near Watford, and centres on Aldenham reservoir, with grassland and woodland surrounding the reservoir itself. The reservoir was excavated by French prisoners of war during 1795 as part of the wider management of the Grand Union Canal's water levels, and now serves as a reserve water supply. In addition to the reservoir, the country park also supports the breeding of a number of rare species of farm animals, including cattle, goats, pigs, and sheep. The course The course follows two laps of the reservoir, with the second lap skipping the inner peninsular. The course is flat, and is run mainly on trail pat
Read more

Brentwood parkrun

This week I decided to return to making more progress towards completing all events in Essex by visiting Brentwood. The area While the modern town of Brentwood is a popular commuter town, being served by the Elizabeth line, it is also where the first events of the Peasants Revolt took place. Locals refused to pay a poll tax imposed on them, and instead rioted, threatening to kill the commissioner trying to collect the tax. Word of these riots spread to the wider country, initiating the wider revolt, including at Littleport , Billericay and North Walsham . The town is surrounded by countryside, and in the west lies Weald Park; the remains of a former country estate. The park was originally considered as a possible location for the mountain biking course during the 2012 Olympics, before the committee ultimately decided that Hadleigh would prove a more challenging course. The course Owing to the wet weather, today's run followed an alternative route nicknamed "The B
Read more