HertfordshireBeautiful Country Pubs

The Vintage Inns Hertfordshire Collection

From ancient St Albans to the Garden City of Welwyn and the riverside at Hoddesdon, to journey between them is to travel in time - to savour the events and culture that make Hertfordshire so special.

The county retains its own unique identity with thriving towns and picturesque villages set in beautiful countryside. Hertfordshire is a county full of contrasts that create a superb quality of life for residents and visitors.

The Lee (or Lea) Valley offers miles of waterways and countryside which can be explored from The Crown at Broxbourne and the Fish & Eels at Hoddesdon. The Three Jolly Wheelers near Woodford Green is an ideal base for venturing into nearby Epping Forest, and you’ll find plenty to entertain at The Chequers at Bragbury End which dates back to the 18th century.

The Vintage Inns of Hertfordshire mirror this appeal and diversity offering historic charm and traditions alongside contemporary standards of excellence. They can be a destination pub for a fireside gathering or lazy summer’s day in the garden, or the perfect base from which to stretch your legs on a leisurely walk and work up an appetite for a mouth-watering meal.

Additionally, travellers will need little help in finding things to do across the county and there’s always a good Vintage Inn nearby where they can get the real flavour of their surroundings.

ContentsCrooked Chimney – Welwyn Garden City

Colney Fox – St AlbansThe Chequers – Stevenage

Three Horsehoes – St AlbansThe Crown – BroxbourneFish & Eels – Hoddesdon Ferry Boat – Tottenham

Three Jolly Wheelers – ChigwellYe Old Cherry Tree – Southgate

Countryside walksWaterside walks Heritage sites Visitor attractionsInformation National Trust sites Museums

Vintage Inn CollectionHertfordshire

Stevenage

Welwyn Garden City

Hertford

Watton-at-stone

The Chequers

Crooked Chimney

Ye Olde Cherry Tree

Three Horseshoes

Colney Fox

Fish & Eels

A1(M)

M11M25M25

A602

A414

A10

A10

A1170

A1057

A406

A406

Hoddesdon

Enfield

The Crown

Ferry Boat

Three Jolly Wheelers

This traditional country inn nestles in the quaint village of Lemsford, which in 1921 became part of the newly founded Welwyn Garden City due to boundary changes. It retains its rural charm and identity however.

Serving the local community for more than 200 years, the pub building was originally a farmhouse called Hornbeam Hall. Its use as an inn dates back to 1756 when it was called The Chequers – and it remained so until 1968 when it was renamed after its distinctive, crooked brick chimney.

Nearby is Stanborough Reedmarsh, which is highly recommended for bird watchers and has a nature trail that follows the River Lee through the reserve. This seven-acre haven is located in the corner of the 126 acre Stanborough Park and its two scenic lakes on the edge of Welwyn Garden.

To the west are two ancient ditches (Devil’s Dyke and The Slad) dating back to 40BC where British tribes were defeated by Julius Caesar, and the remains of author John Bunyan’s cottage at Coleman Green. Nomansland Common was historically used for horse riding and prize fighting but is now home to cricketers, ramblers, model aircraft and kite fliers. Just south is the stately Hatfield House and a 200 year-old water mill in full working order.

Welwyn Garden City, meanwhile, has global significance because it was a role model for lower-density urban development that combined ‘new’ towns of limited size, planned in advance and surrounded by a permanent belt of agricultural land. The centre today is still dominated by a scenic mall, a mile long called ‘Parkway’, that is acknowledged as one of Europe’s finest urban vistas.

Crooked ChimneyCromer Hyde Lane, Lemsford, Welwyn Garden City, AL8 7XE Tel. 01707 397021

Walk Hertfordshire’s ‘Lake District’...

• From the inn it’s easy to reach the old Lemsford Mill just to the east and take a pleasant walk through the Brocket Hall estate with its lakeside vista.

• Or go in the other direction along the River Lee to Stanborough Lakes to hire a boat, fish, or even learn to sail.

• Slake your thirst at The Crooked Chimney, warm tired or cold limbs in front of a roaring log fire, or refuel and replenish with the best pub food for miles around.

For details on more attractions around Welwyn Garden City, plus other ideas for days out in the area, visit www.vintageinn.co.uk/thecrookedchimneywelwyngarden 1

This ivy covered pub with rooms and lush gardens nestles in London Colney, south of St Albans, which is reputed to be the second largest village in the UK.

In the 1940s it was previously known as The Watersplash Hotel, complete with swimming pool, but before then there is no record of it being an inn - indeed it would appear its previous purpose was a boy’s school. Now fully restored, it still offers good food.

London Colney is sited on the old coaching route between London and St Albans, and the High Street crosses the meandering River Colne at the multi-arched and listed brick-built Telford Bridge. On the western side of the village are a pretty nature reserve and the All Saints Pastoral Centre, formerly an Anglican convent, built on the site of an old mansion house. The grounds include the remains of a medieval chapel on a moated island, which may have been connected to a pilgrim path to St Alban’s shrine.

Willows Farm Village is a unique rural retreat where children and adults can discover their true animal instincts roaming free in the countryside, while the Mosquito Aircraft Museum nearby was the birthplace of the wooden Mosquito, one of the most successful aircraft used in World War Two. Adjacent is Salisbury Hall, an old manor house, dating from before 1600 and reputedly a haunt of King Charles II and his mistress Nell Gwynne.

The famous cathedral city of St Albans is just three miles west and stands on a hill that has been a site of worship since Saxon times and a place of history since the Romans founded St Albans as Verulamium. Fascinating museums, heritage sites and stunning architecture await you.

Colney Fox1 Barnet Road, London Colney, St. Albans, AL2 1BL Tel. 01727 823698

In the Fox’s footsteps...

• There are many riverside and treelined walks from the pub with scenic views.

• Visit Verulamium Museum (3 miles) to see everyday life in Roman Britain.

• At Kingsbury Watermill (3 miles) milling is brought to life.

For more information about the area visit www.vintageinn.co.uk/thecolneyfoxlondoncolney

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This farmhouse-style inn resides in the village of Bragbury End near Stevenage, which became Britain’s first ‘new town’ in 1946 and is between the garden cities of Letchworth and Welwyn.

Dating back to 1774, The Chequers was originally a farmhouse on a 40 acre farm which included a slaughterhouse. Taken over by a St. Albans brewer in 1820, it also included a lodge, a thatch barn and a cattle barn, plus it was granted a full licence in 1919 and is now a Grade II listed building. Stevenage Gold Centre is also right on the doorstep.

Stevenage properly developed after World War II around the original centre, now called Stevenage Old Town, which still retains a coaching post feel with its historic buildings dating back to the 1700s. But it even goes back as far as Roman times and in 1281 was granted a Royal Charter to hold a weekly market, still held in the High Street today. And Rooks Nest House nearby is where novelist E.M Forster lived as a boy and immortalised the house in his famous classic, Howard’s End.

Stevenage is also a very green town with avenues of trees throughout and over 240 acres of woodland spread over 40 different sites. Monks and Whomerley Wood are large semi-natural ancient woodland ripe to explore; the Town Centre Gardens are the town’s primary formal and ornamental public spaces; and Fairlands Valley Park runs through the centre and offers a wildfowl reserve, boating lake, watersports, sailing, fishing, picnic areas, orienteering course and Trim Trail. Just out of town are popular attractions like Knebworth House, one of England’s favourite stately homes, plus The Lordship Gardens in pretty Benington village that combines heritage, culture and nature under one roof.

The ChequersBragbury End, Stevenage, SG2 8THTel. 01438 817814

Stoop to conquer...

• The Stevenage Outer Orbital Path (STOOP) is a new 24 mile route circling the town, and accessible from one of the 10 paths leading out into Hertfordshire countryside.

• Astonbury Woods are to the rear of the pub and lead to Aston village located on a ridge between the Beane Valley and Stevenage. Just north is the pretty hamlet of Aston End with its beautiful church.

• Be sure to check out The Chequers before or after for great food, fine wines, hearty real ales and the warmest welcome (and log fire) in town!

For details on more attractions around Stevenage, plus other ideas for days out in the area, visit www.vintageinn.co.uk/thechequersstevenage

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For details on more attractions around St Albans, plus other ideas for days out in the area, visit www.vintageinn.co.uk/thethreehorseshoesstalbans

Three Horsehoes612 Hatfield Road, Smallford, St. Albans, AL4 0HP Tel. 01727 851608

This cosy whitewashed inn resides in the hamlet of Smallford, ideally situated between the famous cathedral city of St. Albans to the west and historic Hatfield town to the east.

There is little historical information available, but old maps show us it was an inn at least as far back as the late 1800s, and given the rural location was probably part of an old farmstead. It still boasts a traditional interior with exposed beams and original fireplaces offering hearty pub fayre and quaffable ales to warm the soul.

With such a rural backdrop, it’s hardly surprising that Smallford offers fine walks and scenery with the renowned Alban Way passing through it along a disused railway line and providing a valuable wildlife corridor. This green and pleasant 6.5 mile routeway connects the popular attractions of St. Albans Abbey with Hatfield House and through Smallford you pass the derelict railway building and old platform.

Heading towards Hatfield you pass Hatfield Forest Nature Reserve, which is a small Royal Forest that has survived since medieval times and is a remarkable mosaic of open grassland, coppiced woodland, and marshland. Once there, Tudor mansion Hatfield House is where Elizabeth I grew up and the town is also famous for being where the first production-line jet airliner, the De Havilland Comet, was built.

St. Albans, meanwhile, is one of England’s oldest cities with a rich heritage and culture and has several world-class museums and monuments highlighting its strategic importance through Roman, Saxon, medieval and Victorian times. And from the city centre all of the roads leading east or south connect to the Alban Way and Smallford.

You’re in luck ...

• Smallford Lakes (former gravel pits) offer lovely local walks, plus great fishing and a chance to see rare species like great crested newts.

• Take the Alban Way west to Hill End Lane and Hixberry Lane where a pleasant off-road route leads to the pretty village of Tyttenhanger.

• Have a punt on The Three Horseshoes, but it’s not down to luck that we’re highly thought of for our good food, fine wines, hearty ales and warm welcome.

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This magnificent white country inn lies on the edge of the commuter town of Broxbourne, which is on the picturesque River Lee that forms the boundary with Essex and is 4.5 miles north of the M25.

The current building was sympathetically constructed in the 1930s, to replace the old Crown Hotel, which dates back to the mid 1700s and was very popular with city daytrippers taking advantage of the archery, bowls, cricket and croquet in the riverside gardens, and was also known as a fishermen’s rest.

The location is still idyllic and the ambience and welcome just as memorable - indeed we’re right next to the Lee Valley Boat Centre and it’s still possible to hire rowing boats, electric motor boats and even narrow boats for cruises along the Lee Navigation.

Two fine attractions in town are the Monson Almshouses built of red brick in 1728 and the Priest’s House which is a 17th century two storey dwelling, while Broxbourne Mill goes as far back as the Domesday Book. But this is area also a green lung and the Lee Valley Regional Park, which begins in Ware to the north and stretches through Hertfordshire to the Thames in London, offers heritage sites, country parks and nature reserves plus walking, cycling, horse riding and sailing. The park’s lakes are also a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Broxbourne Woods & Nature Reserve to the west of town is particularly diverse and rich in wildlife and you can take your pick from a 30 minutes stroll to a full day’s woodland walk via the 11 mile Broxbourne NNR Trail. It’s also home to the superb Paradise Wildlife Park, which is a fun place to discover exotic animals from all over the world.

The CrownOld Nazeing Road, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, EN10 6QT Tel. 01992 462244

For details on more attractions around Broxbourne, plus other ideas for days out in the area, visit www.vintageinn.co.uk/thecrownbroxbourne

Walk the Lee Valley Way...

• A four mile riverside walk starts and finishes from the beer garden of The Crown and incorporates some of the greenest (and bluest) spaces in the Lee Valley.

• Follow the towpath past the navigation’s prettiest lock, Carthagena, up to Dobbs Weir, along The New River, past Admiral’s Lake and finally the now listed pumping station.

• You’ll pass our sister pub, The Fish and Eels on the way, so be sure to drop in for a refreshing drink before carrying onto The Crown for a rewarding meal.

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This quintessential riverside inn nestles in the picturesque Lee Valley in flourishing Hoddesdon, one mile north of Broxbourne, but the two towns have now almost become one.

Dating back to the early 1800s, it was originally owned by a local family brewery who used it to sell their renowned Christy’s Hoddesdon-brewed ales – and today’s selection is even better. One landlord, the Reverend Samuel Thacker, used to hold services there, whilst it also became an important coaching centre on the route from London to Cambridge.

Hoddesdon town centre is a conservation area with many fine buildings surrounding the Clock Tower, a brick structure built in 1835 on the site of the Chapel of St Katherine which had been erected in 1336. The Lowewood Museum on the High Street is a listed Georgian building dating from the 1750s and offers a fascinating insight into the locality, while the town also offers an interesting set of heritage walks.

Two miles to the west is Paradise Wildlife Park with its exotic animal collection and east is Lea Valley Park and an extensive conservation area that also features watersports, boating, walking and cycling. At one of the park entrances is the Rye House Gatehouse in Stanstead Abbots, which is the moated remains of an extensive manor house built in 1443 and famous for a plot to assassinate King Charles II.

Beside it lies the RSPB’s Rye Meads Nature Reserve which is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and a must for walkers, birdwatchers and photographers. It’s a real life haven in the Lee Valley, which is one of Britain’s largest wetlands.

Fish & EelsDobbs Weir Road, Hoddesdon, EN11 0AY Tel. 01992 466073

Weir here to help...

• The Lea Valley Area around Hoddesdon has three scenic walks of approximately one, two and three miles to enjoy at your leisure – our favourite is the mid range one.

• Walk right out of the pub and through the kissing gate left; follow the river past the flood relief channel, into Glen Faba, over the weir, past the power station and back.

• You can also access our sister pub The Crown via this towpath, so double your pleasure with a refreshing ale in its riverside beer garden, or next to a roaring log fire.

For details on more attractions around Hoddesdon, plus other ideas for days out in the area, visit www.vintageinn.co.uk/thefishandeelshoddessdon 6

This attractive waterside inn with popular gardens is off the A503 Forest Road in urban Tottenham, but presents an idyllic setting being flanked by picturesque reservoirs on either side.

Dating back to at least the 1870s, when it was a very popular watering hole for city holidaymakers, it sits on what has been the most important River Lea (now Lee) crossing since the Middle Ages. Now part of the Lee Valley Reservoir Chain, this is a tranquil spot consisting of 10 shallow basins, plus wooded islands and marshes, that has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its bird population.

All Hallows Church is the oldest surviving building in the borough and dates back to Norman times, while just a short distance away is Bruce Castle Park, a Grade I listed, 16th century manor house in 20 acres of parkland. This became the first public park to open in Tottenham, and it contains a Tree Trail to follow that joins places of interest and environmental importance.

The 26 mile long Lee Valley Park area also runs through Tottenham and is a veritable mixture of countryside areas, urban green spaces, heritage sites, country parks, nature reserves, lake and riverside trails, plus sports and recreation centres. Bird rich Tottenham, Hackney and Walthamstow Marshes are three of the local highlights while the far southern end is now being developed to form the Olympic Park for 2012. The Ferry Boat is also an ideal place to refresh and unwind after taking the scenic Lee Valley Nature Walk.

Ferry BoatFerry Lane, London, N17 9NG Tel. 0208 808 4980

Ferry good walking...

• The Lee Valley Walk is one of the best in Greater London and from Tottenham you can follow a series of immense reservoirs up to picturesque Enfield Lock.

• The Tree Trail in Bruce Castle Park is part of the 12 mile borough circular walk that is the popular Better Haringey Trail.

• Be sure to make your return passage via The Ferry Boat – for ferry nice pub fayre, wines from all over the works and the ferry best in real cask ales.

For details on more attractions around Tottenham, plus other ideas for days out in the area, visit www.vintageinn.co.uk/theferryboattottenham 7

This majestic looking building is tucked away in quieter Woodford Bridge, on the way to Chigwell, and whilst close to the M11 motorway on one side, it has the prestigious Chigwell Golf Club on the other.

Built in the early 19th century, it used to rely heavily on the tourist trade and a photograph in 1906 shows the inn hiring out horses and traps for day trippers taking in nearby Epping Forest. This tradition continues today – this is a pub with rooms and is popular with walkers, horse riders and mountain bikers using it as a base for exploring the ancient forest.

Now, this spectacular woodland has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest, but it used to be the haunt of famous highwayman Dick Turpin and also royal hunting ground. Indeed, King Henry VIII commissioned a building in 1543 for which to view the chase at Chingford (now known as Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge after his daughter) and it is open to the public today as a museum.

Woodford Green technically lies in Essex and despite its proximity to East London, it displays some of the more semi rural features the county is famous for. It’s also had its fair share of famous residents over time – Prime Ministers Clement Atlee and Winston Churchill (who has a commemorative statue on the Green at Woodford) plus the renowned women’s rights campaigner, Sylvia Pankhurst.

The spectacular Lee Valley Regional Park is never far away and the William Girling reservoir just two miles west is part of the picturesque Lea Valley Chain, while Hainault Forest is cared for by The Woodland Trust and has specimens over 500 years old.

Three Jolly Wheelers 735 Chigwell Road, Woodford Green, IG8 8AS Tel. 0208 502 9296

A jolly good show...

• Just one mile from the pub car park you can pick up two interconnecting, but different, regional footpaths. The local section of the London Loop takes in Chingford to Chigwell.

• Three Forests Way, meanwhile, links Epping, Hainault and Hatfield Forests and can also be picked up in neighbouring Chigwell.

• For good cheer, refreshing drinks and hearty pub fayre, The Three Jolly Wheelers will always leave you smiling.

For details on more attractions around Woodford Green and Chigwell, plus other ideas for days out in the area, visit www.vintageinn.co.uk/thethreejollywheelerschigwell 8

This traditional country-style pub with rooms near Southgate is a welcoming oasis in itself amidst the suburban North London sprawl – and also sits at the gateway to a welcoming array of inviting city parklands.

Dating back as far as the 1700s, the inn has been used for a number of different purposes over its lifetime – the HQ of the Loyal Britain Society, a coaching inn and a posting house – and is still regarded by many locals as the centre of the community for its convivial atmosphere, real cask ales and hearty pub fayre.

Southgate Green where the inn stands, marks the centre of the original hamlet of Southgate – named so because it was the main southern entrance to Enfield Chase and former royal hunting grounds – and the old wooden stocks are still on display on the green, near the horse trough. Minchenden Oak Garden nearby is also home to the largest oak tree in England which is also some 800 years-old.

Southgate also has several large green parks on the doorstep and the closest is 60 acre Grovelands Park with its lakes and sports facilities, while Oakwood Park slightly further afield has a number of historic features remaining from the original Oak Lodge Estate.

You can also walk a short cut from Ye Old Cherry Tree to Broomfield Park, which includes formal gardens, ponds and a lodge enclosed by red brick walls dating back to the 16th century, while other interesting buildings in Southgate include the 1790 Friends Meeting House, which is one of the oldest and most famous in the country.

Ye Olde Cherry TreeThe Green, London, N14 6EN Tel. 020 8882 7974

Cherry pick your favourite...

• Leaving the pub, strike across Grovelands Park to Church Hill and pick up the walk that begins at the Friends Meeting House to Seaforth Gardens and Oakwood Park.

• Alternatively, in Seaforth Gardens you can walk to the junction with the woodland path and follow in what remains of the once extensive Winchmore Hill Wood.

• Stroll back to Ye Old Cherry Tree at your leisure and pick another winner from our fine wines, real cask ales and delicious menu.

For details on more attractions around Southgate, plus other ideas for days out in the area, visit www.vintageinn.co.uk/yeoldecherrytreesouthgate 9