From Broxbourne to Hertford East.
Before your next journey into East Hertfordshire seek out the new free booklet “The New River Line Rail Ale Trail”, published by The New River Line Community Rail Partnership with significant input from the South Hertfordshire and Herts & Essex Borders Branches of CAMRA. The A6-sized, 24-page colour booklet includes information on train travel, local towns and villages and all real ale pubs found along or nearby the eight-mile route, featuring eighteen main pub entries plus information on all others, cask ale and local breweries.
The New River Line Community Rail Partnership was established to bring together local authorities, community groups and other organisations to work with Greater Anglia Rail to promote and celebrate the branch line from Broxbourne to Hertford East which features the stations of Broxbourne, Rye House, St. Margaret’s, Ware and Hertford.
Community Rail Partnership Officer, Katie Goldthorpe says….
It has been a real pleasure to work with my colleagues at CAMRA, without their local knowledge and insights I wouldn’t have been able to produce such a guide. Community Rail Partnerships are all about collaboration with local organisations and The Rail Ale Trail is a brilliant example of this.
The New River Line follows the course of the New River (a water course completed in 1613 to take fresh drinking water from the springs at Chadwell and Great Amwell to London). Together with the River Lea, which runs close by, it gives access to nature reserves, rural landscapes and leisure opportunities. Find the RSPB reserve at Rye House, discover the Lee Valley Country Park from Broxbourne where you can hire a boat, enjoy a ramble on foot, or cycle along the River Lea towpath to Hertford. Attractions along the line include go-karting at Rye House, Scott’s Grotto in Ware, Hertford Castle and the town’s Blue Plaque trail of significant buildings. Ware and Hertford both have interesting museums and a welter of independent shops, cafes and restaurants.
Top it all with a pint or two of cask ale at some of the many pubs featured in the Trail guide and let the train lead you home.
From mid-April copies of the booklet can be found in the eighteen main pub entries plus from early April in local Tourist Offices and at town libraries – as well as at local CAMRA events and beer festivals.
It can also be found on-line here.
