Annotated map reproduced courtesy of Googlemaps.

The route runs from Woodcock Hill (public road) generally southwards past Sleeve Hall Wood to Coopers Green Lane (public road). We need a volunteer to photograph this route for this year's Access and Riding Rights of Way Survey. It's easy - just take photographs (safely) when you use the path. Find out more!

As part of the British Horse Society's work to record paths before Path Extinguishment Day, it was spotted that this old road was not shown on the definitive map. The historical evidence was good, so an application was made in 2010 to record the gap. The County Council agreed with the application and an order was made in 2012. This was opposed and so had to be determined by an Inspector for the Secretary of State. The order was confirmed. This is a good example of an old road that would have been be extinguished by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 had an application not been made in time.

Legal History 1938: The route is shown as a green lane (green dots) on the Hertfordshire County Council ROW survey. Map St Albans Rural 11. 16 Nov 2012: The Hertfordshire County Council (Hatfield 186 and Sandridge 54) Modification Order 2012 (confirmed 6 Jan 2015 after the written representations procedure FPS/M1900/7/78) added this route to the definitive map.

Definitive Statement (4 Dec 2015) Path: [Sandridge] 54.  Status: Restricted Byway.  Definitive Map sheet: 68 RB from Coopers Green Lane public road at TL 1921 0940, NW across field for approx. 230m to field boundary at TL 1905 0957. Following S side of the field boundary NW for approx. 5m to parish boundary at TL 1905 0958. Following Hatfield/Sandridge boundary on S side of the field for approx. 20m to edge of Sleeve Hall Wood at TL 1907 0959. Following track on W edge of Sleeve Hall Wood N, NW for approx. 85m to NW corner of Sleeve Hall Wood at TL 1906 0967 and along track in a NW direction for approx. 335m to join Woodcock Hill public road at TL 1895 0998. Width: Varies between 4 metres and 13 metres between TL 1921 0940 and TL 1905 0958 as shown shaded on part 2 of the plan forming part of the Hertfordshire County Council (Hatfield 186 and Sandridge 54) Modification Order 2012. Varies between 3 metres and 5 metres between TL 1905 0958 and TL 1895 0998 being the Sandridge moiety of the route as shown shaded on parts 2 and 3 of the plan forming part of the Hertfordshire County Council (Hatfield 186 and Sandridge 54) Modification Order 2012. Limitations: None Maintainability This route is maintainable at the public expense because it was a highway before 1835.

© 2024 Patchetts Green Bridleways Trust. File reference: EC216.