Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire
A historic meadow that has been open field for over a thousand years — home to wildlife, a lung for the village, and the field where the Save Our Fields story began.
Find it on the map: open in OpenStreetMap →
A gentle about an hour walk — five shy creatures step out of the hedgerows, right there in front of you, in augmented reality.
A thousand-year-old meadow under threat of development.
One tap, no account, no email — the field keeps a ledger of its friends. 1 citizen defending this field
“You can't protect a field you've never loved. Stand with this one — and bring someone to meet it.”
St Lawrence Church — at the top of the High Street — is a fine place to set off: it's been the centre of village life for centuries. But it's not a mandatory start.
The six marked starting points are recommended places to begin the walk — pick whichever suits your route.
By car: park in the village car parks and set off from there, or park on Abbots Road — keep to the road, don't block driveways, and don't cause a nuisance.
It's a gentle 1–2 mile loop around the meadow — about an hour with all the ooh-what's-that stops. Follow the signposts, and the field unit will keep you on the straight and narrow.
The meadow doesn't end at the hedge. Around it stands a whole village that has stood with her for a thousand years — the church on the hill, the hall where they dance, the swings where they squeal. Go on, make a day of it. The field will still be here when you get back. She's very patient.
Grade I listed, a Norman nave from around 1150, a tower that's kept watch over the meadow since about 1200, and a belfry where the bats have always had first refusal. She's the heart of the village — go and say hello.
Find it on the map →Swings, slides, and a very serious argument about who goes first. The children's legs work off the walk; yours get a sit-down.
Where the village gathers — jumble sales, dances, the meetings about the meadow. If a field has a friend in the village, it usually starts in here.
“Look after each other out here. Come in twos and threes, bring a torch if you're about after dark, and keep an eye on the little ones and the slow ones. I'd watch over you myself, but I'm a scarecrow — my watching's mostly for the crows. So you be each other's guardians. That's the village way.”
Objections and public support count at every step — the Local Plan consultation decides which green-belt sites get allocated.
Have your say →Follow the field's progress and hear when Rusty will be along — or volunteer to lend a hand with the field team.
Get involved →There are plenty more in the shire. Send us a meadow you love and Rusty will give it a proper look.
Send a field →The shire is wide, and every field in it deserves a walk.