PGBT St Stephen 73

Patchetts Green Bridleways Trust
PG: OBJECTS: PROMOTION: St Stephen 73 BW		H25

Annotated map reproduced courtesy of Googlemaps.	View from Radlett Road Photo: Helen Taylor, 3 Apr 2022	Looking NE along route Photo: Helen Taylor, 3 Apr 2022	Path leaves metalled road Photo: Helen Taylor, 3 Apr 2022	Junction with St Stephen 5 BW Photo: Helen Taylor, 3 Apr 2022
The route runs from Radlett Road in Colney Street, almost opposite a track (county road) that leads to bridleway St Stephen 6, through the industrial estate to bridleway St Stephen 5. The industrial estate road is a private route for motor vehicles but a public bridleway. At the time of the PGBT/BHS 2022 Access Survey (3 Apr 22), there were no barriers across the path.
Many years ago, this route was part of bridleway St Stephen 5. In 1958, the bridleway was diverted southwards to make way for the industrial estate. However, a barrier across the physical route was only in place for a while, and when it fell into disrepair, equestrian use of the old line of the path started again. This route was spotted by the Patchetts Green Riding Club as part of its ARROW survey for the British Horse Society in 1991. An application was made to have it recorded based on long user and this was successful.

Legal History
The Stopping Up of Highways (County of Hertford) (No. 12) Order 1958 diverted St Stephen 5 BW away from this route, effectively stopping up the alignment of St Stephen 73.
7 May 1994: DMMO application made to record the route as a bridleway. HCC reference STA/31.
17 Jan 1996: The City and District of St Albans (Bridleway 73 St Stephen) Modification Order 1996 (confirmed 27 Jan 1997) recorded this path. Definitive Statement (19 Apr 2010)
Path: [St Stephen] 73. Status: Bridleway DM sheet: 77
Commences from TL 1555 0224 which is the terminal of the county road, Old Parkbury Lane, which is 50 metres from Watling Street. The bridleway continues in an easterly direction along a macadam carriageway with an initial width of at least 7.2 metres at its junction with Old Parkbury Lane. It averages this width for a further 240 metres. At which point the macadam carriageway ends and the bridleway continues in an easterly direction along a compacted granular track of at least 4.0 metres in width for a distance of 50 metres rising on an embankment to its terminal point at TL 1581 0235, which is 24 metres from the railway bridge deck at the junction of Bridleway No. 5 St Stephen.
Width: Average 7.2m for 240m from TL 1555 0224. 4 metres for 50m from TL 1581 0235.
Limitations: Private vehicular rights exist over this length of bridleway and substantial commercial traffic may be encountered on the macadam section from Monday to Saturday.