Features
Hertford's Pedestrian Subways
Construction of the Hertford Relief Road in the 1960s bisected the town along its east/west path, cutting off the town centre from communities to the immediate south.
In order to allow those on foot to cross the dual-carriageway, four pedestrian subways were included the the roadbuilding project. These subways would also provide access to the schools that previously had easy access to the town centre and public transport links.
Sixty years later these pedestrian links are as important as ever, especially with the promotion of active travel and the promotion of walking and cycling over car use. However, in those intervening years, little has been done to improve the town's pedestrian subways, with their original construction materials starting to show their age.
Most of the subways also suffer from poor or failing drainage, which can sometimes lead to long periods of closure due to flooding.
In an effort to improve the underpasses, the county council have placed artwork created by local schoolchildren on the walls. Where this artwork is displayed on full height panels, this has improved the environment. In other places however, framed posters have been attached to the tiles walls, which have sadly been either vandalised or stolen.
In this short feature, we document and rank the town's pedestrian underpasses, along with alternative forms of crossing. Rankings are based on landscaping, lighting, maintenance and environment.
London Road
The most easterly of the town's subways passes under the A414 London Road and is especially busy in the morning and mid-afternoon as children and parents go to and return from nearby Simon Balle and Abel Smith schools.
Material are typical of the town's subways, with blue tiling and tarmac surfacing.
Lighting was originally provided by units installed in the walls of the approaches and overhead in the tunnels. The approach lighting was later replaced by overhead lamps on columns, whilst the interior lights were replaced by edge mounted fluorescent tubes and LEDs.
The London Road underpass was added when the road was dualled in the years following the opening of the relief road and the construction of the Rush Green bypass.
Rookes Alley
The widest of Hertford's subways is also probably the most used, linking Fore Street and the town centre with Simon Balle School and Abel Smith Primary.
Before the coming of the relief road, Rookes Alley ran in a straight uninterrupted line from Mangrove Road to Fore Street. With the construction of Gascoyne Way, this important foot-traffic route needed to be preserved. So the Rookes Alley subway took the route underground, preserving the link.
Church Street
The Church Street underpass connects Fore Street with All Saints Church and is widely used by students of Richard Hale, along with residents of Queens Road and the Mandeville Road estate beyond.
As with the town's other subways, the original disused lighting units are still visible in the approach walls.
Castle Street
Running south from Castle Street, the underpass replaced Wesley Avenue, which ran from Castle Street to Richard Hale School before being bisected by Gascoyne Way.
The underpass feaures artworks by students of Richard Hale School.
Wesley Avenue
In 1930 Hertford Grammar School moved to new premises in Pegs Lane, with the main drive from Castle Street named Wesley Avenue. In the 1960s the avenue was bisected by both Gascoyne Way and Hale Road. The underpass allowed access under the relief road.
Hale Road
The Hale Road underpass is a later addition to the town and is solely for access to Richard Hale School. Construction is therefore different from the other subways, featuring a concrete walkway and walls, unlike the other subways with tarmac and tiling.
St.Andrew Street
At the western end of Gascoyne Way is the St.Andrew Street subway, connecting St.Andrew Street with Aldi and residential areas to the immediate south of Hertingfordbury Road.
There is little evidence of maintenance, with poor lighting and frequent flooding during heavy rain. A recent pump failure closed the subway for a number of weeks.
Framed artworks attached to the tiled walls of the subways have been vandalised and the posters stolen.
Evron Crossing
For around 40 years the only way to cross Gascoyne Way was by using one of the town's pedestrian subways.
Shortly after the turn of the millenium, a new Toucan crossing was installed linking Castle Street with West Street.
The provision of a Toucan crossing allowed cyclists using Natonal Cycle Route 61 to cross the dual-cariageway without dismounting (cycling is not allowed in subways).
Further Toucan crossings were suggested in the 2010 Hertford & Ware Urban Transport Plan but have not materialised.
First published 19th October 2026