Honeysuckle Beetle Ground least 100yearsold. young, asmallnumber maybeat trees ontheCommon are relatively trees andwhilst themajorityof way towoodland ofOak andBirch In many areas the lowscrubhas given woodland Oak trees and and thebirds thatfeedonthem. important forbutterfliesandotherinsects, Sunny woodlandpathsandgladesare also CITY AND DISTRICT COMMON LAND Bramble

As trees ageand the barkandholes decay themore caused byrot are support. Cracks in wildlife theycan great for hibinatingbats, specialist fungiand rare insects.

eared Bat Brown Long-

Discover the Common’s heathland, Discover the Common’s heathland, on a 1 mile wildflower meadows and woods trail or explore the common further, on its well used paths. Speckled Wood on a Sunday afternoon. on aSundayafternoon. flying andfamilieswhoenjoya picnic walking, horseriding,modelaircraft popular openspacefordog Today NomanslandCommonisavery try toenclosethe landfortheirownprivatefarms. and Parish Council. of open space, ownedby theAlthorpestate Nomansland Common isan area of52hectares What is common land? mark theparishboundary. puddingstonewasusedto should share thegrazing rightsandaboulderof Finally in1429,ajuryagreed thattheparishes years ofdisputes. between thetwowarringfactions, withovertwenty The Commonactedasthe‘no-mans-land’ the Commonfortheirrespective parish. St AlbansandWestminster bothcontested During the15 parishes, and Wheathampstead. Nomansland Commonliesacross two Why Nomansland? Common landorwastes inaparish,were often

A1000

M25 A1000 uncultivated andoflittle agriculturalvalue, Sandridge Hatfield Parish Council but were ownedbythelocalLord. Intimes gone byvillagers or‘commoners’relied A1(M) against unscrupulous Lords whomight A1(M) on commonsfor theirlivelihoods. B653 City Garden th fiercely protective oftheirrights The commoners wouldhave Centurythemonasteriesof and gatherfirewood, andwere ‘common rights’ tograzelivestock A5183 A414

Sandridge Wheathampstead A1081 A5183 St Albans B651

B653 Woodpecker Green A1081 Bricket Wood Common M1 A5183

Harpenden

A412

Watford

M1 B487

A4147 M25 A5 Parish Council Wheathampstead operating between St Albans and Wheathampstead. operating between St Albans and How to find us between the Nomansland Common is situated Sandridge, villages of Wheathampstead and 2 miles north of approximately St Albans, Hertfordshire. St Albans Road, The Common is divided by the B561 Lane. Lane and Drovers Lane, Down Green Ferrers Lane. Car parking is available on Ferrers 3 miles away station is approximately The nearest London from at (First Capital Connect is a bus stop at the Wicked St Pancras) and there bus service Lady Public House with a regular wealth of rare plants and animals. of thebest insouthHertfordshire supportinga heathland to the north of Ferrers Lane is some The Common isahaven forwildlifeand the & the dry valley Heathland

Black Knapweed John Woodworth

Kestrel Common Lizard

01727 819366.

01727 848168.

or

Dwarf Gorse Linnet

bins provided;

ST ALBANS ST CITY AND DISTRICT COMMON LAND COMMON DISTRICT AND CITY www.hertslink.org/cms For more information about CMS and and CMS about information more For at: us contact visit to places other of the Common. CMS provides advice on the management CMS provides works with communities in Hertfordshire to works with communities in Hertfordshire for and enjoy the environment. help care The Countryside Management Service (CMS) The Countryside Management Service www.stalbans.gov.uk/commons Or visit our website at: contact St Albans City & District Council’s Parks contact St Albans City & District Spaces team on: and Green For more informationFor more about the Common please Management Committee. under a Scheme of Management drawn under a Scheme of Management the Joint up in 1953 and in consultation with It’s managed by St Albans City & District Council It’s managed by St Albans City & Estate and Wheathampstead Parish Council. Estate and Wheathampstead Parish Nomansland Common is owned by the Althorp Nomansland Common is owned Who to contact Remember what’s common today, may be Remember what’s tomorrow. rare • Taking your litter home. • Taking • Preventing fires; • Preventing • Considering other users; • Considering other • Keeping dogs under control and using using and control under dogs • Keeping Help us conserve it by: Help us animals; plants and • Protecting Common beauty of Nomansland of Nomansland beauty Discover the natural natural the Discover Honeysuckle Beetle Ground least 100yearsold. young, asmallnumbermaybeat trees ontheCommonare relatively trees andwhilstthemajorityof way towoodlandofOakandBirch In manyareas thelowscrub hasgiven woodland Oak treesand and the birds that feed on them. important for butterflies and otherinsects, Sunny woodland paths andglades are also ST ALBANS CITY AND DISTRICT COMMON LAND Bramble

As trees ageand the barkandholes decay themore caused byrot are support. Cracksin wildlife theycan great forhibinatingbats, specialist fungiand rare insects.

eared Bat Brown Long-

Discover the Common’s heathland, wildflower meadows and woods on a 1 mile trail or explore the common further, on its well used paths. Speckled Wood on a Sunday afternoon. on aSundayafternoon. flying andfamilieswhoenjoya picnic walking, horseriding,modelaircraft popular openspacefordog Today NomanslandCommonisavery try toenclosethelandfortheirown privatefarms. and WheathampsteadParishCouncil. of openspace,ownedbytheAlthorpestate Nomansland Commonisanarea of52hectares What iscommonland? mark theparish boundary. Hertfordshire pudding stone wasused to should share the grazingrightsand aboulderof Finally in 1429,ajuryagreed that theparishes years of disputes. between thetwowarring factions,withover twenty The Common actedasthe ‘no-mans-land’ the Commonfor theirrespective parish. St AlbansandWestminster bothcontested During the15 parishes, Sandridge and Wheathampstead. Nomansland Common liesacross two Why Nomansland? Common landorwastesinaparish, were often

A1000

M25 A1000 uncultivated andoflittleagricultural value, Potters Bar Sandridge Hatfield Parish Council but were ownedbythelocalLord. Intimes

gone byvillagersor‘commoners’ relied A1(M) against unscrupulousLords whomight A1(M) on commonsfortheirlivelihoods. B653 th fiercely protective oftheirrights The commonerswouldhave Centurythemonasteries of and gatherfirewood, andwere ‘common rights’tograzelivestock A5183 A414

Sandridge Wheathampstead A1081 London Colney A5183 St Albans B651

B653 Woodpecker Green A1081 Bricket Wood Common M1 A5183

Harpenden

A412

Watford

M1 B487

A4147 M25 A5 Hemel Hempstead Parish Council Wheathampstead operating between St Albans and Wheathampstead. How to find us Nomansland Common is situated between the villages of Wheathampstead and Sandridge, of 2 miles north approximately St Albans, Hertfordshire. The Common is divided by the B561 St Albans Road, Lane. Lane and Drovers Down Green Lane, Ferrers Lane. Car parking is available on Ferrers 3 miles away is approximately station The nearest London at Harpenden (First Capital Connect from is a bus stop at the Wicked St Pancras) and there bus service Lady Public House with a regular wealth ofrare plantsandanimals. of thebestinsouthHertfordshire supporting a heathland to the north of Ferrers Lane is some The Commonisahavenforwildlifeandthe & thedryvalley Heathland

Black Knapweed John Woodworth

Kestrel Common Lizard

01727 819366.

01727 848168.

or

Dwarf Gorse Linnet

bins provided;

ST ALBANS ST CITY AND DISTRICT COMMON LAND COMMON DISTRICT AND CITY www.hertslink.org/cms For more information about CMS and and CMS about information more For at: us contact visit to places other of the Common. CMS provides advice on the management CMS provides works with communities in Hertfordshire to works with communities in Hertfordshire for and enjoy the environment. help care The Countryside Management Service (CMS) www.stalbans.gov.uk/commons Or visit our website at: contact St Albans City & District Council’s Parks on: Spaces team and Green For more informationFor more please about the Common Management Committee. under a Scheme of Management drawn up in 1953 and in consultation with the Joint It’s managed by St Albans City & District Council Estate and Wheathampstead Parish Council. Nomansland Common is owned by the Althorp Who to contact Remember what’s common today, may be tomorrow. rare • Taking your litter home. • Taking • Preventing fires; • Preventing • Considering other users; • Keeping dogs under control and using using and control under dogs • Keeping Help us conserve it by: plants and animals; • Protecting Common beauty of Nomansland Discover the natural ST ALBANS CITY AND DISTRICT COMMON LAND Gibbet Public footpath Bridleway route Waymarked Car park Public house Heath Woodland Grassland Bench Bus stop P P P P P P P P P P P H P H P H P PH H P H P H PP H H P H ======Key To visit some of the best parts of the Common, follow these arrows.

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Forest a L rs Heartwood e

P H v ro D

Wicked Lady Heartwood Forest

1 5 6 B = To Wheathampstead The Ordnance Survey mapping included on this leaflet is provided by Hertfordshire County Council by Hertfordshire provided Survey mapping included on this leaflet is The Ordnance information to fulfill its public function to provide Survey in order the Ordnance under licence from Ordnance to its activities, services and plans. Persons viewing this mapping should contact relating Survey mapping for their own use. Survey copyright for advice should they wish to license Ordnance County Council 100019606 2010. Hertfordshire Copyright. All rights reserved. © Crown (approx.)

P

1 5 6 B 100 metres 100 metres Cricket Club To St Albans Wheathampstead

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e F PRIVATE Nomansland Grazing livestock

e P an n L ee Gr wn Do

Heartwood Forest In many areas you can still see In many areas commoners dug clay hollows where for brick making and evidence of brick kilns have been found. II German & Italian prisoners War During World scrub on the southernof war cleared half of the to common, so it could be ploughed for crops help the war effort.

Flying Area Flying Model Aircraft Model Dry Valley

Century th Prize fight in the 19

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F Heartwood Forest Century. th the 19 History of the Common History of thousands of years and flint Nomansland Common for Humans have used dated to 4,000BC. on the Common have been axe heads found used Middle Ages, commoners have Since at least the and within Nomansland to graze their livestock flocks of sheep were living memory three grazed on the Common. of the Roses, In 1461, during the War was the Second Battle of St Albans fought over part of the Common and cannon balls and 25 skeletons found during this period were from much so that a gibbet was erected on the much so that a gibbet was erected Common as a warning to would be thieves. of the time was dubbed The most notorious robber the Wicked Lady, she was unmasked after her of . death as Lady Ferrers Cricket has been played on the Common since In 1833 a also popular. 1826 and Prize fights were fight between Simon Byrne champion of Ireland (about 3 hours). and James Burke lasted 99 rounds During the 1700’s Nomansland was a so notorious place for highway robberies,

PRIVATE Climbing tree

West End Farm

too muddy. wildlife and helps prevent the paths becoming wildlife and helps prevent also cut back to allow more light and air to also cut back to allow more sunny glades for this creates the ground, reach Woodland paths are paths are Woodland can prolong their lives. can prolong them more stable and them more crowns and limbs cut crowns back which makes Veteran trees have their trees Veteran stronger specimens more room to grow. room specimens more stronger are thinned by removing selected trees to give selected trees thinned by removing are The woodland areas on the edge of the heath The woodland areas What about the trees?

year in the autumn. open grassland is cut for hay each open grassland is cut for To the south of Ferrers Lane the large the south of Ferrers To plants can grow. fenced temporarily so heathland fenced temporarily so heathland are controlled and areas of heath are of heath are and areas controlled are are heavily grazed by rabbits, which are The remaining areas of open heath areas The remaining become completely wooded. become completely and tree felling, the Common would felling, the Common would and tree Without rabbit grazing mowing, has increased. ceased and the amount of woodland the amount of woodland ceased and In the last seventy years grazing has In the last seventy

grazed by sheep which maintained maintained by sheep which grazed character. open the Common’s In the past, Nomansland Common was Common past, Nomansland In the

heathland managed? heathland How is the the is How