Sample our specially-brewed celebration beer at St Albans Beer & Cider Festival!
As part of the nationwide celebrations marking Railway 200, and our 20th anniversary, the Abbey Line Community Rail Partnership (CRP) is proud to celebrate with a unique collaboration that brings together rail heritage, wildlife, and local craft brewing.
We have teamed up with Pope’s Yard Brewery in North Watford to commission a special guest beer, inspired by the Abbey Flyer—the affectionate nickname for the branch line running from Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey Station.
The beer also pays tribute to the Peregrine Falcons nesting atop St Albans Cathedral – the true Abbey Flyers.
The beer’s artwork, designed by Nick Thompson from Lemondrop Creative, channels the elegance of the 1920s and 30s, reflecting the golden age of rail travel and the soaring grace of the Peregrines. The brew will debut at the St Albans Beer & Cider Festival, held from Wednesday 24th to Saturday 27th September 2025.
Festival visitors can meet members of the Abbey Line CRP at our stand, where we’ll be raising awareness of the Abbey Line railway and also celebrating the work of Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust and local conservation efforts supporting the cathedral’s resident Peregrines.
This initiative marks the beginning of a deeper collaboration between the CRP and Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, with the shared goal of promoting biodiversity along the Abbey Line.
Supporting local businesses like Pope’s Yard Brewery – that has had to relocate due to a fire- is also part of the CRP’s commitment to local economic development.
The Abbey Line CRP is funded by London Northwestern Railway, which runs the branch line between St Albans Abbey and Watford, offering connections to London and the North.
Raise a glass to 200 years of railways, 20 years of community rail, and a future where trains and wildlife thrive together.