Hertfordshire Way

The Hertfordshire Way near Wallington

The Hertfordshire Way is a long-distance circular walk around Hertfordshire. The total length is 194 miles, which is fully waymarked in the anti-clockwise direction. One section has two optional routes reducing the possible length to 168 miles

The walk is mainly in open countryside, but it also passes through the county's two historic centres: the City of St Albans and the county town; Hertford. It also runs through Royston and Bishop's Stortford. A number of the smaller, attractive villages of Hertfordshire are also visited on the route.

The route is formally divided into 16 sections most of which are accessible using public transport but as a circular walk it can be used to suit the wishes of the walker.

The walk was planned and is cared for by The Friends of the Hertfordshire Way, who are affiliated to the Ramblers Association. Funding for maintenance of way marks etc. is provided through subscriptions and donations to the group and sale of the guidebook.

History

The route originally started development in 1995 as part of the celebrations to mark 60 years of the Ramblers Association but it was not until 1996 that the route was officially established and the first issue of the guidebook was published in 1998. At that time it was 166 miles in length. Over subsequent years amendments and additions have been made. The 2009 edition is available from the Friends of Hertfordshire Way.

Route

The route is divided into 16 legs the shortest being around 10½ miles and the longest 15 miles in length.

Starts in the north-east of the county, at Royston, it runs as follows:

Leg no.	Section	Length	Description
1	Royston to Wallington	11 miles	Across Therfield Heath and along parts of the ridge with views to Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. Then through Therfield, Kelshall and Sandon to Wallington.
2	Wallington to Willian	11 miles	Through Clothall, Weston and Graveley to finish at Willian on the edge of Letchworth.
3	Willian to Codicote	12 miles	Through the Wymondleys, St Paul's Walden and Whitwell before arriving at Codicote.
4	Codicote to St Albans	12½ miles	Through Ayot St Lawrence and Shaw's Corner, Wheathampstead and, after skirting the north of St Albans, finishing at the Verulam Museum.
5	St Albans to Markyate	11 miles	Through Redbourn and Flamstead.
6	Markyate to Tring Station	11 miles	Through Great Gaddesden and Little Gaddesden to the National Trust's Ashridge Estate before descending to Aldbury and Tring Station.
7	Tring Station to King's Langley	15 miles	Following the southern edge of the Ashridge Estate, across Berkhamsted Common to Potten End, crossing the Bulbourne valley and Grand Union Canal to Bovingdon, Chipperfield and Kings Langley.
8	Kings Langley to Shenley	12½ miles	Through Bedmond, Aldenham and Letchmore Heath.
9	Shenley to Cuffley	11½ miles	Passing South Mimms (Middlesex) and the northern edge of Potters Bar (garzing the boundary) to reach Cuffley.
10	Cuffley to Hertford	12½ miles	Almost all in rolling countryside via Newgate Street, Essendon, Little Berkhamsted and Bayford to finish in the county town, Hertford.
Alternative route:
10A	Cuffley to Broxbourne	12 miles	The first stage of the alternative route to Hertford via Goffs Oak and Hammond Street, skirting Hoddesdon in woodland to Broxbourne.
10B	Broxbourne to Hertford	12½ miles	The second stage of the alternative route to Hertford, by Rye House and Stansted Abbotts, briefly entering the Ash valley following the River Lea from Great Amwell in to Hertford.
Main route:
11	Hertford to Widford	12½ miles	Following three tributaries of the River Lea; the Beane as far as Stapleford, the Rib from Wadesmill to Thundridge and the Ash from Wareside.
12	Widford to Bishop's Stortford	11 miles	Following the River Ash to Much Hadham, then to Perry Green and towards the River Stort and north to Bishop's Stortford.
13	Bishop’s Stortford to Hare Street	11 miles	Through the open countryside in the north-east of the county.
14	Hare Street to Royston	11 miles	In open countryside some with long views north as the escarpment is reached and passing Great Hornmead, Nuthampstead, Barkway and Reed.

Connecting trails

The following trails intersect with the Hertfordshire Way:

• Ridgeway National Trail
• Icknield Way
• Lea Valley Walk
• Chiltern Way
• Grand Union Canal Walk
• Hertfordshire Chain Walk
• Harcamlow Way

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Hertfordshire Way)

• Friends of the Hertfordshire Way
• LDWA: The Herfordshire Way
• Ramblers' Association: Hertfordshire