Walks And Walking – Hertfordshire Walks Hertford Heath Walking Route
It was a clear blue Sunday morning today so we decided to get our Epping Forest and Lee Valley, Hertford and Harlow Ordnance Survey Map 174 and plotted out a walking route in Hertford Heath just slightly up past Broxbourne Woods, another great place to go for walks.
It was a bracing January morning so we wrapped up in our walking clothes, although I was carrying Tedi in the child carrier so didn’t need too many layers to keep warm. As this Hertfordshire Walks walking route mainly covers bridleways, field paths, some roads and a canal tow path we didn’t need much in the way of outdoor gear but stuck to my favourite walking boots, The North Face Jannu II.
Hertfordshire Walks Hertford Heath Walking Route Hertford Heath Village Sign
There weren’t many cars about so parking was easy on Mount Pleasant Road just off the B1197 road in Hertford Heath. We then went right and headed eastwards along Mount Pleasant and then took the left hand fork at the Mount Pleasant sign to a metalled track for a while before the bridleway went right into a wooded heathland and then left at bridleway waymarker. There are plenty of signposts and waymarkers on this route so navigating our way around the walk was really easy.
Hertfordshire Walks Hertford Heath Walking Route at Golding's Wood
We then walked downwards through Golding’s Wood spotting the well marked waymarkers as we went until we reached a sunken lane where we then turned right out of the woods and then left to cross the access lane. We continued left and walked slightly downhill by the embankment of the A10 where we then crossed under turning left by the stile signposted Walnut Tree Walk to then continue straight ahead to a high chain linked gate.
We continued our walk straight ahead climbing slightly upwards where we then reached a metalled lane where we then turned right to reach the road. To our right was the Van Hage Garden Centre (well worth a visit as it’s huge and sells virtually everything!) but we turned left up the road to Amwellbury Lodge and then right in to Church Path where we then followed the footpath to Great Amwell before passing the George IV pub and then turning right in to the churchyard.
Hertfordshire Walks Hertford Heath Walking Route Church at Great Amwell
We then walked down the churchyard steps and crossed the lane and then down to New River with the Myddleton Monument Urn Island on our left hand side. Here we turned right to follow the New River canal tow path down, passing Amwell Marsh Pumping Station, until we reached the road where we turned right and walked uphill to turn left passed Hillside Lane through to a restricted byway signpost.
Hertfordshire Walks Hertford Heath Walking Route New River Canal Tow Path
We continued along this track through fields and crossed over the A414 and then the A1170 where we reached two stiles before turning right and down to the A10. We then turned left underneath the A10, crossed over to the byway signpost and turned left up the bank where we saw a magnificent sight… a common buzzard swooped down along the path ahead with its wingspan almost touching each side of the bushes! We then turned right to walk along the side of the woods at Haileybury College chatting away about such a great sighting.
Continuing our walking route straight ahead with Haileybury College on our left hand side we then reached a tarmac drive until the college road merged with the B1197 road where we then turned left at the College Arms pub through The Roundings heathlands. When the road started to go left we forked right by Meadow Grange on to the heath and through the trees turning left on to the grassy path walking straight ahead until we reached a road, turning right on to the track.
The track was an old Roman Road called Ermine Street that we then followed all the way upwards until we merged with the B1197 and it was only a short walk before we were back in Hertford Heath where we turned right at the Country Stores in to Church Hill and back to the green and Mount Pleasant some 3 hours and just under 7 miles later.
Hertfordshire Walks Hertford Heath Walking Route Ermine Street Roman Road
UK Walking Routes 