Walk 13: The Candlestick Loop

4.1 miles (6.6 km) with 110m total ascent

 

An undulating walk from The Candlestick pub/restaurant at West End down to the River Lea then over to Essendon and back. The route offers wide, open views north over the River Lea valley. There is quite a bit of up and down and there is a short stretch of a quiet country lane. The starting point is 3.5 miles NE of Welham Green Station by road.

Fly through preview of walk

If you want to check what sort of landscape you will be crossing before you set off on this walk you can view a short 3D video of the route below. It's created using the free version of Relive.

Directions

Map for Walk 13: The Candlestick Loop
Click on the map for a larger version
Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
Elements © Thunderforest © OpenStreetMap contributors
There is an interactive map at the foot of this page

Those with GPS devices can download GPX or KML files for this walk. We've added What3Words references for those who use that system. If you print these walks you might want to use the green PrintFriendly icon at the bottom of these directions to delete elements such as photographs.

If you are planning on having refreshments at The Candlestick before or after the walk, management are happy for you to park in the pub car park; if not there are usually spaces on the road next to the car park (location - https://w3w.co/theme.grape.index).

The Candlestick, West End Lane, West End

1: As you face the Candlestick turn left then head N for 30m then turn left up a dead end lane (see orange arrow on the photograph above and image below).

Head W along the lane until you reach the last cottage on the right

Head W along the lane for 370m until you reach the last cottage on the right (location - https://w3w.co/little.flips.leaves). Just beyond the cottage you will come to a footpath on the right, see image below.

Turn right on Essendon footpath 11

2: Turn right on Essendon footpath 11. Follow this footpath as it weaves its way downhill for 1km until you reach Hill End Lodge (location - https://w3w.co/trip.swaps.alone), see image below.

Head N along the lane, which is also Essendon footpath 11

3: Head N along the lane, which is also Essendon footpath 11, for 900m to the point where the road turns left (location - https://w3w.co/reap.safety.pets), see image below.

Turn right on Hatfield bridleway 75

4: Turn right on Hatfield bridleway 75 then head E for 100m at which point the track you are on crosses a parish boundary and becomes Essendon bridleway 6 (location - https://w3w.co/pits.mock.demand).

Follow this bridleway, with the river Lea on your left, until you meet a bridleway the right (location - https://w3w.co/holds.sugars.ranges), see image below.

Turn right on Essendon bridleway 10 then head S

5: Turn right on Essendon bridleway 10 then head S for 560m where you will pass a farm track on your right (location - https://w3w.co/error.about.force). Continue heading S for another 45m, still on Essendon bridleway 10, looking out for a footpath in the hedgerow on your left (location - https://w3w.co/toward.nature.drops), see image below.

Turn left on Essendon footpath 8 

6: Turn left on Essendon footpath 8 then head SE across an arable field for 310m until you reach a farm track (location - https://w3w.co/shakes.edits.pitch), see direction of the route shown with an orange arrow on the image below.

Cross the arable field until you reach a farm track

Cross the track then follow Essendon footpath 8 through the hedgerow and across a wooden footbridge to another field (location - https://w3w.co/privately.burn.parade), see image below.

Essendon footpath 8 crosses a wooden footbridge

At this point Essendon footpath 8 continues heading SE across a corner of an arable field, however, at certain times of the year the path might not have been reinstated after ploughing. If this is the case you might want to walk round the edge of the field and rejoin footpath 8 where it reaches Larkinshill Grove (location - https://w3w.co/soda.limes.third), see detour map below.

The short detour (show in orange) if the footpath hasn't been reinstated

When you reach Larkinshill Grove head SSE for 100m with the field on your right until you reach the end of the woodland and reach an arable field (location - https://w3w.co/hired.since.cuts), see image below.

Head SSE across a field for 230m until you reach West End Lane

7: Head SSE across a field for 230m until you reach the hedgerow and a path cutting through to West End Lane (location - https://w3w.co/latter.water.over).

8: Turn left on West End Lane. This is a quiet, single-track lane with no pedestrian pavement. Follow it as it climbs the hill for 670m until you reach the outskirts of Essendon village where you will find a footpath on the right before the first house on the right (location - https://w3w.co/robots.crust.poetic), see image below.

Turn right on Essendon footpath 7

9: Turn right on Essendon footpath 7 then head SSW for 45m until you reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/giant.became.seat), see image below.

Go through the gate then head diagonally SW across a field

Go through the gate then head diagonally SW across a field to another gate (location - https://w3w.co/lift.pads.awards), see image below.

Go through the gate then keep left and head SE

Go through the gate then keep left and head SE, with the hedgerow on the left and field on the right, for 85m to another gate (location - https://w3w.co/camera.will.joins), see image below.

Go through the gate then head diagonally SW

Go through the gate then head diagonally and downhill to your right (SW) for 110m until you reach a gate leading to woodland (location - https://w3w.co/stone.eager.each).

Turn right on Essendon Footpath 13

* At this point you have the option of turning left then heading ENE for 210m to High Street Essendon then turning right and heading SSE for 75 to visit The Rose & Crown (please check opening times to avoid disappointment).

10: When you reach the woodland turn right on Essendon Footpath 13 which heads WSW downhill for 410m to a footbridge crossing the stream (location - https://w3w.co/hoot.length.crown), see image below.

Cross the footbridge then head uphill on Essendon Footpath 13

11: Cross the footbridge then keep going straight through another gate and then straight on heading W up the hill with fields on either side. After 240m beyond the footbridge you will reach Essendon BOAT 14 (byway open to all traffic) (location - https://w3w.co/nodded.transfers.doing), see image below.

Turn left on Essendon BOAT 14

12: Turn left on Essendon BOAT 14, then, almost immediately (after 25m) take the first footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/dawn.guard.lives), see image below.

Turn right on what is a continuation of Essendon footpath 13

This is a continuation of Essendon footpath 13 which you follow uphill, with the fields on your left and the hedge on your right, for 430m until you reach The Candlestick and the starting point.

Interactive map

---