Walk 25: Little Berkhamsted North-East Loop

4.3 miles (7 km) with 137m total ascent

The footpath at point 16 in the walk

A pleasant walk from Little Berkhamsted village through fields and woodland over to Bayford. The walk includes open fields, shady woodland, footpaths, bridleways and has the benefit of a pub and village shop at the start/finish. Some parts of the route are along lanes where there is no footpath/pavement.

Emmie Murphy's village store at the start/finish point serves hot drinks and snacks.

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 25: Little Berkhamsted North-East Loop
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Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
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There is a larger, more-detailed map embedded at the end of these directions

Those with GPS devices can download GPX or KML files for this walk. We've added What3Words location 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.

Turn right on Little Berkhamsted footpath 9

1: With your back to The Five Horseshoes pub/restaurant, turn right then head N for 50m until you reach a footpath on the right immediately before the church. Turn right on Little Berkhamsted footpath 9, see image above (location - https://w3w.co/plates.solar.search). Follow the path ENE for 340m, ignoring paths to the right. This section can be muddy after rain. Continue until you reach a gate leading to Buck’s Alley (location - https://w3w.co/adjust.combining.impact), see image below.

Continue on Little Berkhamsted footpath 9 to Buck's Alley

2: When you reach Buck's Alley turn right then head SE for 20m along the lane until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/desire.icons.forum), see image below.

Turn left on Little Berkhamsted footpath 9

Turn left on Little Berkhamsted footpath 9 then head ENE. The first section of this footpath can be muddy after rain. Continue for 580m, following the footpath across a field and down to Bayford Woods (location - https://w3w.co/sector.expand.sleep), see image below.

Enter Bayford Woods then follow Bayford footpath 5

3: Enter Bayford Woods then follow Bayford footpath 5 across a footbridge then uphill. Continue heading SE for 310m until you leave the woodland (location - https://w3w.co/shell.cracks.merit), see image below.

Leave the woodland then continue heading SE, still on Bayford footpath 5

Leave the woodland then continue heading SE, still on Bayford footpath 5, with the hedgerow on the left for 100m then follow the path as it bends left (location - https://w3w.co/forced.sparks.ruby), then heads NE for 45m to a gate (location - https://w3w.co/inspector.jump.deflection), see image below.

Go through the gate then turn right, still on Bayford footpath 5

Go through the gate then turn right, still on Bayford footpath 5. Follow it SE for 160m to Ashendene Road (location - https://w3w.co/walks.soils.link).

4: Turn left on Ashendene Road then head NE for 750m to Bayford village. Take care along this stretch because there isn’t a footpath/pavement at first, although there are verges if you need to avoid traffic.

Turn left just before the duck pond

Turn left just before the duck pond on the left where the road splits (location - https://w3w.co/showed.fever.voters) then follow the path in front of the houses to reach Well Row (see orange line on the photograph above).

5: When you reach Well Row (location - https://w3w.co/fleet.fall.shakes), turn left then head in a northwesterly direction along Well Row for 360m. Take care along this stretch of road because there isn't a pedestrian pavement for most of it. Continue until you reach St Mary's Church, Bayford (location - https://w3w.co/reveal.lands.slope), see image below.

St Mary's Church, Bayford

6: When you reach Bayford church keep left then head in a westerly direction along Bayford Lane. Again there isn't a pedestrian pavement along this stretch but there are verges you can use to avoid traffic. Continue for 160m following the lane as it bends to the right then heads NNE for 70m to reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/terms.circle.crisp).

Turn left on Bayford footpath 4

7: Turn left on Bayford footpath 4, then head W through a gap between the house and the hedge. Continue heading W for 260m through a field with horse paddocks left and right. When the path you are on turns to the right with the hedgerow on the right (location - https://w3w.co/broke.traded.meal), follow it round now heading NW for 70m until you reach a footpath on your left (location - https://w3w.co/shade.fish.shift) - see image below.

Turn left on Bayford footpath 3

8: Turn left on Bayford footpath 3 then follow it WSW across an arable field for 150m until you reach woodland (location - https://w3w.co/solved.clues.memory). Continue downhill through the woodland, still on Bayford footpath 3 and heading SW for 100m until you reach a footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/flap.bland.facing), see image below.

Cross the footbridge then climb up to a field

9: Cross the footbridge then climb up to a field to reach Little Berkhamsted footpath 6 (location - https://w3w.co/boat.drape.engine).

Turn left on Little Berkhamsted footpath 6

Turn left on Little Berkhamsted footpath 6 then head SW and uphill for 60m to a gap in the hedge (location - https://w3w.co/thank.sketch.wing), see image below.

Go through the gap then turn right, still on Little Berkhamsted footpath 6

10: Go through the gap then turn right, still on Little Berkhamsted footpath 6. Continue heading uphill and W, with the hedgerow on your right and the field on your left, for 150m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/small.year.tiles), see image below.

Turn left, still on Little Berkhamsted footpath 6

11: Turn left at the junction then follow a gravelled track, which is still Little Berkhamsted footpath 6, SW for 270m until you reach a bridleway on the right (location - https://w3w.co/camps.racks.nodded), see image below.

Turn right on Little Berkhamsted bridleway 21

12: Turn right on Little Berkhamsted bridleway 21 then follow this metalled track N for 175m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/dame.chip.leads). Keep left at the junction, still on the metalled track but now following Little Berkhamsted bridleway 20 in a north-westerly direction for 290m until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/hush.singer.nails), see image below.

Turn left on Little Berkhamsted footpath 5

13: Turn left on Little Berkhamsted footpath 5 (location - https://w3w.co/reach.heats.master), which heads W for 250m to Robins Nest Hill (location - https://w3w.co/bats.park.faded), see image below.

Turn left on a path alongside Robins Nest Hill

14: Turn left on a path alongside Robins Nest Hill then head S for 110m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/vest.honest.pounds), see image below.

Turn right on Little Berkhamsted footpath 3

15: Turn right on Little Berkhamsted footpath 3 which you follow in a westerly direction passing farm buildings on the right (location - https://w3w.co/funded.most.trucks) and continuing until you reach a gate leading to a field (location - https://w3w.co/libraries.elbow.judge), see image below.

Continue across the field on Little Berkhamsted footpath 3

16: Go through the gate then continue, still on Little Berkhamsted footpath 3, across the field and uphill keeping just to the left of the tree on the horizon. Continue for 310m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/issue.odds.exam), see image below.

Turn left on Little Berkhamsted bridleway 18

17: Turn left at the junction then head SE on Little Berkhamsted bridleway 18 for 410m until you reach a footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/lobby.city.cheek), see image below.

Cross the footbridge then take the left fork

18: Cross the footbridge then take the left fork (location - https://w3w.co/flown.stands.sage), see image below.

Follow Little Berkhamsted bridleway 19 SE and uphill

Follow Little Berkhamsted bridleway 19 SE and uphill with the fence on your right for 310m until you reach Breach Lane (location - https://w3w.co/chimp.ranges.spends).

Turn right on Breach Lane

Turn right on Breach Lane, which is still Little Berkhamsted bridleway 19, then head S for 310m until you reach Robins Nest Hill again (location - https://w3w.co/beams.friday.meals), see image below.

Cross the road then walk through the churchyard

Cross the road then walk through the churchyard and back to the starting point where refreshments can be taken at The Five Horseshoes and snacks can be bought at the village store.

Interactive Map

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