Walk 32: Brookmans Park South-West Loop

7.8 miles (12.5 km) with 140m total ascent

 

An undulating walk heading S from Brookmans Park through a local nature reserve, across a disused golf course, over a pine wood hill, and back to Brookmans Park. The route involves quite a bit of hill climbing and some paths can be muddy after rain.

Directions

Map for Walk 32: Brookmans Park South-West Loop
Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
Elements © Thunderforest © OpenStreetMap contributors
There is an interactive 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.

There is restricted parking in Brookmans Park village centre and surrounding roads (check signs), but you can pay to park in the station car park (location - https://w3w.co/shirts.tests.trend).

1: Head SE from Brookmans Park’s Bradmore Green along Bluebridge Road for 390m and take the second road on the left, Bluebridge Avenue.

2: Walk NE for 200m to the end of Bluebridge Avenue and go through the gate into Moffats Open Space (location - https://w3w.co/create.enjoy.vets) where you turn right and head for the gap in the hedge. Go through the gap, turn left and head SSE and the E for 290m keeping the hedgerow on your left and the field on your right until you go through another gap in the hedge (location - https://w3w.co/hurls.hurt.admits).

3: As you go through the gap you will notice a sign for Gobions Wood on your right. Here you turn right and head SSE for 430m through the wood until you meet a footbridge.

4: Cross the footbridge and turn slightly to your right and head S and SW for 90m and uphill until you meet a footpath (location - https://w3w.co/gone.eaten.behind).

5: Take this footpath, North Mymms footpath 11, and head SE for 170m through the southern edge of Gobions Wood until you cross another footbridge. You head right to the gate leading to an open field (location - https://w3w.co/watch.wedge.headed).

* At this point, if you would rather walk through the woodland, cross the footbridge and continue heading E along the southern edge of Gobions Wood and pick up this route via a gate on the right just before you reach the wooden footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/flip.bravo.brands).

If you don’t want to take the detour through the woods, go through the gate and head diagonally ESE across the field for 490m heading for Folly Arch in the distance. Cross the field, go over a footbridge, cross the next field, go through a gate, and then head SSE across the third field emerging on Hawkshead Road to the right of Folly Arch (location - https://w3w.co/change.island.spices).

6: Turn right and walk W along the N side of Hawkshead Road for 320m looking out for a path on the left just after you pass Bolton’s Farm on the left. This is a permissive path (location - https://w3w.co/vows.coffee.ticket). Take it for another 200m looking for a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/racks.proof.landed).

7: Take this path, North Mymms footpath 13, and head SSE for 390m first diagonally across the field to a gate, across the next field to another gate and then follow the hedge to a third gate. Continue following this path, now Potters Bar footpath 3, SSE for another 340m until it reaches the outskirts of Potters Bar at a footpath T-junction (location - https://w3w.co/easy.hints.fact).

8: Turn right and take Potters Bar footpath 5 as it crosses the former Potters Bar golf course first NW, then WSW, then NW again for 850m. The path follows a brook on the left, and then bends to the right at a point where the brook meets another. Continue following this path until it reaches the railway and heads N (location - https://w3w.co/museum.chairs.moves).

* You will pass two WWII pill boxes along this route. The first on your right (location - https://w3w.co/much.traded.tight) and the second just before you reach the railway line (location - https://w3w.co/tried.happen.sums).

Continue heading NNW until you reach a tunnel on your left. Go through the tunnel under the railway line and turn left at the other side.

9: When you reach the Cranborne Industrial Estate turn left, cross the road and head SSE for 100m looking out for a footpath on your right at the first bend (location - https://w3w.co/faster.falls.milky). This is Potters Bar footpath 15. Follow the path along the right side of a small brook until you reach the road. Cross the road heading for the footpath sign diagonally to your right (location - https://w3w.co/cheek.feared.usual). (Don’t go into Furzefield Woods at this stage.

10: Your path, still Potters Bar footpath 15, is just to the right of that entrance and follows Potters Bar Brook (which will now be on your left) for 610m until you emerge from the woods via a gate. Continue until you reach a farm (location - https://w3w.co/zoom.orders.shunts).

11: At the farm, cross the bridge over Potters Bar Brook and, on the other side, follow Potters Bar footpath 17 W for 150m before turning right on Potters Bar footpath 16 (location - https://w3w.co/sticks.belly.lake) and following it NW for 370m until you reach a footbridge, a ford, and then emerge on Swanland Road (location - https://w3w.co/vast.oddly.tiny).

12: Cross Swanland Road heading diagonally to your right and take the footpath towards the A1(M). This is a small lane which bends and goes under the A1(M) through a tunnel (location - https://w3w.co/choice.poppy.baked). This is Potters Bar bridleway 24. On the other side turn left, still on Potters Bar bridleway 24, and walk S down the W side of the A1(M) for 520m. Follow the bridleway as it turns to the right and then heads SW for 910m with fields on each side until you reach Brookside Park and emerge on Brookside (location - https://w3w.co/safety.gates.saying).

13: Turn right on Brookside until you reach Blackhorse Lane (location - https://w3w.co/ridge.rent.power). Here the route turns right and continues uphill heading NW for 740m.

* There is the option for refreshments when you reach Blackhorse Road. You can turn left to visit The White Hart at South Mimms (250m SE) or you can continue on the route where you pass The Black Horse.

At the top of the hill the road bends to the left but you continue straight until you reach a small cottage (location - https://w3w.co/ample.wishes.guard). On the right, and immediately before the cottage is North Mymms restricted bridleway 11.

14: Take this bridleway and head NE. Just past the farm the track becomes North Mymms restricted bridleway 3 and continues NE and then ENE through Hawkshead Wood and Mimmshall Wood for 1.7km until it drops down to the A1(M).

15: Just before you reach the A1(M), at the point where the path turns left, you take North Mymms restricted byway 83 which crosses the A1(M) via a footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/monkey.bliss.spring).

At the other side, turn right and double back under the footbridge to Swanland Road. Cross Swanland Road and head down the lane opposite leading to Warrengate Road (location - https://w3w.co/magic.prom.offers).

16: Turn left on Warrengate Road and head NNE for 540m, passing the water works on your right. 30m beyond take the footpath on the right crossing Mimmshall Brook (location - https://w3w.co/stud.supporter.energetic).

* There is the option of carrying on heading NNW along Warrengate Road for 560m to visit The Woodman Inn, Water End.

17: Follow this path, North Mymms footpath 11, E for 580m. Cross the bridge and walk along a boardwalk as it bends to the right and through Brick Kiln Wood emerging at a gate (location - https://w3w.co/refers.change.driver). Go through the gate and turn right. Cross the footbridge on your right and turn left.

18: Continue along this path with the hedge on your left and the field on your right for 300m until you reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/jets.swim.second).

19: Turn left, cross the footbridge and follow the footpath NE for 590m until it reaches Station Road (location - https://w3w.co/horses.save.drop).

20: Turn right on Station Road and follow it over the railway and back to Brookmans Park’s Bradmore Green where there are options for refreshments, including Brookmans, a pub/restaurant.

Interactive map

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