Walk 37: Three Ridges Loop

9 miles (14.5 km) with 220m total ascent

Pond between points 2 & 3

This walk connects several of our earlier walks by adding one short path near Epping Green. The route crosses three ridges with excellent views and follows well-defined tracks most of the way. It can be hilly along the way with seven pubs either on the route or a short detour off it.

Please note that this route involves walking along a section of The Hertfordshire Way which goes along Cucumber Lane where there is no pedestrian pavement. The lane has always been quiet on the dozens of times we have walked it but a user of Hertfordshire Walker has reported (October 2024) that it was busy when they walked the route. There is also a section of Grubbs Lane where there isn't a pedestrian pavement and which can be busy during rush hour. Walking groups or those walking with children might want to choose a different walk.

Getting there

There are bus stops outside The Crown pub in Newgate Street (location - https://w3w.co/certified.young.vivid), which are served by the number 308 and 380 buses. You can check bus times at Intalink.

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

Walk 37: Three Ridges 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 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.

1: Head WNW along New Park Road Newgate Street (location - https://w3w.co/drums.post.twin) for 600m until you meet a footpath on the right just before the farm (location - https://w3w.co/leader.super.needed).

2: Take this path, Hatfield footpath 90, and head N and downhill for 550m until you pass a pond on your left (pictured at the top of this walk). Continue heading N for another 410m as the path climbs up the hill to Tyler's Causeway (location - https://w3w.co/attend.rainy.sport).

3: Turn left on Tyler's Causeway then walk W for 110m until you see a footpath sign on your right just beyond a house (location - https://w3w.co/puts.bought.gift).

Turn right then follow this path, Hatfield footpath 91, N for 410m until you come to a gate on the right in the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/bright.silver.active).

Turn right through the gate, still on Hatfield footpath 91, then NNE for 1700m until you reach a lane, which is also Little Berkhamsted bridleway 22 (location - https://w3w.co/colleague.pack.mint).

* At this point you could turn right and head east to The Beehive pub for refreshments.

4: Turn left and follow this bridleway NW for 410m as it bends round, keeping the water towers on your left and continue for another 410m to the point where you reach a left fork (location - https://w3w.co/sulk.caring.aura).

5: Turn left here, still on Little Berkhamsted bridleway 22, and continue NNW, NNE, and NW for 780m along a ridge with great views on your left. You will pass Little Berkhamsted Cricket Club on your right.

* You have the option of turning right down a footpath just past the cricket club if you want to visit Little Berkhamsted village where there is Emmie Murphy's village store which serves hot drinks and snacks, and a pub/restaurant The Five Horseshoes.

Otherwise continue, still on Little Berkhamsted bridleway 22, to Little Berkhamsted Lane (location - https://w3w.co/slides.boxer.nurses).

6: Turn left on Little Berkhamsted Lane and walk SW for 110m looking out for a track on your right just after a cottage (location - https://w3w.co/fakes.fuzzy.yours). Take this track, Little Berkhamsted bridleway 17, and head NW for 960m as it becomes a gorse-lined ridge route, dipping down through the woods to the golf course (location - https://w3w.co/tens.shots.supply).

7: Turn left and climb the hill on Essendon bridleway 4 heading heading W for 190m until you reach the club house. Keeping the club house on your left walk round it to your right and then left, and head NW across the fairway for 520m until you reach School Lane (location - https://w3w.co/silent.print.backup).

8: Turn left on School Lane and head W for 190m past the village hall until you reach the B158. Turn left on the B158, cross the road, and head SSE for 75m until you reach a path on your right (location - https://w3w.co/among.skins.luxury). Take this path, Essendon footpath 13, which heads WSW for 860m past Essendon Cricket Club on your right. Continue down this path as it drops through the woods and downhill to a footbridge before it climbs up the hill, still heading W, to the BOAT (byway open to all traffic) where you turn right (location - https://w3w.co/yards.listed.faces).

9: Follow this track, Essendon BOAT 14 heading NW for 330m until it reaches West End Lane (location - https://w3w.co/saints.clay.throw). Turn left and follow the lane SW for 270m until you reach The Candlestick (location - https://w3w.co/lung.talked.broken).

10: Just before you reach The Candlestick, take the footpath on the left, Essendon footpath 13, and head ESE for 430m down to the Essendon BOAT 14 again (location - https://w3w.co/prone.supper.voters). Turn right and continue along this byway heading S for 490m then SW for 520m until you reach West End Lane (location - https://w3w.co/media.dress.achieving).

11: Turn left on West End Lane and follow it S, SW, then SSE for 750m to WildHill (location - https://w3w.co/zest.winter.herb).

12: Turn left on WildHill, then head E for 110m, then right into The Woodman car park. Walk through the car park to the end of the beer garden until you reach a footpath (location - https://w3w.co/kept.leans.blocks). This is Hatfield footpath 85. Walk uphill and diagonally SE across the field and go through a gate in the hedgerow. Head SSE until you reach another gate at the edge of woodland. With the woodland on your left, head SE until the path crosses a field and goes through a gap in the hedgerow to the B158 (location - https://w3w.co/bared.wallet.opera).

13: Cross the road and turn left, walking NE for 315m along the east side of the B158 towards the right-hand bend in the road at the point where Wild Hill goes off to the left (location - https://w3w.co/race.oppose.press).

The gate mentioned in point 3 below - continue for 70m to Hornbeam Lane

14: Turn right along a footpath, Essendon footpath 19, which follows a private road heading SE. After 140m the footpath veers left to reach a wooden footbridge and a gate. Go through the gate and head NE along Essendon footpath 20 with the woodland on your right and the field on your left. After 120m you will reach the end of the woodland where you drop down slightly to the right to go through a wooden gate by an outbuilding (location - https://w3w.co/fields.blast.funded), see image above. Go through the gate and continue heading NE, now with the house and gardens on your right and the hedge on your left for 70m until you cross a footbridge and reach Hornbeam Lane (location - https://w3w.co/fits.bottom.expect).

15: Turn right on Hornbeam Lane, which is also Essendon bridleway 18, then head SE for 1.4km first downhill, past stables on the left, and then along a track which continues uphill through a hornbeam wood to Cucumber Lane (location - https://w3w.co/broke.able.entry).

16: Turn right on Cucumber Lane and follow it SSE for 440m until you reach Tyler's Causeway (location - https://w3w.co/funded.grades.coast).

17: Turn left on Tyler's Causeway and head NE for 60m looking out for a track on your right (location - https://w3w.co/bulb.storm.traded). Cross the road and take this track, Hatfield restricted byway 88, as it heads SSE for 330m before turning left (location - https://w3w.co/panel.allows.fumes) and heading ESE and SE for 1.6km back to Newgate Street. There are two pubs in the village, The Crown and The Coach & Horses.

Interactive map

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