Walk 38: Ayot Greenway South Loop

4.5 miles (7.2 km) with 85m total ascent

The River Lea at point 10 in the walk

This is a lovely walk that crosses a golf course, passes Brocket Hall, goes through woodland, follows a riverside footpath, and continues along the track of the old railway branch line between Hertford, Welwyn Garden City, Luton and Dunstable. The walk starts and finishes at The Waggoners pub/restaurant, Ayot Green. The starting point is two miles NW of Welwyn Garden City 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 38: Ayot Greenway South Loop
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Map created on MapHub - copyright details here
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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.

The Waggoners, Brickwall Close, Ayot Green

1: With your back to The Waggoners on Brickwall Close off Ayot Green (location - https://w3w.co/search.gift.leaned) take the footpath on the opposite side of the road (location - https://w3w.co/spike.work.soccer), see image below.

Head W then SW on Ayot St Peter footpath 24

Head W then SW on Ayot St Peter footpath 24 for 90m until you reach the edge of the golf course (location - https://w3w.co/dinner.union.factories) where the path you are on crosses the parish boundary and becomes Hatfield footpath 58, see image below.

Head SW through pine woods now on Hatfield footpath 58

Head SW through pine woods until you reach a fairway (location - https://w3w.co/talent.strong.soon), see image below.

Cross the fairway to reach another stretch of woodland

Look left to check for golfers, then, when all is clear, cross the fairway to reach another stretch of woodland (location - https://w3w.co/pipe.fetch.firmly), see image below.

Continue heading SW for 60m through woodland

Continue heading SW for 60m through woodland until you reach another fairway (location - https://w3w.co/solve.mixer.mile), see image below.

Cross the fairway to reach another stretch of woodland

Look right, then, when all is clear, cross the fairway to reach another stretch of woodland (location - https://w3w.co/rate.wrong.steer), see image below.

Continue heading SW through woodland

Continue heading SW through woodland for 225m until you reach another fairway (location - https://w3w.co/smiles.tidy.short), see image below.

Cross the fairway then continue until you reach conifer trees

Check both ways for golfers then head SW across the fairway until you reach conifer trees and a junction (location - https://w3w.co/search.from.buck), see image below.

Turn sharp right then head NW on Hatfield footpath 57

2: Turn sharp right then head NW on Hatfield footpath 57 for 800m, keeping the conifer trees on the left until the path crosses a metalled track (location - https://w3w.co/custom.prime.upset), see image below.

Hatfield footpath 57 crosses the track then heads WNW

3: Hatfield footpath 57 then continues WNW downhill then uphill for 550m until it leaves the golf course and reaches woodland (location - https://w3w.co/villa.boil.scope), see image below.

Continue through the woodland still on Hatfield footpath 57

4: Continue through the woodland heading NW, still on Hatfield footpath 57, for 250m as the path drops down and leaves the woodland at a junction (location - https://w3w.co/tape.canny.dizzy), see image below.

Keep heading NW, now on Wheathampstead 13

5: Keep heading NW, now on Wheathampstead 13, with the River Lea on the left, for 590m until you reach Waterend Lane (location - https://w3w.co/rice.silent.song), see image below.

Turn right on Waterend Lane

6: Turn right on Waterend Lane then head NE for 45m until you reach a bridleway on the left (location - https://w3w.co/glaze.deck.bill), see image below.

Turn left on Wheathampstead bridleway 18

Turn left on Wheathampstead bridleway 18, which is also The Lea Valley Walk, then head NW for 480m until you reach a junction and Wheathampstead bridleway 18 bends to the right (location - https://w3w.co/enjoy.pint.cloth), see image below.

Turn right at the junction

7: Turn right at the junction then follow Wheathampstead bridleway 18 NNE for 230m with the woodland on your left and the field on your right until you meet Ayot Greenway (location - https://w3w.co/light.sailor.frosted), see image below.

Turn right on Ayot Greenway

8: Turn right on Ayot Greenway then head SSE, then NE and SSE again for 2.2km following the former railway line as it curves round to meet a path that leads down to the junction of Ayot Little Green Lane (location - https://w3w.co/dive.dice.banks) and Ayot St Peter Road.

Cross Ayot St Peter Road then climb the steps on the other side

9: Cross Ayot St Peter Road then climb the steps on the other side (location - https://w3w.co/dwell.parks.extend). Turn right then head SW for 190m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/vocab.booth.tools), see image below.

Turn right on the footpath then cross a track

Turn right on the footpath then head SW for 10m crossing a track before reaching a metal gate (location - https://w3w.co/above.smiles.doing), see image below.

Head SSW on Ayot St Peter footpath 11

10: Head SSW on Ayot St Peter footpath 11 for 170m until you reach Ayot St Peter Road (location - https://w3w.co/fever.test.match).

Cross Ayot St Peter Road then take Ayot St Peter footpath 14

11: Cross Ayot St Peter Road then take the footpath on the opposite side (location - https://w3w.co/backed.plus.grapes), Ayot St Peter footpath 14, then head W for 220m until the footpath bends right then left before reaching a gravelled drive (location - https://w3w.co/linked.trick.healers).

The footpath bends right then left before reaching a gravel drive

12: Cross the gravel drive then turn left on Ayot St Peter footpath 13 (location - https://w3w.co/bring.vines.jokes), see image below.

Head SSW on Ayot St Peter footpath 13

Head SSW on Ayot St Peter footpath 13 for 110m until you reach woodland (location - https://w3w.co/foster.placed.groom), see image below.

Follow Ayot St Peter footpath 13 through the woodland

Follow Ayot St Peter footpath 13 through the woodland heading SW for 55m before reaching Waterend Lane (location - https://w3w.co/only.hook.cloth).

13: Turn left on Waterend Lane then head SSE for 160m until the lane bends to the left (location - https://w3w.co/neck.burns.modest).

14: Turn left at the bend then continue along Waterend Lane heading ENE for 150m then ESE for 190m until you reach Brickwall Close on the right (location - https://w3w.co/switch.intelligible.skips).

15: Turn right on Brickwall Close then follow the road S for 160m back to the start point.

* There is another pub, The Red Lion (location - https://w3w.co/aspect.risk.edge), which is 420m NW of The Waggoners and is accessed via a bridge over the A1(M).

Interactive map

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