7.1 miles (11.4 km) with 49m total ascent
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Warning, there is a divertion between points 6 and 8 which, according to Hertfordshire County Council is in place up to 20 March 2025, details below.
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| Diversion notice in Roestock |
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
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| Map for Walk 42: North Mymms to Hatfield North-West Linear 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 |
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/escape.loss.rating).
1: From Brookmans Park Station head N along Station Road with the railway on your right. Continue for 180m until you reach Bradmore Lane on the left (location - https://w3w.co/every.swift.soak).
Turn left on Bradmore Lane then head W for 850m along the lane. Ignore the first footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/leader.lows.cheese). This would be an ideal footpath to take, but the official route is never reinstated by the landowner (we have reported this several times). Instead, continue downhill along Bradmore Lane through Brick Kiln Wood and then around an S-bend until you reach a footpath on your right (location - https://w3w.co/empty.expose.chest).
2: Take this path, North Mymms footpath 8, then head NNW keeping the hedgerow on your left and the field on your right. After 170m the path bends left and is now North Mymms footpath 7 (this is the footpath you would have ended up on had you taken the first footpath). Head NW for 290m. Ignore the first path on the left and continue NW until you reach the second path on your left (location - https://w3w.co/trains.zips.school).
Turn left on North Mymms footpath 30 then cut through woodland heading SW for 50m until you reach a footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/chains.minute.radio). Cross the footbridge then continue heading SW for 60m until you reach a field (location - https://w3w.co/sorry.stole.galaxy). Turn left at the field, still on North Mymms footpath 30, then head SW for 80m with the hedgerow on the left and field on the right then follow the path as it bends to the right (location - https://w3w.co/exams.engine.left) then heads W for 210m until you reach Swanland Road (location - https://w3w.co/hails.email.tend).
3: Turn left on the cycle track running alongside Swanland Road and head SSE for 200m until you reach the junction with Warrengate Road.
Cross Swanland Road and take North Mymms bridleway 82 (location - https://w3w.co/foam.calm.fresh) over a footbridge crossing the A1(M) and emerge on Tollgate Road. Here you head NW along Tollgate Road for 490m until you reach the Octagon Lodge at the entrance to North Mymms Park.
4: Walk past the lodge until you reach Tollgate Road. Cross the road and look out for a footpath sign close to the bus stop (location - https://w3w.co/cotton.prices.small).
This is North Mymms footpath 52 which heads through a small wood before entering a field and then crossing the field NNW for 720m until it reaches the side of the A1(M) and continues to steps up to a farm road (location - https://w3w.co/left.wisely.hulk).
Take these steps and then drop down the other side - do not cross the A1(M). Continue heading NNW now on North Mymms footpath 55 for another 150m along the W side of the A1(M) (location - https://w3w.co/stops.pines.sheet).
5: Turn left on North Mymms restricted byway 28 and head WSW for 350m crossing a farm track, and continuing through the crops towards an electricity pylon. Immediately after the pylon the path splits. Take the right-hand fork and head WNW for 250m to Tollgate Road (location - https://w3w.co/cure.chill.legend).
6: Turn right then walk NNW along Tollgate Road for 45m until you reach the bend. Here you take the right hand fork and head N along Bullen’s Green Lane for 570m until you reach a footpath on your left just before a row of houses on the left (location - https://w3w.co/held.nods.luck).
7: Take this path, North Mymms footpath 67 and head WSW with the hedge on your right and field on your left until the hedge turns right. The path now becomes Colney Heath footpath 48 and heads NW and then NNW until it reaches Roestock Lane (location - https://w3w.co/order.activism.fried).
8: Cross Roestock Lane and take the track directly opposite, Colney Heath restricted byway 51 and head NW and then NNE for 180m. After the bend you will see a path to your left (location - https://w3w.co/gift.thanks.evenly).
Take the middle path of three, Colney Heath bridleway 5 and head NW for 770m across the field, through woodland, over Ellen Brook and emerging on the A414 North Orbital Road (location - https://w3w.co/animal.deny.serve).
Cross the A414 e and continue north down Sleapshyde Lane until you reach The Plough pub (location - https://w3w.co/wakes.belt.bliss). Continue along the footpath just past the pub.
9: This path forks. You take the right fork, Colney Heath footpath 19 then head NNE for 370m across the fields until you reach The Alban Way (location - https://w3w.co/clips.punt.stays), which is the route of the old railway.
10: Turn right then follow this trail heading NE for 1.5km until you reach The Galleria in Hatfield (location - https://w3w.co/paint.harp.bunks).
Cross the A1(M) then look out for the path dropping to your right on the other side of the road (location - https://w3w.co/hotel.taxi.drives).
11: This path then turns left under the road outside the Galleria (location - https://w3w.co/tells.inch.views) then continues NE into Hatfield along the route of the old railway. Continue for 1.4km then follow footpath signs to Hatfield station which is a further 1.1km (location - https://w3w.co/butter.icons.linked).
* There are three pubs near the station, The Great Northern directly opposite and The Horse and Groom and The Eight Bells on Park Street in Old Hatfield 200m E of the station.
Paragraph 5 (last but one line) - I think you turn left, rather than right, when coming onto Tollgate Road for the first time
ReplyDeleteThanks Harry, I've made the edit. So glad you pointed it out. Hope it didn't spoil your walk. David
DeleteVery pleasant walk with a blend of sunny and shady parts. The railway walk is a source of fascination, especially if you've never seen it before. At the moment some of the fields after North Mymms seem to have been ploughed recently, which slows the pace down, unless you want to sprain something. The footpath at 6-7 strangely enough had a sign with nothing written on it at all, but the directional instructions are so clear that it's hard to go wrong.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you enjoyed the walk, and yes, ploughed rights of way is a problem this time of the year. I love the railway section, too, especially the restored station.
DeleteThank you for these walks. This was a bit of an interesting time today. At the end of step 2, it seemed like footpath #30 rather than 32 was the one to follow, especially as 32 was under water.
ReplyDeleteThe lane at point 6 is flooded, but not impassable
At point 7,the entrance to the footpath has been obstructed by the builders of a new housing development, and the path is not easily traversable. I would recommend a detour.
Certainly a hearty afternoon's exercise!
Thanks for the feedback. You are right, the footpath between points 2 & 3 is North Mymms footpath 30, not 32. Thanks for pointing that out. I have corrected it. I knew building work was taking place around point 7, but have not walked this route for some time. I'd presumed the footpath was still open because it hadn't appeared in the list of rights of way closures which Hertfordshire County Council sends me every month. I will revisit and try to figure out a detour. If you haven't already done so please consider joining our Hertfordshire Walker Facebook group where fellow walkers are sharing their walking experiences and photos. Thanks again for the feedback. David
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/groups/hertfordshirewalker