Walk 50: Bayford - North Mymms Linear

8.6 miles (13.8 km) with 224m total ascent

Bayford Wood

A linear walk from Bayford station going through Bayford, across fields and through woodland to Howe Green, over the golf course to Essendon, via West End, down to Wildhill via a secluded byway, and west over the fields via Bell Bar to Brookmans Park or Welham Green.

Directions

Note: This walk crosses over a golf course

Map for Walk 50: Bayford - North Mymms Linear
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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: Leave Bayford station (location - https://w3w.co/bossy.grab.remind) then head WNW and then NNW along Brickendon Lane for 600m. There isn’t a footpath along this road, but you can walk along the grass to the side of the road in places.

Continue until you reach a road junction with Ashdene Road going off to your left. Your way is almost straight on for 630m down the road that heads NW (with the village pond on the left). This road passes houses on the left and heads towards the church on the bend. At the left-hand bend continue with the road (taking care because there is no footpath) as it bends again, this time to the right by a cottage.

2: Immediately after the cottage you will see a footpath sign on your left (location - https://w3w.co/wins.bound.zooms). Take this path, Bayford footpath 4, for 330m heading W through some paddocks, up the slight hill to some trees.

Keep NW looking out for a path on your left (location - https://w3w.co/ideal.amuse.arts). Take this path, Bayford footpath 3, and head WSW for 260m first through the crops and then SW through Bayford Woods. Follow the path downhill to a footbridge.

3: Cross the footbridge and climb the hill to reach a field (location - https://w3w.co/pasta.joke.twin). When you get to the field turn left on Little Berkhamsted footpath 6, and head SW for 190m following the path through a gap in the hedge and head W up the hill with the hedgerow on your right and the field on your left until you reach a track (location - https://w3w.co/small.year.tiles). Turn right on this gravel track, Little Berkhamsted footpath 24, and head N for 120m towards a large house.

4: Just before you reach the house take the bridleway on your left, Little Berkhamsted bridleway 21 (location - https://w3w.co/price.sung.scam) and continue WSW and then SW along this path for 280m until you reach a track (location - https://w3w.co/carry.frost.many), which is also Little Berkhamsted bridleway 20, where you turn right and head NW for 140m.

You will pass a large house on your right and, soon after the track heads NNW for 150m, past some cottages on your right. Continue until you see a footpath on your left (location - https://w3w.co/gained.wins.brains). Take this path, Little Berkhamsted footpath 5, and head W for 260m until it emerges on Robins Nest Hill (location - https://w3w.co/fade.faster.keen).

5: Turn left on the footpath that runs alongside Robins Nest Hill and head S for 110m until you reach a cottage on your right. Immediately after the cottage you will see a footpath on your right (location - https://w3w.co/vest.honest.pounds).

Take this path, Little Berkhamsted footpath 3, and head SW for 190m with Culver Wood on your right, and then head NW for 270m passing farm buildings on the right and continue until you reach a field (location - https://w3w.co/libraries.elbow.judge). Cross a stile, climb the hill and head W for 300m over the field with the large tree on your right until you reach a stile at the other side (location - https://w3w.co/save.pigs.gifted).

6: Cross this stile, turn right and head NW for 35m on Little Berkhamsted bridleway 18 until it becomes a lane and bends to the left heading W for 200m passing cottages on your left. When you reach a cottage on your right, look out for a path on your left as the lane bends to the right (location - https://w3w.co/solved.events.spices).

At this point the path splits but converge again so it doesn't matter which you take. But if you keep to the left you can follow Little Berkhamsted bridleway 27 and head down the hill for 330m with the quarry on your right until you reach Essendon Golf Course (location - https://w3w.co/robe.shrimp.chips).

7: Head W across Essendon Golf Course on Essendon footpath 3 for 530m until you reach the primary school in Essendon village (location - https://w3w.co/flood.jokes.animal). Continue SW along School Lane for 280m past the community centre until you reach the B158, Kentish Lane (location - https://w3w.co/policy.give.finger).

8: Cross Kentish Lane then turn left heading W for 70m until you reach a footpath on your right heading across Essendon Cricket Club (location - https://w3w.co/owners.probe.remind).

Follow this path, Essendon footpath 13, WSW for 620m first through a gate at the back of the cricket club, through woodland, then down a hill to a footbridge across Essendon Brook. Cross the bridge then follow the path W up the hill for 240m until you reach a crossing in the tracks (location - https://w3w.co/sums.holds.ranch). This is Essendon BOAT 14 (byway open to all traffic).

* At this point there is the option of taking a detour to The Candlestick (location - https://w3w.co/posed.papers.wake) for refreshments. To do this turn left on the BOAT for 20m and then take the footpath on your right and head NW for 430m.

9: If you are not visiting The Candlestick, turn left and continue S down the BOAT for 516m before it swings SW at a footpath junction and continues for another 610m until it emerges on West End Lane (location - https://w3w.co/rats.trying.upgrading). Here you turn left and head S, then SW and SSE for 750m until you reach Wildhill. Turn right and head E for 120m to The Woodman.

10: Take the footpath just beyond The Woodman, Hatfield footpath 84, and walk through the pub’s car park leaving via the gate at the S end (location - https://w3w.co/varieties.belong.fairly).

Head SSW for 240m, cross the field, go over a footbridge, through another gate, across another field, another footbridge and turn left to a gate before reaching a field (location - https://w3w.co/flops.worked.crops).

Turn right and head SW and then SSW for 200m keeping the field on your left and the hedgerow on your right until you reach a gap in the hedge (location - https://w3w.co/slam.watch.zones).

Go through the gap and head diagonally to your right heading first W then SW for 220m keeping the field to your left and the hedge to your right as you climb the hill. Follow the path as it turns SSW and heads uphill for 130m cutting diagonally through the crop to the top of the hill (location - https://w3w.co/bottom.humble.space).

Follow the path SSW for 270m with the woodland on your right until you reach Grubbs Lane (location - https://w3w.co/tries.wipes.dose).

11: Turn left then head SE for 75m looking out for a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/senior.wished.blitz).

Take this footpath, Hatfield footpath 83, as it heads SW for 750m and cuts through the crop, goes over a footbridge, cuts diagonally across the next field, to a small copse where it becomes North Mymms footpath 66).

As you go through the woodland look out for the remains of a WWII Tett turret on your right (location - https://w3w.co/prompting.fact.casual). Continue across a third field and emerges on Woodside Lane by the garage on the A1000 (location - https://w3w.co/asks.flute.coherent).

12: Cross The Great North Road with care and take the lane opposite, Bell Lane.

* At this point you can stop for refreshments at The Cock Of The North (location - https://w3w.co/ridge.feed.hoping) to your left or The Dutch Nursery.

Continue down Bell Lane heading SSW for 460m until the lane bends to the left. Here you take the footpath on the right, North Mymms footpath 33, (location - https://w3w.co/fight.tested.level) and head NW and then W with the woods on the left and the fields on the right for 1.1km until you reach Bulls Lane (location - https://w3w.co/combining.rank.assume).

Turn left along the footpath running along the S side of Bulls Lane and head W for 420m to the railway bridge (location - https://w3w.co/indeed.corner.wished).

13: At this point you have the options of going to Brookmans Park station or Welham Green station.

* For Brookmans Park go under the railway bridge and take the footpath on your left, North Mymms footpath 34 (location - https://w3w.co/staple.pram.patch). Follow this path for 450m, first SSE, then SW through woodland, down some steps, over a brook and on to reach Station Road (location - https://w3w.co/eaten.walks.composers). Turn left on Station Road and follow it SE for 980m to Brookmans Park station (location - https://w3w.co/limbs.value.ozone). There are many options for refreshments in the village including the local pub, Brookmans.

* For Welham Green continue W for 300m along Bulls Lane to Holloways Lane (location - https://w3w.co/organs.single.sleeps). At this point you could continue heading W along Bulls Lane and turn right on Station Road to visit The Sibthorpe Arms (location - https://w3w.co/racks.varieties.lows), but if you don't need refreshments head NE on Holloways Lane for 450m, then turn right on Dixon Hill Road for 120m to Welham Green Station (location - https://w3w.co/amuse.equal.dash).

Interactive map

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