Walk 52: Wildhill South-East Loop

4.5 miles (7.3 km) with 98m total ascent

The ridge between points 7 and 8

A circular walk starting and ending at The Woodman, Wildhill taking in some old byways and a ridge walk with great views. There is a particularly lovely section between points 7 and 8.

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 is a bus stop outside The Woodman at the start of the walk which is served by the number 200 and 201 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

Map for Walk 52: Wildhill South-East Loop
Click on the map for a larger version
Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
Elements © Thunderforest © OpenStreet Map contributors
There is an interactive map at the foot of this page

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: Take the footpath S of the beer garden on the E side of the car park (location - https://w3w.co/star.yard.oppose). This is Hatfield footpath 85. Follow this path for 540m first uphill and diagonally SE across the field and then 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/scuba.they.brush).

2: Cross the road and turn left, walking NE for 315m along the E side of the B158 towards the right-hand bend in the road at the point where Wild Hill goes off to the left. At this point you take a track on the right (location - https://w3w.co/sugars.spoil.votes).

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

3: Turn right along Essendon footpath 19 which follows a private drive heading SE. After 140m the footpath veers left to reach a wooden footbridge and a gate (location - https://w3w.co/neon.round.catch). 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 (location - https://w3w.co/love.tubes.badge) by an outbuilding (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/trucks.limbs.tube).

4: Turn right on Hornbeam Lane, Essendon bridleway 18, and head SW for 1.3km passing stables on your left and following the lane as it becomes a track then climbs through hornbeam woods to Cucumber Lane (location - https://w3w.co/wipes.stem.sunk).

5: When you reach Cucumber Lane, turn right and follow it SE for 450m until you reach Tylers Causeway (location - https://w3w.co/thinks.tennis.like).

6: Turn left on Tylers Causeway and walk NE for 70m until you come to a track on your right (location - https://w3w.co/sounds.silent.trap). Follow this track, Hatfield restricted byway 88 SSE for 270m until you reach a footpath on your right just before a bend (location - https://w3w.co/sector.script.panels).

7: Take the path, Hatfield bridleway 87 and head WSW and follow it for 1.3km until you reach Woodfield Farm (location - https://w3w.co/rigid.vets.bond) where the path goes to through the farmyard. Continue now heading NW and W for another 750m until you reach Kentish Lane, the B158 (location - https://w3w.co/grape.rings.common).
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8: Cross the B158 and head W along Grubbs Lane walking on the footpath on the left side of the lane for 810m At one point there isn’t a footpath along this road and you have to take extra care. After climbing the dip, look out for a footpath on your right (location - https://w3w.co/sage.spoke.units).

9: Take this path, Hatfield footpath 84 and head NNE for 280m to the end of the field where there are good views over to Wildhill (location - https://w3w.co/broad.insist.dining).

Go through the gap in the hedgerow just to the left of a tree and head downhill across the heading NNE for 110m until you reach the hedgerow where you veer slightly right and head NE for 230m with the field on your right and the hedgerow on your left until you reach the end of the field and a gap in the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/slam.watch.zones).

10: Go through the gap, turn left and follow the path N, NE, then E for 190m looking out for a footpath on your left (location - https://w3w.co/torn.oppose.poet).

11: Turn left here, still on Hatfield footpath 84, and head NNE for 280m crossing a footbridge, a field, another footbridge before reaching the car park at The Woodman, Wildhill (location - https://w3w.co/varieties.belong.fairly).

Interactive map

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