Walk 57: Chapmore End Loop

4.9 miles (7.9 km) with 84m total ascent

 

An undulating circular walk through woodland, a nature reserve, along a pretty river, across parkland, and with great views across the Hertfordshire countryside. There is a pub, The Woodman, and a cafe, The Conservatory at the start and finish point in Chapmore End.

Directions

Map for Walk 57: Chapmore End Loop
Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
Elements © Thunderforest © OpenStreetMap contributors
There is an interactive map 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: Park in the village of Chapmore End (location - https://w3w.co/flying.whips.blank). Refreshments are available at The Woodman pub and The Conservatory. Check opening times to avoid disappointment.

Head SW along Chapmore End from The Woodman pub for 330m until you reach a sharp left bend in the road (location - https://w3w.co/hogs.pardon.snake). Here you go straight ahead along a byway, Bengeo Rural BOAT 22 (byway open to all traffic) and continue SW for 230m. This byway, also known as Gypsy Lane, bends slightly, and eventually reaches a five-way split (location - https://w3w.co/snail.pile.river).

2: Here Gypsy Lane heads WSW for 320m towards Flowerash Wood on your right where the byway turns SSW for 180m to a junction in the tracks (location - https://w3w.co/beam.spend.score).

3: When you reach the junction take Bengeo Rural bridleway 12 and head SW for 300m passing Bardon Clumps (woodland) on the right. Here the track becomes Hertford restricted byway 8 and continues SW for 160m dipping down into the old quarry and then climbing up the other side. The track then forks to the right (location - https://w3w.co/trick.loss.paying) and becomes Hertford bridleway 7 and continues SW for another 120m until it reaches Sacombe Road (location - https://w3w.co/copy.probe.gangs).

4: Cross the road and enter the Waterford Heath Community Nature Park directly opposite and follow the path to your right, heading NW, W, NW, and then NE for 340m. Look out for some wooden steps on your left. Go down the steps. At the foot of the steps turn right and follow the path until it reaches Bullsmill Lane (location - https://w3w.co/rising.heave.saying).

5: Turn left and walk along the lane for 230m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/bulb.smiles.badly), here you turn right and head NNE along another lane for 200m until you reach a footpath at the point where the lane bends to the right (location - https://w3w.co/trick.thus.wool).

6: Take the footpath, Stapleford footpath 3 and head NNE for 140m passing Bushmill on the left before reaching a junction in the track (location - https://w3w.co/phones.neck.logic). Here you take the left turn and continue on Stapleford footpath 3 as it dips down to the River Beane. Follow this footpath for 1km as it heads first NNW, then NNE and then NNW again before reaching Church Lane (location - https://w3w.co/owls.lungs.onions).

7: Turn right and head E for 55m before turning left on Clusterbolts (location - https://w3w.co/snows.cases.device). Continue heading NNE along Clusterbolts for 170m until you reach the last house. To the left of the house you will see a path and a sign hidden in the hedgerow which reads "Hertfordshire Way" (location - https://w3w.co/pasta.nets.giving).

Take this path, Sacombe footpath 18, and head NNE, N, and NNE for 1.2km with the River Beane on your left. This is a pretty path which follows the river until it reaches a stile and a wooden gate (location - https://w3w.co/dunes.leaps.mash), see image at the top of this page. Go through the gate and continue across parkland and through a metal gate until you reach a gravel road (location - https://w3w.co/moves.erase.influencing) close to a bridge.

8: Turn right on this gravel road, which is also Sacombe footpath 15, and follow it S for 800m until you reach woodland and a junction in the tracks (location - https://w3w.co/zebra.blog.puzzle). Continue straight, heading S for 530m, still on Sacombe footpath 15, passing Southend Farm on your right and ignoring footpaths and tracks on your right and left and continue until you reach Church Lane (location - https://w3w.co/crop.trains.magma).

9: Turn left at the junction and take Sacombe footpath 19 following it E for 270m crossing a field and emerging to the right of a house on Stony Hills (location - https://w3w.co/ground.forest.tuck).

(This path is interesting in that it has three parish names along its short stretch. It starts off as Sacombe footpath 19, but after 50m becomes Stapleford footpath 11, and then for the last 50m becomes Bengeo Rural footpath 15. Which suggest that three parishes meet along the way. )

10: Turn right heading S and then SW along Stony Hills for 120m until you reach a bridleway on your left just before woodland on your left (location - https://w3w.co/jazz.rises.flash). Take this track, Bengeo Rural bridleway 2, and follow it heading ENE then ESE with the woodland on your right and fields on your left until it opens up at the end of the woodland at a point where a path goes off to your left. Ignore that path and continue heading SE for 150m to a junction in the track (location - https://w3w.co/memo.copper.rocks).

11: Here you continue heading SW, now on Bengeo Rural footpath 9 with the hedgerow on your left and the field on your right until you return to Chapmore End (location - https://w3w.co/hurry.ruler.loving).

Turn left in the village to reach The Woodman and the Buttercup Tearoom.

Interactive map

---