Walk 70: Brookmans Park North-West Linear

4.1 miles (6.7 km) with 67m total ascent

Poppies in the field described in point 5 below

This walks starts at Welham Green station, climbs to a trig point with excellent views to the south and west, drops down to follow the route of the old Dellsome Lane, now reduced to a footpath, passes North Mymms Park, and returns to Brookmans Park via the swallow holes at Water End. The route covers part of a much longer walk on this site, the 12-mile North Mymms Way. The start and finish points can be reached by bus or train.

Directions

Map for Walk 70: Brookmans Park North-West 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.

There is restricted parking in both Welham Green and Brookmans Park village centres and the surrounding roads (check signs), but you can pay to park in Welham Green station car park (location - https://w3w.co/cubs.ranges.socket) and Brookmans Park station car park (location - https://w3w.co/salt.minus.bath).

1: From Dixons Hill Road close to Welham Green station, head NNE, then NNW along Travellers Lane for 320m. The railway track will be on your right. Continue through the industrial estate until you reach Travellers Close on your left. Turn left here and walk W for 200m to the end of the close where you can cut through a path to Pooleys Lane (location - https://w3w.co/stay.cabin.lines).

North Mymms footpath 20 mentioned in point 2 below

2: Turn right on Pooleys Lane and follow it round for 210m as it first heads N then bends to the left and heads W. Look out for a footpath sign on your right. This is North Mymms footpath 20 (location - https://w3w.co/fell.waters.frogs).

Take this path and head NNE 380m with the industrial estate on your right and fields and woods on your left until you reach a footpath on your left just before the path you are on bends to your right (location - https://w3w.co/unique.crush.frog).

North Mymms footpath 23 mentioned in point 3 below

3: Take this path, North Mymms footpath 23, and head SW for 510m ignoring any other paths to your left and right until you emerge at the edge of a field at a four-way footpath junction (location - https://w3w.co/grab.note.punk). Your way is straight on, but, if you want to visit the trig point (location - https://w3w.co/unity.manage.radio) it's a short distance up the hill in the field on your right.

The trig point above Welham Green

After visiting the trig point, return to the path you were on, North Mymms footpath 23, and continue heading SW for 260m with the hedgerow on your left and the field on your right. In the distance you will see an electricity pylon. Head in this direction following the path as it dips down to the corner of the field (location - https://w3w.co/caves.total.tigers).

Head for the pylon keeping the hedgerow on your left

4: Here the path goes through the hedgerow where it meets another four-way footpath junction. Turn right here (it can be overgrown with nettles), and drop down to the old Dellsome Lane, now a footpath thanks to the creating of the A1(M) which, when built, cut across the old road.

Turn right then head NW then W along Dellsome Lane, also North Mymms footpath 52, for 330m ignoring a footpath off to your right. Continue until you reach a sign pointing to a gate on your left. You are now close to the A1(M) (location - https://w3w.co/losses.puddles.deed).

The metalled surface of this footpath is what is left of the old Dellsome Lane

The footpath at the end of the old Dellsome Lane

5: Turn left on this path, still North Mymms footpath 52, and follow it SSE for 350m through the fields until you reach a bridge over the A1(M) (location - https://w3w.co/cowboy.skins.palm). This field is rarely cultivated and the result is that during the summer months it's rich in wild flowers. The poppies are particularly impressive in June (see image at the top of this page).

Cross the bridge and, immediately after, take the footpath on your left accessed via wooden stairs. This is still North Mymms footpath 52 (location - https://w3w.co/since.range.camera).

The wooden stairs down to the footpath that heads S

6: Head SE with the A1(M) on your left and the field on your right. Ignore the first path (soon after the steps) on your right and continue walking SE alongside the A1(M) for 180m until you see a diagonal path cutting across the crops to your right(location - https://w3w.co/even.sums.punchy).

This is still North Mymms footpath 52 which heads SSE through the crops for 400m until it reaches a gate leading into woodland (location - https://w3w.co/noon.wacky.angel).

The gate mentioned in point 6 above

Walk S through the woodland for 120m and emerge on Tollgate Road close to the Octagon Lodge outside North Mymms Park.

7: Cross Tollgate Road, pass the war memorial and then turn right and walk SW along St Mary's Church Road for 240m crossing the river and continuing until you reach a footpath on your left just after the turn off to the church (location - https://w3w.co/pillow.bubble.quarrel).

The footpath mentioned in point 7 above

8: Take this footpath, North Mymms footpath 6, and head ESE for 320m until you reach the boundary of North Mymms Cricket Club. Don't go through the wooden gate at this point. Instead follow the path to the left of that gate and continues to head ESE for 180m across the field and over to a gate leading through the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/extra.riches.slide).

The gate at the end of North Mymms footpath 6, (point 8) 

9: Turn right once you are through the gate and take the path over the footbridge that crosses the A1(M). Drop down to Swanland Road (location - https://w3w.co/bubble.tent.undulation).

Cross the road and turn to your left heading NNW for 180m with Swanland Road on your left and garages on your right.

* At this point you could turn right along Warrengate Road and head for The Woodman Inn (location - https://w3w.co/laws.arrow.stick) if you are in need of refreshments.

Continue on the footpath alongside Swanland Road ignoring the first footpath on your right but taking the second (location - https://w3w.co/files.maybe.puff).

10: Take this path, North Mymms footpath 30, and follow it E for 190m with the hedgerow on your right and the field on your left. Ignore the paths off to your right and left but continue heading for the wooden marker post in the far right corner of the field at the point where the path swings round to the left (location - https://w3w.co/placed.clock.factor).

The marker where you turn right, point 10 above

11: Turn right here on North Mymms footpath 54 then follow the path E then SE for 250m through the woods and out to the swallow holes before you reach an open field (location - https://w3w.co/friend.ideas.carbon). You are now on North Mymms footpath 7.

Follow North Mymms footpath 7 E for 85m, with the hedgerow on your right and the field on your left. Continue until you reach a bend (location - https://w3w.co/spins.faded.valley), see image below.

Turn right on North Mymms footpath 8

12: At this point North Mymms footpath 7 should continue heading in an easterly direction and slightly uphill across an arable field.

Obstructed right of way alert: However, this public right of way is seldom reinstated after ploughing and sowing. We have reported this to Hertfordshire County Councils rights of way team. Because of this, walkers have created a detour.

The detour below includes walking around the edge of the field to avoid trampling the crop. So you have two choices here 1) continue on North Mymms footpath 7 and possibly damage the crop, or 2) taking an unofficial route.

If you decide to avoid trampling the crop turn right then head SSE, with the hedgerow on the right and field on the left then head in an easterly direction for 160m along North Mymms footpath 8.

When you reach the hedgerow you could go through it to reach Bradmore Lane where you turn left, however many walkers choose to keep inside the field then head E for 300m, again with the field on the left, and the hedgerow on the right, until the detour meets up with North Mymms footpath 7 as it reaches Bradmore Lane (location - https://w3w.co/belong.hood.toxic), see satellite image of detour (in orange) below. 

The easterly section of the detour is unofficial

13: Turn left on Bradmore Lane then follow the lane E for 490m to Station Road (location - https://w3w.co/splash.custom.cages).

There are several options for refreshments around Bradmore Green, including the pub/restaurant Brookmans.

Interactive map

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