Walk 75: Hitchwood Loop

3.4 miles (5.46 km) with 87m total ascent

 

This is a pleasant walk taking in three trails: the Hitchwood Trail, parts of the Hertfordshire Way, and the North Chiltern Trail. It leads down shady footpaths and over fields with open views. Two-thirds of the way round there is the possibility of a short detour to visit The Strathmore Arms, famous for its real ale. The walk can be enjoyed in about an hour and a half taken at a leisurely pace.

Directions

Map for Walk 75: Hitchwood Loop
Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
Elements © Thunderforest © OpenStreetMap contributors
There is an interactive map below 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.

There is a small car park at the junction between Whitwell Road (B651) and Hitchwood Lane (location - https://w3w.co/heavy.swift.watch).

Follow the Hitchwood Trail W

1: Cross Hitchwood Lane, enter the Hitchwood (location - https://w3w.co/garage.will.prop), turn right, and follow the Hitchwood Trail for 720m as it continues W alongside Hitchwood Lane.

Keep following the way-marked signs, ignoring the first path off to the left. Continue until you reach the point where the path swings to your left and heads south.

Take the left turn at the marker post on the Hitchwood Trail and head S

2: Continue through Hitchwood heading SW and S until you reach the public footpath cutting through the woodland. This is Langley footpath 19.

The footpath along the western edge of Hitchwood

3: Turn left here and continue heading S along the public footpath for 200m until you reach the southern boundary of Hitchwood and an open field (location - https://w3w.co/each.holds.ideal).

Follow the path through the crops as it heads SW

Your path now becomes St Paul’s Walden footpath 35 and continues heading SW along a path cut through the crop that eventually reaches Pinfold Wood (location - https://w3w.co/trials.raced.cable).

Continue heading S along the western edge of the wood until you reach farm buildings and a track, this is St Paul’s Walden footpath 12. Here you turn left for 45m before your footpath turns right and heads SW (location - https://w3w.co/reds.useful.outfit).

Take the path on your right just after the farm buildings

4: Take this path and continue W along the eastern edge of Foxholes Wood and then goes through the wood for a short distance.

Take the path as it follows the eastern edge of Foxholes Wood

5: Look out for a sign showing a footpath on your left (location - https://w3w.co/mouse.land.valley). This is St Paul’s Walden footpath 9. Take this path and head SE and then E for 280m.

Take the path on the left and head SE then E

6: After passing Stagenhoe on the right the path you are on, St Paul’s Walden footpath 9, turns right  (location - https://w3w.co/nerve.grass.anyway) and heads SE for 460m to a junction. Ignore a path on your right and continue heading SE along a lane for 400m until you reach All Saints Church, St Paul's Walden on your left (location - https://w3w.co/fresh.rising.drips).

Turn left through the churchyard, or continue to the pub

* When you reach All Saints Church you have the option of continuing down the lane a short distance to The Strathmore Arms (location - https://w3w.co/going.onion.lungs).

The Strathmore Arms

7: When you reach the church turn left through the churchyard on St Paul’s Walden footpath 3.

8: Once through the churchyard turn left and, after 70m, look out for a footpath on your right (location - https://w3w.co/picked.export.spin). This is St Paul’s Walden footpath 7. Follow this path, which is an extension of the Chiltern Way, as it heads NE until it reaches Whitwell Road.

9: A path has been cut to the W of Whitwell Road that avoids having to walk along the road. This is not an official path but seems to be well used. This emerges on a lane close to a lodge where you turn right to reach Whitwell Road. You turn left on Whitwell Road, cross with care, and look out for a footpath on your right heading NE. This is Langley footpath 3 (location - https://w3w.co/busy.vase.vibrates).

Take the right-hand path and head NE

Continue heading NE along a path cut through the crop until you meet Langley Lane (location - https://w3w.co/basic.glare.gloves).

Follow the path NE across the fields until you reach a lane

10:At Langley Lane take the bridleway opposite, Langley bridleway 16, (location - https://w3w.co/cabin.sadly.violin), then follow it round as it heads N and then NW.

11: After 530m you will come to a footpath junction (location - https://w3w.co/oldest.animal.salsa). Take the left fork then head W down to the B651 and the car park at the start of the walk.

Interactive map

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