Walk 87: Brookmans Park to Welwyn Garden City West Linear

13 miles (21 km) with 188m of total ascent

The view at point 25 on the walk

A 13-mile linear station-to-station route starts at Brookmans Park and ends at Welwyn Garden City. The route takes in part of the Alban Way and passes through Symondshyde Great Wood. There are a number of pubs either on the route or just off. Parts can be muddy after rain. There are a few noisy stretches close to the A1(M), and you have to cross a few busy roads, but it's almost all on secluded paths with some stretches on country lanes. The route makes use of parts of two former railway branch lines.

Please note, Colney Heath footpath 48 between points 9 & 10 on this route is closed for 18 months from 20/9/23 because of development. Please continue north from point 9 on Bullens Green Lane for 320m then turn left and head SW on Roestock Lane for 450m to reach point 10.

Directions

This walk crosses a golf course

Map for Walk 87: Brookmans Park to Welwyn Garden City 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 at the start of this walk, but you can pay to park in the Brookmans Park station car park (location - https://w3w.co/lovely.chip.boom).

1: Leave Brookmans Park station and head N along Station Road until you reach Bradmore Lane (location - https://w3w.co/remote.love.spots). Here you turn left and head W along Bradmore Lane for 830m. After the lane goes downhill through Brick Kiln Wood it bends right and then left before you reach a footpath on your right (location - https://w3w.co/empty.expose.chest).

2: Take this footpath, North Mymms footpath 8, and head NNE for 160m where you turn to your left and follow North Mymms footpath 7 WNW for 130m. When you reach the hedgerow turn slightly to your right and head NNW for 200m keeping the hedgerow on your left and field on your right. Ignore the first two white marker posts but turn left at the third (location - https://w3w.co/orchestra.rings.noon).

Turn left at the third marker post - point 2

3: Follow North Mymms footpath 30 as it drops down to cross a stream via a footbridge and then climbs up to a field (location - https://w3w.co/leads.rewarding.rots).

The footbridge mentioned above

When you reach the field turn left and, keeping the hedgerow on your left and the field on your right, continue heading W for 250m until you reach Swanland Road (location - https://w3w.co/ties.gift.solar). Turn left on Swanland Road and head SSE for 200m until you reach the junction with Warrengate Road (location - https://w3w.co/hogs.claim.apron).

* At this point you could turn left on Warrengate Road and head 100m to visit The Woodman Inn at Water End.

4: Cross Swanland Road heading for North Mymms bridleway 82 (location - https://w3w.co/bubble.tent.undulation) which crosses the A1(M). After crossing the motorway look out for a footpath sign on your left (location - https://w3w.co/extra.riches.slide). This is North Mymms footpath 6 which heads WNW for 500m until it reaches St Mary's Church Road (location - https://w3w.co/depend.easy.sulk).

5: Turn right and walk NE down St Mary's Church Road, cross the bridge and continue to Tollgate Road (location - https://w3w.co/speaks.chair.tidy). Cross the road and turn left for 90m until you reach a footpath on your right (location - https://w3w.co/fade.hunt.grin).

6: Take this path, North Mymms footpath 52, and walk N for 130m through a small area of woodland emerging in a field. Here you head NNW for 600m along a path through the crop heading towards the A1(M).

When you reach the motorway continue heading NNW until you reach some wooden steps (location - https://w3w.co/living.thing.stone). Climb the steps and then go down the other side continuing along North Mymms footpath 55 for 160m until you reach North Mymms footpath 28 on your left just before you reach the large blue motorway sign on your right (location - https://w3w.co/device.detect.logic).

7: Take this footpath and head WSW for 340m along a path cut through the crop. Cross a farm track and continue along this footpath heading for the pylon in the distance. Immediately after the pylon (location - https://w3w.co/crust.author.under) turn right on North Mymms footpath 41 and follow it NW for 160m until you reach the gate out to Tollgate Road (location - https://w3w.co/cure.chill.legend). Turn right and then walk down Bullen's Green Road on your right (location - https://w3w.co/slick.dusty.fame).

8: Head N along Bullen's Green Road for 580m crossing Fellowes Lane and continuing until you reach a footpath on your left just before the houses on the left (location - https://w3w.co/held.nods.luck).

9: Take this footpath, North Mymms footpath 67, heading WSW for 250m until you reach a footpath T-junction (location - https://w3w.co/token.sooner.recall). Here you turn right (there will be a play area and park on the left) and follow Colney Heath footpath 23 NW for 160m until you reach Roestock Lane (location - https://w3w.co/under.leaps.bless).

10: Cross Roestock Lane and continue along Colney Heath Restricted Byway 51 for 1km, following it as it veers right past a pond and continues heading NNE, N, then NNW until you reach the busy North Orbital Road, the A414 (location - https://w3w.co/raves.notion.swift).

Continue north along Colney Heath restricted 51

11: Cross the A414 and continue heading NNW, NNE, then NNW along Colney Heath BOAT (byway open to all traffic) 51 for 610m until you reach the Alban Way (location - https://w3w.co/quick.retail.engage), which is the old railway track between Hatfield and St Albans which is now a public bridleway.

12: Turn left on The Alban Way and head WSW for 590m along the track of the old St Albans to Hatfield line until you reach a bridge carrying Smallford Road over the disused railway (location - https://w3w.co/nests.dirt.tummy).

* While walking this section you could turn left after 220m and head SSW on Colney Heath footpath 19 for 340m to visit The Plough at Sleapshyde (location - https://w3w.co/jelly.amber.dunes) and then rejoin the route at point 13 below by heading NW on Colney Heath bridleway 2 for 430m.

13: Turn right just before the bridge and follow the path N to the junction of Station Road and Wilkins Green Lane (location - https://w3w.co/pies.storms.cult). Turn right on Wilkins Green Lane and head NE for 70m looking out for a footpath on your left (location - https://w3w.co/organs.translated.puts). Follow this path, Colney Heath footpath 12, NNW for  460m until you reach Hatfield Road (location - https://w3w.co/copies.landed.finishing).

* At this point you could turn left for refreshments at either The Three Horseshoes or Notcutts Nursery.

14: Cross Hatfield Road and continue heading NNW 460m along Colney Heath footpath 15. The footpath then turns NNE for 290m to reach Ellenbrook Fields (location - https://w3w.co/push.deep.mass).

Ellenbrook Fields mentioned in point 14 above

15: Turn left at the sign (see image above) and follow Colney Heath footpath 14 for 650m heading NW past a barrier (location - https://w3w.co/packet.critic.weedy) and on to a track and a conveyor belt carrying gravel (location - https://w3w.co/props.deflection.slap). Cross the conveyor belt and follow Sandridge footpath 52 as it weaves NW for 500m to Coopers Green Lane. When your footpath turns left just before Coopers Green Lane, ignore that junction and continue along the track to its junction with Coopers Green Lane (location - https://w3w.co/towns.novel.frog).

The barrier on Colney Heath footpath 14 - point 15

16: Cross Coopers Green Lane and take Sandridge bridleway 10 on the other side of the road as it heads WNW, NW, then NNW 980m until it reaches Nash's Farm Lane (location - https://w3w.co/needed.skip.bravo).

17: Turn right on Nash's Farm Lane and head E and then NE for 800m until you reach Woodcock Hill (location - https://w3w.co/most.jungle.armed).

18: Turn right on Woodcock Hill and head E for 130m until you reach two right-of-way signs on your left (location - https://w3w.co/bowls.mime.chef). You take Sandridge restricted byway 1 for 980m as it heads first NNW then NNE alongside Hill Wood.

19: When you reach a bridleway junction (location - https://w3w.co/flown.hops.leap), turn right and take Hatfield bridleway 47 as it heads ENE for 730m through the Symondshyde Great Wood until you reach Hammonds Lane (location - https://w3w.co/prime.flame.really).

Entrance to Symondshyde Great Wood - point 19

20: Turn right on Hammonds Lane for 60m looking out for Hatfield bridleway 41 on your left leading to Symondshyde Farm (location - https://w3w.co/ankle.things.paint). Continue round to the right of the farm and leave the bridleway at the barn (location - https://w3w.co/dish.sushi.fingernails) and take Hatfield footpath 50 for 1.3km NE then NNW until you reach Cromer Hyde Lane (location - https://w3w.co/alert.basis.mobile).

Point 20: Hatfield footpath 50

21: Turn right on Cromer Hyde Lane and head ENE for 250m until you reach Marford Road (location - https://w3w.co/recent.caves.gentle).

* The Crooked Chimney pub will be on your right if you want to stop for refreshments.

Cross Marford Road and take Hatfield footpath 59 directly oppose into the grounds of Brocket Hall. Follow this footpath ENE for 530m to the bridge over the River Lea (location - https://w3w.co/combining.venues.feel).

Point 21: Brocket Hall from Hatfield footpath 59

22: Cross the bridge and climb the hill ignoring the first two footpaths on your right until you reach the gate to Brocket Hall (location - https://w3w.co/desks.magic.clock). Turn right here and head N keeping the golf course on your right and the hedge on your left. At the point where the hedge bends to the left look out for a path leading diagonally ahead to your right (location - https://w3w.co/risk.drove.beams), see image below.

Point 22: Path goes between the trees on the right

23: Take this path, Hatfield footpath 58, and head NNE across the golf course for 1.1km until you reach Brickwall Close (location - https://w3w.co/liability.gravy.grape). Turn left on Brickwall Close.

* Here you pass The Waggoners pub and restaurant (location - https://w3w.co/goods.natively.blend). The Red Lion (location - https://w3w.co/nation.goes.fires) on Digswell Hill is on the left as you cross the A1(M).

Continue heading N to Ayot Green where you turn right, cross the A1(M) and the B197, and enter the woods opposite (location - https://w3w.co/forces.exist.bench).

24: Follow Welwyn Garden City footpath 44 as it heads E through Sherrardspark Woods.

25: After 280m look out for Welwyn Garden City footpath 34 on your left. Follow this path up to the old railway track. Turn right on follow the track S and then E for 1km until you reach the car park at Campus West (location - https://w3w.co/angle.behind.piano). Climb up to the car park and walk into Welwyn Garden City. Turn right on Parkway then left on Howardsgate and make your way to the train station in the Howard Centre (location - https://w3w.co/salt.trace.toned).

* When you reach Welwyn Garden City the walk passes the pub The Two Willows on Howardsgate (location - https://w3w.co/album.shell.spite). There is another pub, The Doctors Tonic, 240m away on Church Road (location - https://w3w.co/drip.chins.owls).

Interactive Map

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