Walk 104: Standon South Loop

5 miles (8.2 km) with 132m total ascent

Cows paddling in the River Rib between points 3 and 4 below

This is a lovely circular route along two sides of the River Rib valley, with wonderful wide-open views across the rolling Hertfordshire countryside. Along the walk you cross the river several times at footbridges adjacent to fords where there are opportunities for dogs, kids, and older folk to dip their feet in the water. It’s quite a hilly route with a total of 410ft of ascent over the course of the five miles. But the climbing is worth it for the views. There are several sympathetically placed benches along the way. The route includes parts of The Harcamlow Way and The Greenwich Meridian Trail.

Note: If you are planning to do this walk in July, please check the Standon Calling website first. Standon Calling is an annual music festival which occupies part of the route and could result in paths being closed.

Directions

Map for Walk 104: Standon S Loop
Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
Elements © Thunderforest © OpenStreetMap contributors
There is an interactive map below the 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 navigation system. If you print these walks you might want to use the green PrintFriendly icon at the bottom of these directions to delete elements you don't need.

1: With your back to The Star pub (location - https://w3w.co/transcribes.remotes.trickles) turn left then head N along High Street for 240m to Stortford Road (location - https://w3w.co/currently.walks.locked). Turn left on Stortford Road then head W for 160m crossing the River Rib looking out for a footpath on your left (location - https://w3w.co/marzipan.hoot.piled).

2: Turn left on this path, Standon footpath 15, and head SSW for 350m, crossing the River Rib along the way (location - https://w3w.co/converged.improvise.coats) and continuing until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/servers.drooling.camcorder).

3: Turn right on Paper Mill Lane then head SSW for 190m crossing a footbridge over the River Rib (location - https://w3w.co/exits.appointed.transit) then looking out for a footpath on your left (location - https://w3w.co/bounding.indirect.solutions).

Standon footpath 14, mentioned in point 4 below

4: Take this footpath, Standon footpath 14, which heads S with the River Rib meandering on your left. Continue for 670m. Towards the end of the path you climb slightly to a gate leading to a farm road that is also a bridleway (location - https://w3w.co/after.insect.steps).

5: Turn right and head W and slightly uphill for 240m along Standon bridleway 19 until you reach Barwick Road (location - https://w3w.co/dive.wallet.fairly). Cross the road and continue along the bridleway climbing uphill still heading W for another 670m until you reach Dowsetts Lane (location - https://w3w.co/goods.dark.cats). This bridleway has an amazing variety of wild flowers in the summer.

Standon bridleway 19, mentioned in point 5 above

Standon footpath 59 mentioned in point 6 below

6: Turn left on Dowsetts Lane then pass a perfectly placed bench with great views over the Rib valley. Continue heading SW along the road for 90m looking out for Standon footpath 59 on your left (location - https://w3w.co/menu.defeat.patrol). Take this path, cross a footbridge, and head SE for 190m until you reach woodland (location - https://w3w.co/hunter.view.behave). Here you turn left and keep following the path E, SE, S, and then E again with the woodland on your right and fields on your left for another 290m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/lime.rather.artist).

The junction mentioned in point 6 above

7: At this point Standon footpath 59 continues straight ahead but you need to veer to the right on Standon footpath 45, keeping the woodland on your right and the fields on your left (see image above). Head SSE then SSW with the woodland on your right and the field on your left for 720m until you come to another perfectly placed bench just before a junction in the track (location - https://w3w.co/copper.tides.tanks).

The bench and junction mentioned in point 7 above

8: Turn right here on Standon bridleway 41 and follow it W through the woodland for 200m before it turns diagonally to your left at the point where a private track goes off to the right (location - https://w3w.co/ends.nets.mile), see image below. Continue SW through the woodland for another 100m until you reach a clearing with a small pond on your right. Continue SW for another 230m until you reach a bridleway T-junction just before another pond and a farm on the right (location - https://w3w.co/tunes.global.libraries).

The footpath junction mentioned in point 8 above

Standon bridleway 44, mentioned in point 9 below

9: Turn left on Standon bridleway 44 and follow it SSE and ESE for 300m until you enter woodland (location - https://w3w.co/reject.insect.giving). This is Hanging Wood. Drop down through Hanging Wood for 230m until the field opens up on your left. Continue heading ESE for 230m until you reach the lane (location - https://w3w.co/rates.places.cats).

The path through Hanging Wood, mentioned in point 9 above

10: Turn left on the lane and head NE for 15m before taking the track on your right. This track drops down to a ford with a footbridge alongside (location - https://w3w.co/alive.serves.mirror). Cross the footbridge over the River Rib and continue heading SE for another 50m ignoring the first track on the right and continuing until you meet a junction (location - https://w3w.co/marble.trim.races).

The ford and footbridge mentioned in point 10 above

11: Here you turn left on the Hercamlow Way and head E and NE and N for 550m to Latchford Farm (location - https://w3w.co/square.hood.gosh). Ignore the road on the left that crosses a bridge (location - https://w3w.co/front.this.grades).

Standon bridleway 30 mentioned in point 12 below

12: After Latchford Farm continue along Standon bridleway 30 ignoring another ford on the left (location - https://w3w.co/taxi.trunk.became). Keep heading N and away from the River Rib on your left for 1.6km. As you walk along this path keep looking back for wonderful views to the S. Continue until you reach Paper Mill Lane (location - https://w3w.co/canoe.secondly.companies).

The view from the footbridge mentioned in point 12 below

13: Turn right on Paper Mill Lane, then head E for 310m until you reach High Street, Standon (location - https://w3w.co/freezers.mouse.blossom).

14: Turn left on High Street and head N back to the starting point.

There are two pubs and a bakery on Standon High Street. The pubs are The Star (location - https://w3w.co/protected.submerged.final) and The Bell (location - https://w3w.co/jingles.enthused.path), and Days Bakery (location - https://w3w.co/cubed.rhino.spaces) which is situated between the two pubs.

If you enjoyed this walk you might want to join our friendly Facebook group where fellow walkers are sharing photographs and experiences after following our walks in the Hertfordshire countryside.

Interactive map

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