Walk 107: Preston West Loop

5.5 miles (8.9km) with 112m of total ascent

The footpath between points 2 and 3 below

This walk follows well-defined paths over rolling north Hertfordshire countryside and through some pretty hamlets. The walk cuts through Wain Wood, a site of scientific interest. It starts and finishes close to The Red Lion pub/restaurant.

Fly through preview of walk

If you want to check what sort of landscape you will be crossing before you set off on this walk you can view a short 3D video of the route below. It's created using the free version of Relive.

Directions

Map for Walk 107: Preston West Loop
Click on the map for a larger version
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 Red Lion pub/restaurant (location - https://w3w.co/froze.heave.pounds) turn left then head SW for 100m until the road becomes a footpath.

Continue SSW then SW along Preston footpath 3 for 190m until you reach Back Lane (location - https://w3w.co/enter.clips.smashes).

2: Turn left on Back Lane then head SE for 230m passing Preston Primary School on the left and continuing to the junction with Crunnells Green (location - https://w3w.co/safety.solo.dining).

3: Take the right fork then head SSE for 210m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/ruby.them.affair).

The gate mentioned in point 2

4: Turn right on Preston footpath 12, then head SW for 670m until you reach a signpost on the left (location - https://w3w.co/jolt.tallest.educates).

5: Turn left, still Preston footpath 12, which drops down to a gate on the right (location - https://w3w.co/broom.manuals.cheerily).

Preston footpath 12 crossing an arable field

Turn right through the gate then continue SW across an arable field for 300m to a gate leading to a lane (location - https://w3w.co/activates.acted.prove).

6: Cross the lane then take Kings Walden footpath 30 almost directly opposite (location - https://w3w.co/providing.ranks.political).

Follow Kings Walden footpath 30 uphill and SW across an arable field for 480m.

When you reach the far side of the field head to the right of a large hay barn (location - https://w3w.co/tiredness.hypnotist.freedom).

Go through a gap to the left of a large metal gate to reach Taylors Hill Road (location - https://w3w.co/meanest.bookcases.gashes).

7: Turn left on Taylors Hill Road then head SW for 50m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/buyers.verse.supposes).

Turn right on Whitehall Road then head NW for 100m until you reach Whitehall Lane (location - https://w3w.co/qualified.this.enjoys).

8: Turn right on Whitehall Road then head NNE and then NNW for 140m until Whitehall Road becomes Kings Walden BOAT 45 (byway open to all traffic), (location - https://w3w.co/cools.action.chest).

9: Continue on Kings Walden BOAT 45 heading NNE for 100m until you reach a footpath on your left which is often hidden in the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/overused.dusted.handfuls).

Kings Walden footpath 26

10: Turn left on Kings Walden footpath 26 then keep right. Follow Kings Walden footpath 26 NW for 590m until you reach Parsonage Lane (location - https://w3w.co/currently.pictured.silence).

11: Cross Parsonage Lane then continue heading NW for 300m until you reach Plough Lane (location - https://w3w.co/encourage.schematic.drilled).

On the left you will see The Plough pub which, in July 2024, was undergoing renovation (location - https://w3w.co/donor.pleasing.untruth). 

12: Cross Plough Lane then continue heading NW for 245m until you reach School Lane at Ley Green (location - https://w3w.co/motivations.hurtles.gently)

Kings Walden footpath 29

13: Turn right on School Lane then head ESE for 15m before taking the first road on your left (location - https://w3w.co/refer.edicts.beak).

Head NE along this residential road for 75m, first NE and then NW, until you reach a footpath on the right immediately after 1 Crown Cottage on your right (location - https://w3w.co/accordion.code.crust).

14: Turn right on Kings Walden footpath 29 then head NE for 450m with the hedgerow on the right and the field on the left. Continue until you reach Austage End Lane (location - https://w3w.co/chins.pump.loitering).

15: Turn left on Austage End Lane then head first NNW and then NNE for 360m to Austage End. Continue until the lane becomes Kings Walden restricted byway 47 (location - https://w3w.co/backward.mysteries.wired).

Continue heading NNE for 50m until the track you are on becomes Kings Walden bridleway 28 at the point where the track forks, see image below (location - https://w3w.co/eyelid.contemplate.bids).

Take the left fork, Kings Walden bridleway 28

16: Take the left fork then follow Kings Walden bridleway 28 N for 280m, with the hedgerow on your right and the field on your left, until you reach a T-junction (location - https://w3w.co/snowy.fewest.swelling).

17: Turn right on Preston bridleway 11 then head E for 890m to Charlton Road (location - https://w3w.co/approach.canny.timer).

18: Cross Charlton Road then take the track diagonally opposite to your left. This is Preston bridleway 15, also known as Tatmorehills Lane.

Head NE on Preston bridleway 15 for 410m until you reach woodland (location - https://w3w.co/polygraph.shredding.financial). At this point the bridleway you are following crosses a parish boundary where it becomes Ippollitts bridleway 5.

Ippollitts bridleway 5 mentioned in point 19

19: Continue, heading NE on Ippollitts bridleway 5 for 690m until you reach a junction in the track (location - https://w3w.co/hulk.sector.works).

Ippollitts footpath 6 mentioned in point 20

20: Turn sharp right on Ippollitts footpath 6 then head S for 460m until you reach woodland (location - https://w3w.co/decay.locate.whips).

The gate at the start of Preston footpath 13

21: Ippollitts footpath 6 dips down to a gate where it becomes Preston footpath 13 then heads S for 330m to the point where you are about to leave the woodland at a metal gate (location - https://w3w.co/pushed.until.supporter).

The permissive path on the left leading to Wain Wood

Just before the gate look for a permissive path on your left that goes through Wain Wood.

Noticeboard in Wain Wood, a Site of Special Scientific Interest

22: Turn left then follow the permissive path (with the white arrow markers) SSE for 420m until you reach Preston footpath 14 (location - https://w3w.co/lines.stays.hurt), where you turn right, leave Wain Wood, go through a gate, then rejoin Preston footpath 13 (location - https://w3w.co/jokes.faced.drives).

Leaving Wain Wood to rejoin Preston footpath 13

23: Turn left on Preston footpath 13 then follow it to Chequers Lane (location - https://w3w.co/stud.supply.palm).

24: Turn left on Chequers Lane then follow it SE for 260m to Hitchin Road (location - https://w3w.co/orchestra.deaf.plant).

25: Turn right on Hitchin Road then follow it SSE for 120m back to the starting point.

Interactive map

---