Walk 110: Willows Lakes

4.5 miles (7.3 km) with 64m of total ascent

Creeping Thistles at Willows Lakes

This is a perfect walk for people who are interested in birdwatching and enjoy native wildflowers. It follows the River Colne and meanders around the surrounding lakes - some created in abandoned quarries. There are still some quarries being excavated, and you will cross a working conveyor belt. Other quarries are now beautiful lakes edged with rushes and banks laden with wildflowers. If you are a birdwatcher take binoculars because you are in for a treat. And there are loads of butterflies in the summer months.

You will be aware of noise from the A414 between points 5 & 8 and then the M25 between points 8 & 10. You will also hear the noise of the quarry conveyor belt at points 4 and 14. In wet seasons the section between points 15 & 16 can become muddy.

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 110: Willows Lakes 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 St Mark's Church Centre on Church Lane (location - https://w3w.co/took.such.shelf) turn right then head SSE along Church Lane for 225m until you cross the River Colne (location - https://w3w.co/gift.washed.speech).

Continue to follow Church Lane for 125m as it heads S, bends right, then heads WSW until you pass the last house on the right and reach a track (location - https://w3w.co/editor.train.ritual).

2: Keep heading WSW, now along Ridge bridleway 2, for 170m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/slams.chill.punk), see image below.

Continue heading WSW, still on Ridge bridleway 2

3: Continue heading WSW, still on Ridge bridleway 2, which at this point is also the Watling Chase Timberland Trail.

After 400m you will reach a gravel track used by quarry vehicles (location - https://w3w.co/supporter.status.hurray). Cross the track then continue, still on Ridge bridleway 2 until you cross a wooden bridge spanning a conveyor belt (location - https://w3w.co/gear.socket.grant), see image below.

Cross the bridge still on Ridge bridleway 2

Continue for 35m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/gasp.marble.ruins), see image below.

Turn right on Ridge bridleway 6

4: Turn right on Ridge bridleway 6 then head NW for 20m then cross a bridge over the River Colne (location - https://w3w.co/badge.spoil.lately).

Continue heading NW for 30m until you reach Ridge footpath 1 on your left which runs just to the right of the cabins belonging to the angling club (location - https://w3w.co/start.supporter.pool), see image below.

Head WSW for 310m on Ridge footpath 1

Head WSW on Ridge footpath 1 for 310m until the path cuts left through the woods (location - https://w3w.co/inform.prefer.wins), see image below.

Head SSW, still Ridge footpath 1

5: Head SSW, still Ridge footpath 1, for 180m until you reach a footpath on the right going through a small parking area (location - https://w3w.co/chest.ramp.escape).

Turn right on Ridge footpath 33

6: Turn right on Ridge footpath 33, go through a car park, cross a track, then continue on Ridge footpath 33 (location - https://w3w.co/shell.loving.zone), see image below.

Follow Ridge footpath 33 W for 75m

Follow Ridge footpath 33 W for 75m until you reach the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/hatch.probe.master).

7: Turn left then follow Ridge footpath 33 as it heads W, S, then SW, with the hedgerow on the right and the field on the left, for 1.1km until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/drain.gained.before).

Turn left then head SE on London Colney footpath 38

8: Turn left then head SE on London Colney footpath 38 for 400m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/glass.detect.bugs), see image below.

Continue heading SE but now on Ridge footpath 3

9: Continue heading SE but now on Ridge footpath 3 (see the line of the orange arrow on the image above). Continue for 90m until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/flame.tonic.pushed), see image below.

Turn left on Ridge footpath 53

10: Turn left on Ridge footpath 53 then head NE for 200m until you reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/drape.detect.showed), see image below.

Continue heading NE, still on Ridge footpath 53

Go through the gate then continue heading NE, still on Ridge footpath 53 for 195m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/chemistry.friend.thin), see image below.

Keep straight at the junction, still on Ridge footpath 53

11: Keep straight at the junction, still on Ridge footpath 53 and still with the lake on your left then follow the footpath as it becomes a track then heads NNE for 1.4km until you reach the bridge over the River Colne which you crossed in point 2 (location - https://w3w.co/grew.legal.expose).

12: Turn right on Ridge bridleway 6, cross the bridge, turn right then head SSW for 390m until you reach a fork (location - https://w3w.co/silks.feels.dome), see image below.

Keep left at the fork then continue on Ridge bridleway 6

13: Keep left at the fork then continue on Ridge bridleway 6 as it weaves in a south-easterly direction for 390m until you reach a track on the left (location - https://w3w.co/august.played.falls), see image below.

Turn left on Ridge footpath 4

14: Turn left on Ridge footpath 4 then head NE for 45m up a set of stairs to a track (location - https://w3w.co/into.flap.giving), see image below.

Continue heading NE for 200m crossing between two lakes

Continue heading NE for 200m crossing between two lakes. This is a great spot for birdwatching.

A view from the land-bridge

15: Once across the lakes turn left on Ridge footpath 47 (location - https://w3w.co/notes.brass.rang), see image below.

Follow Ridge footpath 47

Follow Ridge footpath 47 NW, NE, NW then NE again as it goes behind stables to reach a track on the left (location - https://w3w.co/filled.model.class). This section can be muddy after heavy rain.

Turn left on Ridge footpath 48

16: Turn left on Ridge footpath 48 then follow the path over a series of wooden walkways as it heads NW then N for 270m until you reach a bridleway on the left (location - https://w3w.co/softly.tinsel.easy), see image below.

Turn left on Ridge bridleway 49

17: Turn left on Ridge bridleway 49 then head SW for 25m to a hedgerow on the right (location - https://w3w.co/vocal.copies.robots), see image below.

Head NW on Ridge bridleway 49

Turn right after the hedgerow then follow Ridge bridleway 49 as it heads NW with the hedgerow on the right and field on the left. Continue for 345m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/slams.chill.punk), see image below.

Go through the gate then turn right on Ridge bridleway 2

18: Go through the gate then turn right on Ridge bridleway 2. Follow Ridge bridleway 2 NE back to the starting point.

Interactive map

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