Walk 112: Sarratt West Loop

5.2 miles (8.3 km) with 97m total ascent

The River Chess along the Chess Valley Walk

A lovely walk from the village of Sarratt down to the River Chess then following the river NW and up through woodland taking in parts of The Chiltern Way and The Chess Valley Walk. There is a lot of up and down, so this walk is not for those unable to negotiate steep hills. There are two pubs in Sarratt close to the start/finish point, The Boot and The Cricketers, both serving food, and there is another pub along the way, The Cock Inn, which also serves food.

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 112: Sarratt 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 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.

With your back to Sarratt Community Post Office Stores (location - https://w3w.co/corn.helps.glaze) turn right then head SE for 30m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/drape.transit.scam).

1: Turn right on Sarratt footpath 30 then head SW for 30m until you reach the last cottage on the right. Just beyond the cottage is a gate (location - https://w3w.co/script.noise.hooks).

Go through the gate then continue heading SW, still on Sarratt footpath 30, for 530m until you enter woodland (location - https://w3w.co/punks.chop.boring).

Continue through the woodland on Sarratt footpath 30 for 170m until you reach a gate leading to a track (location - https://w3w.co/issue.punks.shield).

2: Cross the track, go through another gate opposite, the follow Sarratt footpath 24 as it heads SSE for 440m until you reach a gate leading to a churchyard (location - https://w3w.co/limp.spider.singer).

3: Go through the gate, now on Sarratt footpath 53, then head SE through the churchyard for 70m until you reach New Road and a row of cottages (location - https://w3w.co/sorry.major.future).

* At this point you could turn left if you want to visit The Cock Inn (location - https://w3w.co/fault.played.tasty).

Turn right, go through a gate, then head SW on Sarratt footpath 40. You will cross a track (location - https://w3w.co/builds.riches.latter), go through another gate, then continue heading SW and downhill for 410m until you reach a gate and, beyond that, a footpath junction (location - https://w3w.co/lanes.veal.zealous).

4: Turn left on the Chess Valley Walk, also Sarratt footpath 41, then head SE for 220m until you reach New Road (location - https://w3w.co/zebra.tins.trend).

Cross New Road then continue heading SE, still on Sarratt footpath 41, for another 160m until the path bends to the right (location - https://w3w.co/lion.leaves.start).

Turn right then head SSW and downhill for 170m until you reach a boardwalk leading to a footbridge across the River Chess (location - https://w3w.co/zeal.ticket.arena) beyond which you will reach a footpath junction (location - https://w3w.co/fever.brains.yoga).

The River Chess between points 5 & 6

5: Turn right then follow Chorleywood footpath 2 NW for 300m until you reach North Hill at Bridge Cottage (location - https://w3w.co/crowd.keen.edit).

Cross the road then continue heading NW, now on Chorleywood footpath 1, for 650m until you reach The Chiltern Way (location - https://w3w.co/claim.loved.wooden).

6: Ignore the footpaths to your left and right and instead continue heading NW along the W side of the River Chess and through woodland for 990m.

Your path will bend to the left then head E until it reaches the end of the woodland (location - https://w3w.co/drums.could.fried).

Ignore a path on your left and instead continue straight heading NW for 20m until you reach Holloways Lane (location - https://w3w.co/lives.skill.loved).

The footbridge over the River Chess mentioned in point 7

7: Turn right on Holloways Lane then head NE for 110m until you cross the River Chess on a wooden footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/paint.neck.ledge).

Immediately after the footbridge continue heading NE first along a concrete track and then turning right on Sarratt footpath 36 just before the farm buildings (location - https://w3w.co/papers.ranch.owners).

Follow Sarratt footpath 36 N for 1.6 km, mostly through woodland, until you reach a junction with The Chiltern Way at RoseHall Farm (location - https://w3w.co/boxing.souk.breed).

8: Turn right on Sarratt footpath 25 then head E then SE for 410m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/behind.rents.bounty)

Turn right on Sarratt footpath 24 then head SE for 650m until you reach Moor Lane (location - https://w3w.co/toys.fleet.values).

Cross Moor Lane then continue heading SSE still on Sarratt footpath 24 for 370m until you reach a footpath junction (location - https://w3w.co/button.strong.mount).

Two members of our Hertfordshire Walker Facebook group got lost at this point so I have added two maps below to try to clarify the route at the junction.

The first map below is a satellite image of the junction courtesy of MapHub. The image shows the names and numbers of the Sarratt footpaths at the junction, SA24, SA52, and SA27.

The second image below is from the Hertfordshire County Council public rights of way (ROW) definitive map showing footpaths (in purple) with their numbers alongside.

At point 9 turn left on Sarratt footpath 52

HCC map showing left turn on Sarratt footpath 52

9: Turn left on Sarratt footpath 52 then head ENE for 40m to another junction (location - https://w3w.co/fish.novel.wonderfully) where you turn left on Sarratt footpath 27.

Head NE on Sarratt footpath 52 for 470m until you reach The Green in Sarratt (location - https://w3w.co/lush.space.suffer).

10: Turn right then head SE for 425m, with The Green on the left, back to the start of the walk.

The Boot (location - https://w3w.co/paint.trap.ruby) and The Cricketers (location - https://w3w.co/dress.manual.escape) are both off the Green if you need refreshments at the end of your walk.

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Interactive map

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