Walk 113: Aldbury East Loop

3.3 miles (5.3 km) with 101m of total ascent

The Bridgewater monument at point 4 in the walk

This walk starts and ends in the village of Aldbury. The beginning of the walk involves a steep climb and there is a steep descent at the end. The route goes through the Ashridge Estate, a 5,000 acre National Trust property. The route passes the Bridgewater Monument. It's a shaded walk, mostly through woodland on bridleways and footpaths.

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 113: Aldbury East Loop
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Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
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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.

1: From the village of Aldbury Head E on Toms Hill Road (location - https://w3w.co/vibes.stereos.lamenting) for 70m. Immediately after a road on your left take the bridleway on your left, Aldbury bridleway 21 (location - https://w3w.co/argue.altitude.enforced). This is a steep climb. Head ENE then NE for 280m to a crossing in the track (location - https://w3w.co/reverses.branch.boxer). Continue NE for 340m to a junction in the track (location - https://w3w.co/canines.bond.hunk).

2: Turn left on Aldbury bridleway 28 (also Aldbury bridleway 20 at this point) then head N for 80m to another junction (location - https://w3w.co/tenders.bicker.alley). Take the left fork, still Aldbury bridleway 28, then head N for 440m to a crossing in the track with Rangers Cottage on the left. Continue straight heading NNE for another 240m past Tim's Spring on the left until you meet a junction in the track (location - https://w3w.co/wipe.migrants.marzipan).

3: Turn sharp right on Aldbury footpath 44 and head S and SSE for 250m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/taller.horns.fixed).

4: Turn right and head S on Aldbury bridleway 30 for 130m until you reach a track leading to the Bridgewater Memorial (location - https://w3w.co/organs.pushover.broth). When you reach the memorial turn left and head SE for 120m to Monument Drive. Walk towards the cafe on your right across the green (location - https://w3w.co/remix.armful.irrigated) and then take the path between the car park (on your left) and the cafe (on your right) and continue until you reach a bridleway (location - https://w3w.co/microfilm.amplifier.clapper).

5: Take this path, Aldbury bridleway 23 and head SSE then SSW for 420m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/flight.imply.deed).

6: Turn left on Aldbury bridleway 21 and head ENE for 180m to a junction. Turn right on Aldbury footpath 12 and head S for 860m ignoring paths off to the right and left until you cross Toms Hill Road. Continue heading S, still on Aldbury bridleway 21, for 340m until you reach another junction.

Aldbury footpath 37 turns left off Aldbury footpath 34

7: Turn right on Aldbury footpath 34 for 50m looking out for a footpath on your left, see image above. Take this path, Aldbury footpath 37. After 280m you will reach a junction, see first image below, where you continue on footpath 37 for another 270m until you reach another junction in the paths, see second image below.

Continue on footpath 37

Ignore the first post on the right, but turn right at the second - point 8

8: At this junction you will see a signpost, see image above, showing Aldbury footpath 37 going off to the left. This is where you leave Aldbury footpath 37, turn right and follow the path round first N then NNW. Ignore the first yellow-top footpath post, but, at the second yellow-top post turn right on Aldbury footpath 10 and head N for 180m until you reach Aldbury BOAT 1 (byway open to all traffic).

9: Turn right on this metalled path and head NNW (ignoring a bridleway on your left) for 80m until you reach a bend in Tom Hills Road (location - https://w3w.co/held.watchdogs.unusable). Continue N along the left side of Tom Hills Road for 15m looking out for a footpath on your left heading N and downhill. Follow this path for 210m until you reach cottages on the outskirts of Aldbury.

10: Head WNW down Malting Lane for 60m looking out for a footpath on your right (location - https://w3w.co/reclining.calendars.shuttled). Take this path, Aldbury footpath 7 for 160m as it heads N until you reach a path on your left, Aldbury footpath 8. Take this path and head WNW through the allotments for 200m until you reach Trooper Road (location - https://w3w.co/steady.depths.typically). Turn right and make your way back to the village.

There are two pubs in Aldbury, The Greyhound (location - https://w3w.co/strain.direction.outer) and The Valiant Trooper (location - https://w3w.co/glory.glare.taller) which are close to the start/finish point as well as two cafes, Church Farm Cafe (location - https://w3w.co/starlight.corrosive.blurts) and Poppies Cafe (location - https://www.poppiesaldbury.com). There is another, the Ashridge Estate Cafe (location - https://w3w.co/sugar.broccoli.engulfing) along the way. Please check opening hours.

We'd like to thank our pals, Jane and Nick, for suggesting this walk. They told us about Aldbury and suggested we visit the area and add a walk to Hertfordshire Walker. We're glad they did. Thanks both. We might be back to add another walk.

Interactive map

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