Walk 96: Hunsdon West Loop

6.7 miles - (10.8 km) with 99m total ascent

The River Ash SW of Wareside - point 10

This is a great ramble if you want wide open views across the east Hertfordshire countryside. You will be walking along well-marked bridleways and footpaths, over farmland, through woodland, and by the side of rivers. The walk can be muddy in parts, especially where the route cuts across fields. The walk starts and finishes in the village of Hunsdon which is on a bus route. There are two pubs in the village - The Crown and The Fox & Hounds, - which serve food. There is also a village shop at the beginning of the route where you can buy refreshments.

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 96: Hunsdon West 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 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.

Finding the start of the walk: With your back to The Fox & Hounds (location - https://w3w.co/trash.desk.called) turn left then head SE for 60m until you reach a footpath on your right (location - https://w3w.co/tulip.notice.cubs) at the point where the road bends to your left. 

Hunsdon footpath 6 just after you leave the village - mentioned in point 1 below

1: Turn right on Hunsdon footpath 6, and follow it W for 150m until you reach Tanner’s Way (location - https://w3w.co/likes.jeeps.rooms). Cross this lane, and take the footpath directly opposite, still Hunsdon footpath 6, and follow it SW, with the hedge on your right and the field on your left, for 320m until you reach a track which is Hunsdon restricted byway 3 (location - https://w3w.co/statue.mash.stop).

The junction mentioned in point 2 below

2: At this junction turn right on Hunsdon restricted byway 3 for 50m and cross a stream. Immediately after the stream take the path on your left (location - https://w3w.co/critic.refuse.fonts). This is still Hunsdon footpath 6 which heads SW, with the stream on your left, until you come to a footpath junction where four tracks meet (location - https://w3w.co/straw.life.pinch). These are Hunsdon footpaths 6, 7, 8, and 9.

The junction where four footpaths meet - point 2 above

3: Take the right-hand path, Hunsdon footpath 7, which heads WSW through the crops, continue until you reach the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/before.total.flies).

* If it is muddy, or if the path is not clear, you can follow the right-hand edge of the field and head W for 200m before turning left at the edge of the field and heading SSW for 100m to the point where Hunsdon footpath 7 reaches the hedgerow in the far corner of the field.

Go through the hedgerow, which was a bit overgrown when we did this walk, see image below.

The path through the hedgerow - point 3

4: As you make your way through the hedgerow you will pass a small pond on your right (see image below). After passing the pond you will come to the junction of two paths (see second image below). You take the path heading SW towards the gap between Black Bushes (woodland), and Newgate Wood in the distance. This is Stanstead Abbots footpath 6a.

The pond mentioned in point 4 above

The junction mentioned in point 4

5: After 520m you will reach Black Bushes (location - https://w3w.co/hatch.tuned.puts) at a point where a track crosses your way. You cross the track then continue heading SW with Black Bushes on your left. As you pass the end of Black Bushes you will come to a muddy bit. We managed to get round it without too much trouble.

Your way is to continue on Stanstead Abbots footpath 6a, passing a small pond on your right (see first image below), and continuing until you reach a small copse called Thirsty Spring (location - https://w3w.co/tricks.cook.beans). Here the path veers slightly to the left, keeping the woodland on your right (see second image below).

The path at the western tip of Black Bushes - point

The path goes to the left of Thirsty Spring - point 5

6: Continue walking past Thirsty Spring heading SW for 800m at which point the path drops down through a gate (see image below), and continues SW with a stream on your left until the path reaches a footbridge leading to a gravelled track, this is Stanstead Abbots bridleway 18 (location - https://w3w.co/vibes.liability.seated).

The gate towards the end of Stanstead Abbots footpath - point 6

7: Turn right on Stanstead Abbots bridleway 18, and head NW for 90m until you reach some cottages (location - https://w3w.co/thinks.hours.dining). Here the bridleway heads N before going through the farmyard at Little Briggens (location - https://w3w.co/slam.text.being). Once through the farmyard the bridleway swings to the left, and then heads NW and then WNW for 690m until it reaches another track crossing from left to right (location - https://w3w.co/moon.ocean.hers).

The junction mentioned in points 7 and 8

8: Ignore this track, and continue heading WNW along Stanstead Abbots bridleway 18 for another 500m until you meet a T-junction (location - https://w3w.co/translated.transmitted.cards).

The footpath T-junction mentioned in point 8 above - turn right here

9: At the T-junction, turn right on Stanstead Abbots footpath 16, and head N through Easneye Wood, eventually dropping down to a bridge and a ford crossing the River Ash (location - https://w3w.co/groom.ticket.chip).

Stanstead Abbots footpath 16 approaching Easneye Wood

10: Cross the bridge over the River Ash, and then turn right (location - https://w3w.co/teeth.hunter.poker) following the route of the now-dismantled Buntingford branch line, and head NE for 250m until you reach Hopneye Cottage and Wareside footpath 38 to the right (location - https://w3w.co/clips.held.lofts).

Hopneye Cottage and Wareside footpath 38 - point 10

11: Take Wareside footpath 36 to the right of Hopneye Cottage and climb the hill heading ESE for 310m until you reach a T-junction (location - https://w3w.co/chops.gown.called).

Take Wareside bridleway 23 down to the River Ash

12: Turn left on this bridleway, Wareside bridleway 23, and follow it as it heads NNE for 400m down to a footbridge over the River Ash (location - https://w3w.co/trip.baking.vibe), see image below. Cross the bridge and continue heading NE until you reach the route of the dismantled railway again.

The footbridge over the River Ash

13: When you reach the old railway bridge (location - https://w3w.co/magma.noting.words), turn right and follow Wareside bridleway 20 SE for 160m until it crosses another footbridge over the River Ash (location - https://w3w.co/golf.spike.obey).

At the railway bridge turn right and follow Wareside bridleway 20 south-east

14: Immediately after the footbridge over the River Ash, turn left then take Wareside bridleway 18 following it as it heads NE with the River Ash on your left. You might meet cattle along this stretch. Continue for 1km until you reach a footpath junction (location - https://w3w.co/mice.poster.cloud), see image below.

Turn right then climb the hill to Wareside footpath 19

* This turn needs attention at the point where Wareside bridleway 18 intersects with Wareside footpath 19. Over the years walkers have cut the corner here, so it is sometimes hard to make out the official route from the various options available. See the Hertfordshire County Council definitive rights of way map below for the correct route, then below that a satellite image showing that route marked with an orange arrow.

Hertfordshire's definitive rights of way map

Bridleway 18 meeting footpath 19

15: Head uphill and slightly to your right, now on Wareside footpath 19 then head SE with Hogham’s Plantation on the right for 240m until you reach the top of the hill where you will find a stile and a strategically positioned bench - very welcome after the climb (location - https://w3w.co/speeds.power.hotel).

Nice to find a bench at the top of the hill by Hogham’s Wood

16: Cross the field on Wareside footpath 19, which is cut through the crops, and head SSE and S for 320m until you reach Thistly Wood. The path skirts the wood then leads to a footbridge between two fields (location - https://w3w.co/points.glow.flood), see image below. At this point the path becomes Hunsdon footpath 13, then crosses the next field.

The footbridge mentioned in point 16 above

17: Hunsdon footpath 13 then heads SE for 460m crossing a field and going over two footbridges before reaching Hunsdon restricted byway 12 (location - https://w3w.co/rests.script.pits).

First of the two footbridges on Hunsdon footpath 13 - point 17

Second of the two footbridges on Hunsdon footpath 13 - point 17

18: Turn right on Hunsdon restricted byway 12, and follow it for 1.2km as it heads first S, then SE back to High Street in Hunsdon village where you started the walk.

There is another pub in Hunsdon, The Crown (location - https://w3w.co/dome.awards.moves)

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Interactive map

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