Walk 119: Colne Valley South Loop

5.4 miles (8.7 km) with 46m of total ascent

View point at the start of the Colne Valley Loop

A charming walk that meanders down a valley where the rivers Ver and Colne merge. The route is mostly flat along decent tracks with the exception of one part near the start where you have to climb a hill and descend shortly after. Parts of this walk can be muddy after rain, and the noise of the M25 motorway can be heard at the beginning and end.

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 119: Colne Valley South Loop
Click on the image above 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.

Park in the car park off Drop Lane (location - https://w3w.co/trick.wider.tasty). This is the same car park used for Walk 120: Ver Valley Loop

Riverside Way at the start of this walk

1: Head SW from the car park along Riverside Way which follows the River Ver for 1.2 km, crossing the river twice before emerging on Drop Lane. (location - https://w3w.co/tribes.ramp.float) Turn left on Drop Lane then head W for 170m until you reach a right-hand bend (location - https://w3w.co/crust.moment.sits).

The River Ver just before the left turn for footpath 57

2: Take St Stephen footpath 57 on the left then head SW along the N bank of the River Ver for 130m until you reach a footpath on the right just past the point where the rivers Ver and Colne meet (location - https://w3w.co/master.fails.forest). Turn right on St Stephen footpath 40 then head NE across the field towards a white-topped marker (location - https://w3w.co/laptop.weep.water), see image below. Climb a steep hill for 270m until you reach stables on the right (location - https://w3w.co/straw.resort.guilty).

The white-topped marker mentioned in point 2

3: At the top of the hill turn left on St Stephen footpath 51 then head SW for 440m until you enter Jack William’s Wood (location - https://w3w.co/burn.learns.cone). When we mapped this walk in mid-March we saw a carpet of bluebell plants on either side of the footpath. This display should be worth revisiting when they flower from mid-April to mid-May. Continue heading SW through the woodland and then downhill where you  cross a field before reaching a junction (location - https://w3w.co/facing.pepper.raced).

Jack William’s Wood mentioned in point 3 above

4: Turn left then head S on St Stephen footpath 51 for 250m as it passes stables to reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/awake.leave.looked). Continue heading S, still on St Stephen footpath 51, for another 460m until you reach the Munden estate (location - https://w3w.co/poet.hills.simply).

5: Continue heading SW, now on Aldenham footpath 4, for 320m until you reach a metalled track (location - https://w3w.co/menu.dogs.snap). You head slightly to your left, still on Aldenham footpath 4 following yellow-capped marker posts.

6: Head SSW then SW for 360m, still on Aldenham footpath 4, down to a metal footbridge across the River Colne (location - https://w3w.co/intervals.snap.along).

The River Colne looking N from the first footbridge mentioned in point 7 below

7: Cross the bridge then head SE across a field for 220m until you reach another footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/wells.shirt.soft).

8: Cross this wooden footbridge, turn left then head E on Aldenham bridleway 22 for 120m until you reach a junction in the paths (location - https://w3w.co/undulation.suffer.avoid). Head NE now on Aldenham restricted byway 22 with the brook on the left and woodland on the right for 1km until you reach River Lodge on the left (location - https://w3w.co/doll.claps.pumps).

9: Continue heading NNE then N, still on Aldenham restricted byway 22, for 400m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/wrong.free.works). The track now becomes Aldenham byway 22 then Aldenham restricted byway 23 which you follow for 360m before reaching another junction (location - https://w3w.co/voted.lower.unable).

10: Turn right on Aldenham restricted byway 20 then head NE and E for 1.3km looking out for a footpath on the left soon after Netherwylde Farm on the left (location - https://w3w.co/rapid.those.damp).

The last footbridge mentioned in point 11 below

11: Turn left on St Stephen footpath 54. Follow this path for 440m, heading first NW where you cross the River Colne, then N through Walnut Wood, emerging at a field via a footbridge. Continue on St Stephen footpath 54 as it heads NE then N for 730m before reaching a track (location - https://w3w.co/life.lights.churn). The Ordnance Survey map has footpath 54 crossing the field, but the well-worn route is slightly to the right of this. Don't worry, you will end up in the same place.

12: Turn left on St Stephen bridleway 6 then head ENE for 120m until you reach Smug Oak Lane close to the bridge over the River Ver (location - https://w3w.co/random.chops.dose). Cross the river then turn left on St Stephen bridleway 74 (location - https://w3w.co/them.closer.limes) which takes you back to the car park.

There is a refreshment opportunity at Moor Mill which is 250m N of the start/finish point (location - https://w3w.co/cheat.forum.patio).

Interactive map

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