Walk 178: Little Berkhamsted West Loop

4.7 miles (7.6 km) with 102m of total ascent

Little Berkhamsted bridleway 22 after point 9

This walk follows a request from a Hertfordshire Walker user called Robert who leads a walking group. He's used our walks before and wanted a shorter version of Walk 34, that starts and finishes at The Five Horseshoes in Little Berkhamsted. So we have merged parts of several existing walks on our site. If you have any requests for new routes to be created please let us know using the site's contact form.

Getting there

There are bus stops close to The Five Horseshoes pub/restaurant at the start of the walk (location - https://w3w.co/keen.book.moons), which are served by the number 380 bus. You can check bus times at Intalink.

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

Walk 178: Little Berkhamsted West Loop
Click on the map for 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 such as photographs.

1: With your back to the Five Horeshoes pub/restaurant turn right then walk N for 50m until you reach a footpath on your right just before St Andrew Church (location - https://w3w.co/plates.solar.search. Take this path, Little Berkhamsted footpath 9, then head ENE for 310m until you reach a footpath junction (location - https://w3w.co/master.artist.woke). If you reach the lane you have gone too far.

2: Turn right on Little Berkhamsted footpath 10 then head SSE then S for 210m keeping the hedge on your left and the field on your right. The path crosses a small stream (location - https://w3w.co/from.star.shop) and climbs to a gate.

3: Continue now heading S for 90m until you reach a footpath junction with Little Berkhamsted footpath 11 on your left (location - https://w3w.co/photos.cooks.sadly).

4: Turn left on Little Berkhamsted footpath 11 then head ESE and downhill for 90m until you reach a gate and a junction in the tracks (location - https://w3w.co/soda.arch.flops).

Little Berkhamsted bridleway 23 winding through woodland

5: Turn right, now on Little Berkhamsted bridleway 23, and follow this path for 140m as it twists and turns up and down hill through woodland reaching a wooden bridge. Cross the bridge and follow the bridleway for 440m first heading E and then S looking out for a footpath on your right (location - https://w3w.co/listed.mixer.lungs).

The gate leading to Little Berkhamsted footpath 14

6: Turn right on Little Berkhamsted footpath 14 then cross several fields until you reach a farm track. Cross the farm track and go through a gate and down a farm road leading to the Epping Green (location - https://w3w.co/homes.rips.rooms).

7: When you reach the lane, which is called Epping Green, you have the option of turning right to reach the Beehive pub (location - https://w3w.co/song.joke.renew). Otherwise, turn left on the lane for 35m then take the track on the right just before the bend (location - https://w3w.co/vision.young.below). This is Little Berkhamsted bridleway 22. Turn right on the bridleway then follow it WSW for 240m before it turns right (location - https://w3w.co/sock.round.battle).

8: Keeping the water tower and the mobile phone transmitter on your left, continue along this bridleway for 410m to the point where the track splits (location - https://w3w.co/sulk.caring.aura).

Little Berkhamsted bridleway 22 heading N

9: Turn left and continue along Little Berkhamsted bridleway 22 heading mainly N for 790m until you reach Little Berkhamsted Lane.

10: Turn left on Little Berkhamsted Lane then head WSW for 100m until you reach a bridleway on your right just before the road bends to the left (location - https://w3w.co/mugs.third.formal).

Little Berkhamsted bridleway 17 heading NW

11: Take this bridleway, Little Berkhamsted bridleway 17, then head NW for 290m until you come to a farm. Continue through a gate and along a bridleway for 650m heading NW with fields on either side. This track drops down through woodland until it reaches Essendon golf course.

12: At the bottom of this hill you pass a cottage on your left and an outbuilding on your right as the bridleway veers slightly to the left. Turn right on Essendon bridleway 25 before the conifer trees (location - https://w3w.co/glory.soil.ages), and walk N for 340m with the fir trees on your left and hawthorn on your right until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/yard.zeal.holds).

13: At a junction continue heading N for 640m, still on Essendon bridleway 25. When you reach a concrete track called Bedwell Avenue you cross the parish boundary and continue heading N, now on Little Berkhamsted bridleway 26.

You pass a field where goats graze

Continue until you reach a footpath on the right just after a field where goats graze (location - https://w3w.co/launch.face.pound).

14: Turn right on Little Berkhamsted footpath 1, then head E climbing the hill for 150m until you reach a lane (location - https://w3w.co/estate.dozen.vision) which is also Little Berkhamsted bridleway 18.

15: Turn left on the lane, which is also Little Berkhamsted bridleway 18, then head NE then E for 160m until you reach a bend and a cottage on the right (location - https://w3w.co/define.cups.origin).

16: Turn right immediately after the cottage then follow Little Berkhamsted footpath 4 as it heads SSE across fields for 630m, before reaching a lane (location - https://w3w.co/tile.only.flash).

Common Centaury alongside Little Berkhamsted bridleway 18

17: Take the bridleway immediately opposite and continue to head SSE now on Little Berkhamsted bridleway 18 for 430m until you reach a footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/gentle.softly.fingernails).

18: Take the left fork after the footbridge then follow Little Berkhamsted bridleway 19 SSE uphill for 330m until you reach Breach Lane (location - https://w3w.co/festivity.nerve.merit).

19: Turn right on Breach Lane, which is also Little Berkhamsted bridleway 19, then head N for 300m until you reach Robins Nest Hill in Little Berkhamsted (location - https://w3w.co/beams.friday.meals).

20: Cross the lane, then take the path through the churchyard heading S then SW for 110m to reach the starting point.

Emmie Murphy's village store at the start/finish point serves hot drinks and snacks.

Interactive map

---