Walk 192: Burnham Green West Loop

3.5 miles (5.7 km) with 36m of total ascent

Datchworth footpath 16 at the start of the walk

This walk offers a great mix of wide open views, at the beginning and towards the end, as well as shaded sections through woodland. It starts at The White Horse in Burnham Green then cuts through Harmer Green Wood before looping back via Harmer Green. 

Getting there

There are bus stops on Orchard Road close to the start of the walk (location - https://w3w.co/once.line.dated) which are served by the numbers 204 and 378 buses. Alternatively, if bus number 203 is more convenient you could take that bus to join the walk at point 9 (location - https://w3w.co/point.down.paper). 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

Map for Walk 192: Burnham Green 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 location 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 White Horse in Burnham Green (location - https://w3w.co/hung.crib.lower), turn right and head W through the car park for 10m to Two Oaks Drive. Turn right immediately on Datchworth footpath 16, see image below.

Datchworth footpath 16

Head NW along Datchworth footpath 16 enjoying the open views on all sides.

Datchworth footpath 16 heading NW

Continue for 960m, ignoring paths to the right and left and continuing to a T-junction (location - https://w3w.co/winter.lights.noted), see image below.

Turn left on Woolmer Green bridleway 26

2: Turn left on Woolmer Green bridleway 26 then head SSW then SSE, and SSW again for 620m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/softly.hardly.star), see image below.

Keep left at the junction, still on Woolmer Green bridleway 26

3: Keep left at the junction, still on Woolmer Green bridleway 26, then head S for 310m until you reach a footpath on your right (location - https://w3w.co/ideal.blitz.loads).

4: Turn right on Welwyn footpath 27 and head NW for 260m until you reach woodland (location - https://w3w.co/loved.bubble.rising), see image below.

Head NW through the woodland (see line of orange arrow above)

5: At this point Welwyn footpath 27 turns left, but you continue heading NW for 270m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/lamps.feed.finger), see image below.

Continue heading NW along the track

6: At the junction ignore Welwyn footpath 27 heading off to the right and instead continue heading NW along the track (see orange arrow on image above) for 100m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/flood.crisis.play), see image below.

Turn left at the junction then head SW for 40m

Turn left at the junction (see image above) then head SW for 40m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/belly.ranged.icons) where you will see an air ventilation shaft on the left (marked with a black icon with a white X on the map above), see image below.

Turn left on Welwyn footpath 29

7: When you reach the ventilation shaft (see image above) turn left on Welwyn footpath 29 then, keeping to the right of the air vent, head SSW for 850m. Eventually you will see the railway in a cutting on your right. Continue heading SSW until a green metal fence on your right bends right (location - https://w3w.co/slide.same.asserts). Keep right as the green fence and the path heads W for 15m before the path turns left then heads SSW and uphill for 50m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/whites.fake.shop), see image below.

Turn left on Welwyn footpath 38

8: Turn left on Welwyn footpath 38 then head E for 255m until the footpath becomes a lane (location - https://w3w.co/fingernails.kicked.doors). Continue heading E for 110m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/skin.losses.joke). Turn left on Harmer Green Lane then follow it SE for 170m until you reach the junction with New Road, (location - https://w3w.co/edgy.faced.winner), see image below. Keep left on New Road then head E, in the direction of the orange arrow on the image below, to a bend in the road by a pond (location - https://w3w.co/magic.baked.bravo). Take the track on the right which is to the left of the pond (location - https://w3w.co/army.puzzle.sling).

On the bend turn right after the pond along Pennyfeathers Lane

9: Head SE for 160m until you reach a fork in the lane (location - https://w3w.co/garden.task.ocean), see image below.

Keep left at the fork

10: Keep left at the fork then head E for 80m before the track bends to the left (location - https://w3w.co/object.late.driven) and merges with Welwyn footpath 34 then heads NE for 210m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/plan.menu.punks), see image below.

Turn right on Welwyn footpath 33

11: Turn right on Welwyn footpath 33, then head NE for 600m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/fees.latest.ocean), see image below.

Keep left on Welwyn footpath 33

12: Keep left, still on Welwyn footpath 33, then head NE for 140m until you reach Orchard Road (location - https://w3w.co/spin.cone.vanish). Turn left on Orchard Road then follow it NNW for 350m back to The White Horse and the starting point.

Interactive map

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