Walk 215: Little Amwell South-West Loop

3.9 miles (6.3 km) with 53m of total ascent

Hertford Heath footpath 9 between points 18 & 19

This lovely walk crosses two Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust nature reserves. You will visit part of Hertford Heath and then pass through Balls Wood before looping back along some well-defined footpaths over rolling and open countryside with great views. The walk starts and finishes at The Goat and passes The College Arms. The starting point is 1.7 miles SE from Hertford East Station by road.

For those wondering why this walk has Little Amwell in the title and not Hertford Heath, here is a little piece of history. The old village of Little Amwell forms the northern part of the modern village of Hertford Heath. The civil parish of Little Amwell was abolished in 1990, merging with parts of the neighbouring parishes of Great Amwell, Stanstead St Margarets, and Ware to form the new parish of Hertford Heath. Little Amwell remains the name of the ecclesiastical parish which covers Hertford Heath. More on Wikipedia.

The nearest bus stop to the start of the walk is on London Road close to Woodland Road in Hertford Heath (location - https://w3w.co/poem.blunt.case), which is 260m SE of the start/finish point. The stop is served by the 341 and 641 buses from Hertford or from Broxbourne. You can check bus times by visiting the free Intalink online timetable.

Fly over the route before you set off

If you want to check what sort of landscape this walk covers before setting off you can view a short 3D video of the route below. It's created using the free version of Relive.

Directions

Walk 215: Little Amwell South-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 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.

The Goat, Little Amwell, Hertford Heath

1: With your back to The Goat (location - https://w3w.co/best.afford.chained), turn left until you reach Mount Pleasant (location - https://w3w.co/army.hung.piano) then turn right on Mount Pleasant and head SE. If you have little ones with you see if they can spot two small houses around a tree on the left along the way (location - https://w3w.co/remedy.remove.magic), see images below.

One of the model houses along Mount Pleasant

One of the model houses along Mount Pleasant

Continue along Mount Pleasant for a total of 310m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/onions.bounty.clubs), see image below.

Turn right on Hertford Heath bridleway 5 then head SE

2: Turn right on Hertford Heath bridleway 5 then head SE for 130m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/sage.ship.smile), see image below.

Fork right at the junction then head SSW

3: Fork right at the junction then head SSW, still on Hertford Heath bridleway 5, for 385m until you pass a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/spot.trim.runner), see image below.

Keep heading SSW, still on Hertford Heath bridleway 5

4: Keep heading SSW for 165m, still on Hertford Heath bridleway 5 which becomes Heath Lane. Continue along Heath Lane until you reach London Road. The College Arms will be on the opposite corner (location - https://w3w.co/robot.backup.scrap), see image below.

The College Arms, London Road, Hertford Heath

5: Cross London Road then head SSW down The Roundings for 110m until you reach the Hertford Heath nature reserve on the right (location - https://w3w.co/will.fish.photo), see image below.

Turn right and then follow the path across Hertford Heath

6: Turn right and then follow the path across Hertford Heath, a Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust reserve, as it winds its way SW. This is a particularly pretty stretch of the walk.

The path across Hertford Heath

Continue across Hertford Heath for 410m until you reach Ermine Street, a former Roman Road (location - https://w3w.co/shut.charm.wiring), see image below.

Cross Ermine Street then enter Balls Wood

7: Cross Ermine Street, which is also Hertford Heath restricted byway 8, then enter Balls Wood, another Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust reserve (location - https://w3w.co/warm.milk.snow), see image below.

The information boards at the entrance to Balls Wood

When you enter Balls Wood you will see an information board showing the various paths. Our route cuts through the wood using parts of two of circular routes mapped on one of the boards. Head straight and W for 480m until you reach a T-junction (location - https://w3w.co/squad.newest.model), see image below.

Turn left at the T-junction then head S

8: Turn left at the T-junction then head S for 780m until you reach a gate on the left at the southern edge of Balls Wood (location - https://w3w.co/tame.doll.title), see image below.

Turn right when you reach the gate then head W

9: Turn right when you reach the gate then head W for 220m until you reach another gate leaving Balls Wood (location - https://w3w.co/motor.work.picked), see image below.

Exit Balls Wood then turn right on Hertford Heath footpath 7

10: Go through the gate then turn right on Hertford Heath footpath 7 and head NW for 35m to the point where the path bends left and becomes Brickendon Liberty footpath 5. Head WNW for 145m, with the hedgerow on the left and field on the right, until the footpath reaches the corner of a field (location - https://w3w.co/cards.hurls.shots).

Brickendon Liberty footpath 5 heading WNW

11: Turn left when you reach the corner of the field, still on Brickendon Liberty footpath 5, then head S for 45m, with the hedgerow on the left and field on the right until you reach a gate leading to Mangrove Lane (location - https://w3w.co/filer.sugars.craft). Don't go through the gate but keep right to find a footpath heading diagonally across a field, see image below.

Cross the field, still on Brickendon Liberty footpath 5

12: Turn right, still on Brickendon Liberty footpath 5, then follow it NW across a field for 390m until you reach Mangrove Lane (location - https://w3w.co/acute.across.thank).

Brickendon Liberty footpath 5 approaching Mangrove Lane

13: Turn right on Mangrove Lane then head N for 640m until you reach a footpath on the right at the point where Mangrove Lane bends left (location - https://w3w.co/follow.care.fully), see image below. Mangrove Lane is a quiet lane with verges where you can stand to one side if traffic approaches.

Turn right on Brickendon Liberty footpath 4

14: Turn right on Brickendon Liberty footpath 4 then head NNE for 215m until you reach a signpost on the left. At this point Brickendon Liberty footpath 4 turns right (location - https://w3w.co/spell.bonds.grain) and crosses a field, see image below.

Turn right, still on Brickendon Liberty footpath 4

15: Turn right, still on Brickendon Liberty footpath 4, then head NE for 45m until you reach a footbridge over a ditch (location - https://w3w.co/major.part.snaps), see image below.

Cross the footbridge then head NE across a field

Cross the footbridge then head NE for 170m across a field until you reach woodland (location - https://w3w.co/liner.carry.digits), see image below.

Continue with the woodland on your right

Continue still on Brickendon Liberty footpath 4 and still heading NE for 130m, with the woodland on your right and a field on your left until you reach the edge of the woodland (location - https://w3w.co/frosted.upset.perky). At this point the footpath you are on becomes Hertford footpath 45 which crosses another field then reaches another footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/warm.robots.loss), see image below.

Cross the footbridge then head E

16: Cross the footbridge then head E for 230m, with the woodland on your left and field on the right, until you reach the corner of the woodland (location - https://w3w.co/drums.arrive.clean). You will now be walking along Hertford Heath footpath 9 having crossed a parish boundary just before you reached the end of the woodland.

17: Turn left, still on Hertford Heath footpath 9, then head NNE for 60m, with the woodland on your left and the field on your right, until you reach a gate where the path bends right (location - https://w3w.co/league.dusty.shorts), see image below.

Keep right, then head ENE, still on Hertford Heath footpath 9

18: Keep right, then head ENE, still on Hertford Heath footpath 9, for 715m until you reach London Road, Hertford Heath (location - https://w3w.co/tides.prime.cliff).

19: Turn left on London Road then head N for 130m until you reach Church Hill on the right (location - https://w3w.co/deeply.cycle.indoor).

20: Turn right on Church Hill then follow it E then NE for 230m back to the starting point.

* There is a third pub close to the route of this walk. The Silver Fox is 350m NW along London Road from point 5 in the directions and 280m S along London Road from point 19.

Interactive map

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