Walk 245: Nomansland South Loop

6 miles (9.7 km) with 64m of total ascent

Sandridge bridleway 9 between points 14 & 15 in the walk

This is a great walk if you like wide open views and stretches of woodland. It starts on Nomansland Common then heads west before looping south then returning through Langley Wood in Heartwood Forest. It includes sections of The Ver Valley Walk and The Hertfordshire Way.

There are two opportunities for parking which were both free-of-charge when we wrote these directions (4/10/2023). The first is the Nomansland car park at the start and finish of the walk (location - https://w3w.co/beam.goat.bleak). The second is the Heartwood Forest car park at point 18 in the walk (location - https://w3w.co/worry.fence.demand).

There are two pubs close to the Nomansland car park, The Elephant & Castle at Amwell (location - https://w3w.co/decks.notes.recall), and The Wicked Lady at Nomansland (location - https://w3w.co/rail.drips.rooms). There is also a cafe, West End Barns at point 3 in the walk (location - https://w3w.co/cute.robe.news).

There is the option to take a short detour at point 17 to visit Sandridge where you will find The Green Man (location - https://w3w.co/truly.stuff.handed), The Rose and Crown (location - https://w3w.co/goes.income.thick), and The Queens Head (location - https://w3w.co/result.winks.relay). There is also a cafe attached to the village store in Sandridge.

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. Please be aware that the satellite image used by Relieve was taken some years ago and doesn't show the full extent of the forest growth at Heartwood.

Directions

Map for Walk 245: Nomansland South Loop
Click on the map above for a larger version
Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
Elements © Thunderforest © OpenStreetMap contributors
There is an interactive map below these 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.

Head W from the car park with Ferrers Lane on the right

1: From the Nomansland car park (location - https://w3w.co/dust.moss.banks) head W, with Ferrers Lane on the right, for 670m until the path bends to the left (location - https://w3w.co/snow.ending.towns), see image below.

Keep left, with the woodland on your right, then head SW

2: Keep left, with the woodland on your right, then head SW for 80m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/angle.kicked.twice), see image below.

Turn right then head W through the woodland

Turn right then head W through the woodland for 310m until you reach a metal gate (location - https://w3w.co/pasta.region.spice), see image below.

Walk to the left of the gate then continue heading W 

3: Walk to the left of the gate then continue heading W for 120m. You will cross a wooden elevated walkway, see image below, before reaching Ferrers Lane (location - https://w3w.co/above.steps.merit).

The wooden elevated walkway prior to reaching Ferrers Lane

4: Turn left on Ferrers Lane then head WSW for 10m before reaching a footpath in the hedgerow on the right (location - https://w3w.co/text.live.level), see image below.

Turn right on Wheathampstead footpath 14

Turn right on Wheathampstead footpath 14 then follow it NW for 945m until you reach Pipers Lane (location - https://w3w.co/spots.flames.votes), see image below.

Cross Pipers Lane then head WSW along the pedestrian pavement

5: Cross Pipers Lane then turn left and head WSW along the pedestrian pavement for 220m until you reach a traffic roundabout (location - https://w3w.co/waddle.avoid.point), 

Turn left at the traffic roundabout then head SW

6: Turn left at the traffic roundabout then head SW along Welbeck Rise for 55m until you reach Cross Lane on the left (location - https://w3w.co/caring.mixer.taped), see image below.

Turn left on Cross Lane then head SW

Turn left on Cross Lane then head SW for 750m until you reach a bridge over the Midland Main Line (location - https://w3w.co/under.bronze.later). Immediately after crossing the bridge take a permissive path on the left (location - https://w3w.co/trio.club.cheeks), see image below.

Head SSE on the permissive path

7: Head SSE on the permissive path, with the railway and hedgerow on the left, for 240m until you reach a byway called Mud Lane (location - https://w3w.co/dots.economies.gentle), see image below.

Turn right on Mud Lane

8: Turn right on Mud Lane, which is also Harpenden BOAT 1 (byway open to all traffic), then head SW for 490m until you reach a junction and a road called East Common (location - https://w3w.co/speaks.saying.rope), see image below.

Turn left at the junction then head SSE along East Common

9: Turn left at the junction then head SSE along East Common for 400m until you reach Ayres End Lane (location - https://w3w.co/events.crass.voice).

Turn left on Ayres End Lane then head ENE for 80m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/socket.bricks.bets), see image below.

Turn right on Wheathampstead footpath 47

10: Turn right on Wheathampstead footpath 47 then head S, with the hedgerow on the right, for 250m until the path bends to the left (location - https://w3w.co/damage.cases.bared), see image below.

Continue on Wheathampstead footpath 47 with the hedgerow on the right

Follow Wheathampstead footpath 47 as it heads E for 55m then heads SSE for 250m until it reaches a gap in the hedgerow in the corner of the field (location - https://w3w.co/atoms.silks.arch), see image below.

Go through the gap then turn right and head SW

11: Go through the gap then turn right and head SW, with the hedgerow on the right and still on Wheathampstead footpath 47, for 50m until you reach a left-hand bend (location - https://w3w.co/circle.quit.grades), see image below.

Turn left at the bend then head SSW with the hedgerow on the left

Turn left at the bend then head SSW, now on St Michael's Rural footpath 15 and with the hedgerow on the left, for 130m until you reach woodland (location - https://w3w.co/pits.rocket.global).

Continue, now heading SSE and still on St Michael's Rural footpath 15, for 430m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/hints.adjust.stick), see image below.

Turn left on Sandridge bridleway 9

12: Turn left on Sandridge bridleway 9 then head E for 360m until you reach a farmyard (location - https://w3w.co/coins.trip.stones), see image below.

Follow Sandridge bridleway 9 through the farmyard

13: Follow Sandridge bridleway 9 through the farmyard by turning left in front of the barn (see orange arrow on the image above), then continuing between farm buildings before going through a gate (location - https://w3w.co/stroke.cracks.play), then cross a field before reaching a bridge over the Midland Main Line (location - https://w3w.co/elite.happy.brief), see map of the route through the farmyard below.

Public right of way through farmyard in green

14: Cross the bridge then head E, ESE, then NE, still on Sandridge bridleway 9, for 800m until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/fantastic.invest.legs), see image below.

Turn left, go through a gate, then follow a footpath NNW

15: Turn left, go through a gate, then follow a footpath NNW for 80m until you reach the entrance to Langley Wood on the right (location - https://w3w.co/reach.blank.modes), see image below.

Turn right then enter Langley Wood

A sign at the entrance to Langley Wood
Click on the image for a larger version

Turn right, enter Langley Wood, then follow the official path NE for 180m until you leave the wood and reach a bridleway (location - https://w3w.co/crowd.club.hoping), see image below.

Turn right on Sandridge bridleway 8

16: Turn right on Sandridge bridleway 8 then head ESE for 280m until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/cliff.rips.tides), see image below.

Turn left, go through the gate, then turn right and head E

17: Turn left, go through the gate, then turn right and head E and downhill for 180m until you reach a footpath crossing just before the main Heartwood Forest car park (location - https://w3w.co/legal.moves.caring), see image below.

Turn left then walk just to the right of the information circle

18: Turn left, leave the gravelled path, then head NE, walking just to the right of the information circle (pictured on the left on the photograph above). I have shown the route in orange on the map below.

The route past the main car park shown in orange

Continue with the information circle on your left until you reach a track (location - https://w3w.co/idea.cost.cable) leading to the overspill car park (location - https://w3w.co/happen.leave.driven), see image below.

Follow the track leading to the overspill car park

When you reach the overspill car park continue heading NE, now along a gravelled track, for 180m until you reach a junction and footpath in the hedgerow straight ahead (location - https://w3w.co/deny.powers.luxury), see image below.

Follow the footpath as it weaves its way NE through young woodland

19: Leave the overspill car park, cross the junction, then follow a pretty footpath as it weaves its way NE through young woodland for 270m before reaching a junction (location - https://w3w.co/squad.skirt.scope), see image below.

Turn right at the junction then head E along a grassy track

20: Turn right at the junction then head E along a grassy track.

Continue heading E along the grassy track until you reach a gate

Continue for 260m until you reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/loses.spent.buns), see image below.

Go through the gate then turn left

21: Go through the gate then turn left on Sandridge footpath 32. Don't be surprised if you come across cyclists and horse riders along this stretch of footpath. According to Hertfordshire County Council:

"Sandridge footpath 32 is recorded as a definitive footpath. The Woodland Trust owns the subsoil of approximately 95% of its length and allows bridleway use including cycle access. The remaining short middle section across Heartwood Manor’s drive is also a definitive footpath, but bridleway use is by permissive agreement with the land owner.

Follow Sandridge footpath 32 N for 870m until you reach the entrance to Nomansland Common (location - https://w3w.co/fully.strut.jukebox), see image below.

Turn left off Sandridge footpath 32

22: Turn left off Sandridge footpath 32 then head NW for 275m until you reach two silver birch trees and a bench (location - https://w3w.co/pine.matter.blaze) see image below.

Walk between the two silver birch then follow the path downhill

23: Walk between the two silver birch then follow the path downhill and NW for 150m back to the car park and the starting point.

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Interactive map