Walk 254: Shenley Short Loop

4.8 miles (7.7 km) with 97m of total ascent

Shenley bridleway 38 soon after the start of the walk

This is a shorter version of an existing walk on the site which we have decided to publish separately for those who prefer walks that are less than five miles long. The original is Walk 136: Shenley West Loop, which is 6.6 miles long. This version cuts out some residential and main road walking, although it also misses a couple of stretches of really nice countryside which we enjoyed.

Both routes pass two WWII pillboxes which were part of the Outer London Defence Ring. There is a car park and The Cafe in the Orchard at the start/finish point. You can check opening times on the Shenley Park website.

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 254: Shenley Short 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 these directions

You 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 you don't need.

Shenley bridleway 38 leaving the car park and heading NW

1: From the car park in Shenley Park take Shenley bridleway 38 which heads NW from the left of the car park immediately after you enter the gate (location - https://w3w.co/line.rotate.woods), see image above.

This bridleway is also the Watling Chase Timberland Trail which you follow it as it bends N, NE, then N for 880m with houses on your right and hedgerow and fields on your left before reaching a footpath junction soon after you enter woodland (location - https://w3w.co/glitz.noses.career), see image below.

At the junction keep to the left, still on Shenley bridleway 38

Continue heading N through the woodland for another 200m until you reach another junction (location - https://w3w.co/take.couches.bend). Here you keep left, now on Shenley bridleway 36, then head NW for 60m until you reach a field (location - https://w3w.co/froth.liver.rush).

2: Cross the field, now on Shenley footpath 36, heading NW for 260m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/brief.entire.hook), see image below.

Turn left at the junction on Shenley footpath 12 then head W

3: Turn left at the junction on Shenley footpath 12 then head W for 120m until you leave the woodland and climb uphill across an arable field (location - https://w3w.co/flank.diner.guides). At this point your path becomes St Stephen footpath 25 and continues to the right of a tree heading W (location - https://w3w.co/frog.dimes.plot). Continue heading W for another 220m ignoring a farm track on your left until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/cotton.answer.reduce), see image below.

Turn left then head SSE on St Stephen footpath 63

4: Turn left at the junction then head SSE on St Stephen footpath 63 for 260m at which point the path becomes Aldenham footpath 58 and continues heading SE for 1km until you reach The Warren, a residential road on the outskirts of Radlett (location - https://w3w.co/circle.along.forms).

5: Turn left on The Warren then head S for 150m until you reach The Avenue (location - https://w3w.co/picked.gravy.dame). Turn left on The Avenue then head SSE for 180m until you reach Shenley Hill (location - https://w3w.co/link.dice.period).

* At this point you could take a detour for refreshments at The Red Lion in Radlett by heading SW along Shenley Hill for 500m then turning right on Watling Street and heading NNW for 210m to visit the pub (location - https://w3w.co/oils.cone.equal).

6: Turn left on Shenley Hill then follow the road NE, SE, NE, then SE again for 700m until you reach a footpath on the right soon after a bend (location - https://w3w.co/slug.played.cheer), see image below.

Turn right on Aldenham footpath 55

7: Turn right on Aldenham footpath 55 then head SE and uphill and in a straight line through woodland called The Gorse (we didn’t see any gorse, but loads of bluebells) for 510m at which point the path bends to the left then heads NE for another 130m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/hook.ozone.learns).

8: At the junction head E on Shenley footpath 9 for 390m until you reach Woodhall Lane, which is also The Hertfordshire Way at this point.

9: Head ENE, then NE on Woodhall Lane for 870m until you reach a bridleway on the left (location - https://w3w.co/flags.dime.tones), see image below. Just before the bridleway you will pass a WWII pill box on the left (location - https://w3w.co/walks.cigar.tells).

Shenley bridleway 10 heading NW off Woodhall Lane

10: Take this track, Shenley bridleway 10 then head NW then NNW for 930m until you reach Radlett Lane (location - https://w3w.co/improving.memo.dash). Along the way you will pass another WWII pill box on your right (location - https://w3w.co/tunnel.dine.secure).

* Soon after the start of this path you have the option of turning right on Shenley footpath 11 and heading NE for 250m to visit The White Horse (location - https://w3w.co/hers.length.trunk).

11: Cross Radlett Lane then take the bridleway immediately opposite, see image below. This is Shenley bridleway 38 which heads left running parallel to Radlett Lane. Follow Shenley bridleway 38 WSW for 350m back to the car park. Soon after taking this bridleway you could branch to your right and follow a parallel path in Shenley Park in order to enjoy the orchard.

Shenley bridleway 38 which heads back to the car park

---

Interactive map

---