Walk 274: Aston South Loop

5.1 miles (8.2 km) with 81m of total ascent

The view NE at the start of the walk

This walk starts in the village of Aston to the south-east of Stevenage then follows the River Beane south before looping back through Astonbury Wood, a Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust nature reserve. You will cross a number of arable fields and follow rights of way that could be muddy after rain. There are a few stretches of lane walking. The walk goes through a golf course but not across a fairway.

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 274: Aston 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.

The village hall car park is open from 8am to 5pm 365 days a year. Management say walkers are welcome to use the car park if there is space as long as they are back at their car by 5pm as the gate is locked then and won't be reopened if cars are locked in.

We parked in one of the residential roads in Aston. If you are travelling by public transport, bus numbers 383 and 390 go through the village. You can check the times using Intalink.

1: With your back to Aston village hall (location - https://w3w.co/manual.corrosive.inhaled) turn left then head NE along Brookfield Lane. There isn't a pedestrian pavement along this stretch but it's a quiet lane with a verge where you can step aside if traffic approaches. Continue for 600m until you reach Ford Lane on the right (location - https://w3w.co/sulked.gums.spans), see image below.

Turn right on Ford Lane

2: Turn right on Ford Lane then head E for 250m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/stiff.case.compacts), see image below.

Turn right on Aston footpath 17

3: Turn right on Aston footpath 17 then head S with the River Beane on your left.

Information board at point 3
Click on the image for a larger version

Continue heading S on Aston footpath 17 for 790m until you reach Benington Road (location - https://w3w.co/marinated.sending.occupy), see image below.

Cross Benington Road then head S on Aston footpath 25

4: Cross Benington Road then continue heading S, now on Aston footpath 25. The first part of this footpath is across an arable field. When we tested the route in July 2024 the crop was maize and had grown quite high as the images below show.

Cross an arable field on Aston footpath 25

The footpath has been reinstated, but the maize is high

Continue for 490m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/finer.heats.expired), see image below.

Keep left on Aston footpath 24

5: Keep left on Aston footpath 24 then head SE with the hedgerow and River Beane on the left. Continue for 80m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/reclined.hairpin.vipers), see image below.

Turn right at the junction, still on Aston footpath 24

Turn right at the junction, still on Aston footpath 24, then follow the footpath uphill across an arable field for 360m until you reach a lane (location - https://w3w.co/grafted.tools.started), see image below.

Turn right on the lane

6: Turn right on the lane then head W. There isn't a pedestrian pavement along this stretch but there is a verge where you can stand aside if traffic approaches. Continue for 545m until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/clap.apricot.binds), see image below.

Turn left on Aston footpath 26

7: Turn left on Aston footpath 26 then head SSE for 300m until the hedgerow bends to the right (location - https://w3w.co/shock.stability.milkman), see image below.

Red line shows official route, orange shows detour

* When we tested this walk in July 2024 Aston footpath 26 had not been reinstated at this point. Rather than trample the crop we did what it appears many other walkers have done and walked around the edge of the field. See map of the detour (in orange) below.

If you don't take the detour continue heading straight

8: If you don't take the detour continue heading straight and SSE, still on Aston footpath 26, for 240m until you reach a gap in the hedge leading to a footbridge then a junction (location - https://w3w.co/pyramid.stems.sporting), see image below.

Cross the footbridge then turn right

9: Cross the footbridge then turn right, still on Aston footpath 26, then head WSW for 545m until you reach a concrete bridge over Stevenage Brook and a footpath on the right immediately before the bridge (location - https://w3w.co/tides.pretty.sweep), see image below.

Turn right then enter Astonbury Wood Nature Reserve

If you need refreshments you could continue over the concrete bridge spanning Stevenage Brook then turn right on the A602 for140m to visit the Three Horseshoes pub/restaurant at Hooks Cross (location - https://w3w.co/bonus.modern.player).

10: Turn right then enter Astonbury Wood Nature Reserve on the right.

The noticeboard at Astonbury Wood Nature Reserve
Click on the image for a larger version

The reserve is managed by the Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust which describes Astonbury Wood (named as Astonbury Woods on the sign) as follows:

"An ancient woodland with sweeping Bluebell carpets, choirs of songbirds, small streams and ponds. Astonbury Wood is one of the richest habitats in Hertfordshire and home to rare, threatened and treasured wildlife."

Take the central track through the wood

Take the central track through the wood, see orange arrow on the image above. This track has a few muddy sections, even in July.

Writing directions through woodland is always difficult so I have included a map below to go with the directions.

Map showing turns in wood between points 11 and 14

From point 10 head in a northwesterly direction for 645m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/venues.mentions.buzzards), see image below.

Turn left at the junction

11: Turn left at the junction then head SW for 25m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/enter.purely.fruitcake), see image below.

Turn right at the junction then head NW

Turn right at the junction then head NW for 125m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/scanty.stacks.existence), see image below.

Turn right at the junction

12: Turn right at the junction then head NE for 160m until the path bends left (location - https://w3w.co/hopes.lyrics.also).

13: Follow the path as it heads N for 75m until you reach a gate which is an exit from Astonbury Wood (location - https://w3w.co/remotes.hammocks.city) see image below.

Go through the gate then follow a permissive path

14: Go through the gate then follow a permissive path. Check the noticeboard alongside the path for more information.

The information board on the permissive path
Click the image for a larger version

Continue heading N on the permissive path for 175m until you reach a gate leading to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/ecologist.topped.cosmic).

Turn left on Aston Bury Lane which is also Aston footpath 28

15: Go through the gate then turn left on Aston Bury Lane which is also Aston footpath 28. Head W for 300m until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/princes.ascendant.blushes), see image below.

Continue heading W on Aston footpath 28

16: Ignore the footpath on the left and continue heading W on Aston footpath 28 for 110m until you reach Aston Lane (location - https://w3w.co/relaxing.demotion.earpiece), see image below.

Turn right on Aston Lane

17: Turn right on Aston Lane. There isn't a pedestrian pavement along this stretch but there are a few passing places where you can step aside if traffic approaches. Head N on Aston Lane for 235m until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/universe.dares.toffee), see image below.

Turn left on Stevenage footpath 96

18: Turn left on Stevenage footpath 96 which weaves its way through a golf course (without crossing any freeways). Head NW for 110m until you reach a fairway on the left and hedgerow on the right (location - https://w3w.co/touchy.conquest.variously), see image below.

 Follow Stevenage footpath 96 north

19: Follow Stevenage footpath 96 N, with the fairway on the left, for 150m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/depravity.cabinets.resources), see image below.

Turn left at the junction, still on Stevenage footpath 96

20: Turn left at the junction, still on Stevenage footpath 96, then head NW for 85m until you reach Stevenage Golf & Conference Centre on the right (location - https://w3w.co/seabirds.flats.icon).

Walkers are invited to use the facilities for refreshments

21: We visited the centre and were told that walkers are welcome to use the facilities. After passing the club house continue on Stevenage footpath 96, now heading NNW, for 50m to a right-hand bend (location - https://w3w.co/wired.whisk.gathering), see image below.

Follow Stevenage footpath 96 round to the right

Turn right, still on Stevenage footpath 96, then head NE for 45m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/increased.mascots.fear), see image below.

Turn left at the junction

22: Turn left at the junction then head NNW for 40m until you reach a golf green on the right (location - https://w3w.co/haven.prospers.gulped), see image below.

Continue heading NNW, still on Stevenage footpath 96

Continue heading NNW, still on Stevenage footpath 96, for 70m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/funds.worlds.friday), see image below.

Turn right at the junction

23: Turn right at the junction then head NE then N, still on Stevenage footpath 96, for 65m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/worksheet.identify.ranking), see image below.

Turn right still on Stevenage footpath 96

24: Turn right at the junction, still on Stevenage footpath 96. Head ENE for 190m until you reach Broadwater Lane (location - https://w3w.co/swelling.dignify.lizard), see image below.

Cross Broadwater Lane then head N along Dene Lane

25: Cross Broadwater Lane then head N along Dene Lane for 260m until Dene Lane becomes a byway (location - https://w3w.co/tricky.threading.influence), see image below.

Continue, now heading NW on Aston BOAT 34

26: Continue, now heading NW on Aston BOAT 34 (byway open to all traffic) for 135m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/stitching.shorts.crisis), see image below.

Turn right on Aston restricted byway 36

27: Turn right then head NNE on Aston restricted byway 36. Continue for 225m. This byway becomes Aston footpath 9 before reaching a junction (location - https://w3w.co/lotteries.passions.dolly), see image below.

Turn right on Aston footpath 8

28: Turn right on Aston footpath 8 then head ESE for 350m until you reach Aston End Road (location - https://w3w.co/exploring.storage.gasp), see image below.

Cross Aston End Road then head E along School Lane

29: Cross Aston End Road then head E along School Lane for 140m until you reach a footpath (location - https://w3w.co/painting.position.dizziness), see image below.

Continue heading E along the footpath

30: Continue heading E along the footpath for 50m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/evoked.shape.stated), see image below.

Continue heading E, now on Aston footpath 23

31: Continue heading E, now on Aston footpath 23 crossing Aston playing fields for 135m until you reach Brookfield Lane (location - https://w3w.co/horn.shun.flying).

32: Turn right on Brookfield Lane then head SW for 90m back to the starting point.

There is a pub in Aston, The Pig & Whistle (location - https://w3w.co/reckons.prestige.pickup), which is 110m SW from the start / finish of the walk.

Interactive map

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