Walk 275: Codicote South-West Loop

4.3 miles (7 km) with 91m of total ascent

The view to the left of Codicote bridleway 38

This is a lovely walk south-west from Codicote to Ayot St Lawrence where there is the option of a stop at The Brocket Arms at the halfway point. You will cross the River Mimram twice as you follow clearly defined paths across rolling countryside with great views on either side.

As with many of our walks that start in Hertfordshire's villages this route involves some road walking at the start and finish. There is a 500m stretch as you leave Codicote and 400m when you return to the village. There are pedestrian pavements along each stretch. However there are some interesting buildings as you walk through the village, described on a noticeboard close to the start of the walk, see image below.

Information board at the corner of St Albans Road
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When you are walking between points 9 and 10 see if you can spot the wooden carvings to the left of the bridleway, see image below.

Wooden carvings to the left of Codicote bridleway 38

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 275: Codicote South-West Loop
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Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
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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.

If you are planning to travel by bus, go to the Intalink website then enter the destination 'Codicote Post Office' to find bus times.

The Goat at the start of the walk

1: With your back to The Goat (location - https://w3w.co/modes.study.scouts) cross High Street then head S along St Albans Road (location - https://w3w.co/glory.joke.natively), see image below.

Turn left on St Albans Road

Follow the pedestrian pavement along St Albans Road. There are some interesting houses along this stretch and in the rest of Codicote, see the image of an information board at the top of these directions.

Continue along St Albans Road for 500m until you reach Dark Lane on the right (location - https://w3w.co/upset.test.shaky), see image below.

Turn right on Dark Lane

2: Turn right on Dark Lane then head SW. After 120m Dark Lane becomes Codicote UCR 2 (unclassified unmetalled county road). Continue heading SW on Codicote UCR2 for 350m until you cross the River Mimram on a footbridge alongside a ford (location - https://w3w.co/change.ants.insist), see image below.

Once across the River Mimram continue heading SW

3: Once across the River Mimram continue heading SW now on Ayot St Lawrence bridleway 8 for 155m until you reach Kimpton Road (location - https://w3w.co/from.coats.crate), see image below.

Take a permissive footpath through the hedgerow

4: Cross Kimpton Road then take a permissive footpath through the hedgerow. Once through the hedgerow turn right.

Head NW on the permissive path

Head NW on the permissive path, with the hedgerow on the right and field on the left. In summer the next stretch between points 4 & 7 is great for lovers of wildflowers, butterflies, birds, and insects, see images below.

Wild Thyme

Lady's Bedstraw

Continue for 340m until the path bends left (location - https://w3w.co/reason.human.armed), see image below.

Follow the path NW until you reach a track

Follow the path NW for 90m until you reach a gravelled track (location - https://w3w.co/famed.woven.shrimp), see image below.

Turn left on Ayot St Lawrence footpath 3

5: Turn left on Ayot St Lawrence footpath 3 then head SW and uphill for 790m. When you get to the top of the hill look out for the bird and insect boxes attached to the trees on the left and right, see images below.

Bird boxes alongside Ayot St Lawrence footpath 3

Insect box alongside Ayot St Lawrence footpath 3

Continue until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/king.tries.demand), see image below.

Continue heading SW on Ayot St Lawrence footpath 3

6: Continue heading SW on Ayot St Lawrence footpath 3 between fields with a fence on the right. When we walked this section had a lovely display of poppies, see image below.

Poppies alongside Ayot St Lawrence footpath 3

Continue on Ayot St Lawrence footpath 3 for 630m. Just before you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/elbow.minds.beside) you will see a field on the left which has been set aside for wildflowers, see image below.

The wildflower field on the left before point 7

When you reach the junction turn right

When you reach the junction turn right. However, if you need refreshments, you have the option of turning left for 25m then right for 45m to visit The Brocket Arms (location - https://w3w.co/hiking.each.shapes), see image below.

The Brocket Arms at Ayot St Lawrence

7: If you don't take the detour to The Brocket Arms turn right at the junction then head NNW on Ayot St Lawrence bridleway 10.

Head NNW on Ayot St Lawrence bridleway 10

After 70m the bridleway will go through an open gate (location - https://w3w.co/mime.frozen.senior), see image below.

Continue on Ayot St Lawrence bridleway 10

Continue on Ayot St Lawrence bridleway 10 passing a table of produce from The Manor House on the left. There is an honesty box for those who buy chutney, jam, and sauces, see image below.

The produce table at The Manor House
Click on the image for a larger version

Continue heading NNW on Ayot St Lawrence bridleway 10 for 585m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/fees.stage.fled), see image below.

Turn right on Tanyard Lane

8: Turn right on Tanyard Lane then head NE for 120m until you reach a bridleway on the left (location - https://w3w.co/token.rental.holds), see image below.

Turn left on Codicote bridleway 38

9: Turn left on Codicote bridleway 38 then head NNE. After about 400m as the bridleway runs through the hedgerow with trees either side look out for wooden carvings on the lefthand side. You will find the first carving at (location - https://w3w.co/oasis.patrol.charm).

Wooden carvings to the left of Codicote bridleway 38

Wooden carving to the left of Codicote bridleway 38

Wooden carving to the left of Codicote bridleway 38

Continue until Codicote bridleway 38 emerges from the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/image.cycle.target), see image below.

Codicote bridleway 38 emerging from the hedgerow

Continue, now heading NNE, with the hedgerow on the left and field on the right for 560m until you reach Kimpton Road at Kimpton Mill (location - https://w3w.co/spits.admiral.cared).

10: Cross Kimpton Road, turn right then head E for 40m until you reach River Keepers Cottage on the right and a footpath on the left which is hidden in the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/ankle.shunts.precautions), see image below.

Turn left on Codicote footpath 18

11: Turn left on Codicote footpath 18. The footpath crosses a footbridge over the River Mimram before going through a gate. Once through the gate turn right then head NE and head diagonally across the field until you reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/along.famous.depend), see image below.

Go through the gate then cross a walkway

Go through the gate then cross a walkway across the River Mimram, see image below.

Cross the walkway then continue on Codicote footpath 18

Cross the walkway then continue on Codicote footpath 18 until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/wanted.fluid.plank), see image below.

Turn right on Codicote bridleway 17

12: Turn right on Codicote bridleway 17 then head ESE for 515m until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/song.method.finest), see image below.

Turn left on Codicote footpath 21

13: Turn left on Codicote footpath 21 then head ENE for 85m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/summer.fade.avoid), see image below.

Turn left on Codicote footpath 19

14: Turn left on Codicote footpath 19 then head NE for 70m until you reach the edge of the woodland (location - https://w3w.co/paying.urgent.raves), see image below.

Go through the gate then head NE across Codicote Heath

15: Go through the gate then head NE across Codicote Heath for 150m until you reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/twins.patio.lamps), see image below.

Continue heading NE still on Codicote footpath 19

16: Go through the gate then continue heading NE, still on Codicote footpath 19, for 195m until you reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/rides.teams.ends), see image below.

Continue heading NE on Codicote footpath 19

17: Go through the gate then head NE, still on Codicote footpath 19, for 100m until the footpath reaches a gate (location - https://w3w.co/mass.gifted.scouts), see image below.

Follow Codicote footpath 19 through the gate

18: Go through the gate then follow Codicote footpath 19 down to The Grove (location - https://w3w.co/ranges.cool.letter).

19: Turn left on The Grove then head NE for 80m until you reach the junction with Whitwell Road (location - https://w3w.co/rich.single.react).

20: Turn right on Whitwell Road then head ENE for 75m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/maybe.badge.lunch), see image below.

Turn right on Codicote footpath 2

21: Turn right on Codicote footpath 2 then head ESE for 410m until you reach High Street, the B656 (location - https://w3w.co/refers.hills.summer).

22: Turn right on High Street then head SSE for 420m until you return to the start of the walk.

There are several options for refreshments in Codicote including two pubs, The Goat (location - https://w3w.co/native.props.mini) and The Globe (location - https://w3w.co/panels.actual.sample). There are two cafes including Cafe 77 (location - https://w3w.co/bride.proven.bravo) and Days Bakery and Deli (location - https://w3w.co/finds.sooner.hints), and there are shops.

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Interactive map

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