Walk 276: Preston Loop

3.4 miles (5.5 km) with 78m of total ascent

Preston footpath 12 at point 11 in the walk

This is our third walk from the village of Preston. It follows a number of public rights of way that we have not explored before along with two footpaths that appear in one of the other routes but walked in reverse. There are some lovely wide open views along this route which mainly follows well-established footpaths, bridleways, and byways.

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 276: Preston 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.

The Red Lion, Preston

1: With your back to The Red Lion in Preston (location - https://w3w.co/panels.gold.hello) turn right then head ESE for 15m until you reach a road junction  (location - https://w3w.co/admire.tracks.dining).

Turn left then head NNW for 110m until you reach Chequers Lane on the left (location - https://w3w.co/flank.shout.backup), see image below.

Turn left on Chequers Lane

2: Turn left on Chequers Lane then head NW for 150m until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/given.taps.locker), see image below.

Turn left on Preston footpath 4

3: Turn left on Preston footpath 4 then head WSW for 95m until you reach a play area (location - https://w3w.co/submit.tubes.cross), see image below.

Keep right at the play area

Keep right at the play area (see direction of the orange arrow on the image above) then head WSW, still on Preston footpath 4. Continue for 135m until you reach Butchers Lane (location - https://w3w.co/cling.fool.until).

4: Turn left on Butcher's Lane then head S for 35m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/coast.gain.stay), see image below.

Turn right on Preston footpath 5

Turn right on Preston footpath 5 then head NW then WSW for 370m until you reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/kick.puncture.positions), see image below.

Go through the gate still on Preston footpath 5

Go through the gate, still on Preston footpath 5, then head W for 200m with the hedgerow on the right and field on the left, see image below.

Continue on Preston footpath 5 with the hedgerow on the right

Continue, still on Preston footpath 5, until you reach a junction leading to Dead Woman's Lane (location - https://w3w.co/bucket.blatantly.prospered), see image below. There is a local legend that Dead Woman’s Lane was so called because of the number of victims of the Black Death who were buried nearby

Turn right on Dead Woman's Lane

5: Turn right on Dead Woman's Lane, which is also Kings Walden BOAT 48 (byway open to all traffic), then head NNW for 280m until you reach a bridleway on the left (location - https://w3w.co/error.fuzzy.arranger), see image below.

Turn left on Kings Walden bridleway 31

6: Turn left on Kings Walden bridleway 31 then head SW, with the hedgerow on the left, for 335m until you reach a gap (location - https://w3w.co/region.ourselves.slap), see image below.

Go through the gap on Kings Walden bridleway 31

Go through the gap then continue on Kings Walden bridleway 31 with the hedgerow on the right. Head SSW for 245m until you reach Back Lane (location - https://w3w.co/reseller.inferior.sundial), see image below.

Cross Back Lane then follow Kings Walden BOAT 45

7: Cross Back Lane then follow Kings Walden BOAT 45 S for 770m until the byway becomes Whitehall Lane (location - https://w3w.co/later.variety.worthy). This is a lovely stretch of byway which, when we walked it in July, was bordered with wildflowers and visited by butterflies.

Kings Walden BOAT 45 heading towards Whitehall Lane

8: Head SSE on Whitehall Lane for 353m until you reach Whitehall Road (location - https://w3w.co/flap.builds.bulge), see image below.

Turn left on Whitehall Road

9: Turn left on Whitehall Road then head SE for 95m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/regaining.affirming.equity), see image below.

Turn left on Taylors Hill Road

Turn left on Taylors Hill Road then head NE for 55m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/dull.uptown.nightlife), see image below.

Turn right on Kings Walden footpath 30

10: Turn right on Kings Walden footpath 30 then head in an easterly direction across an arable field, see image below.

Cross an arable field on Kings Walden footpath 30

Continue on Kings Walden footpath 30 for 495m until you reach Frogmore Bottom Road (location - https://w3w.co/families.craziest.requiring), see image below.

Cross Frogmore Bottom Road then go through a gap

11: Cross Frogmore Bottom Road then go through a gap in the hedgerow to reach Preston footpath 12 at a gate (see image below).

Go through the gate then head NE on Preston footpath 12

Go through the gate then head NE on Preston footpath 12 across an arable field. Continue for 300m until you reach a gate and a gap in the hedge (location - https://w3w.co/leaves.beaks.flashing), see image below.

Go through the gate (or round it if it's overgrown)

12: Go through the gate (or round it if it's overgrown) then go through the gap, see image below.

Once through the gap turn right

Once through the gap turn right then continue heading NE then ENE, still on Preston footpath 12 and with the hedgerow on the right and field on the left, for 675m until you reach a lane (location - https://w3w.co/plug.drift.handy), see image below.

Turn left on the lane

13: Turn left on the lane then head NNW for 225m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/vine.wiring.lines), see image below.

Keep straight and slightly left at the junction

14: Keep straight and slightly left at the junction then head NW on Back Lane for 225m until you reach a footpath on the right just beyond the Preston primary school (location - https://w3w.co/tonic.dine.meal), see image below.

Turn right on Preston footpath 3

15: Turn right on Preston footpath 3 then head NE for 260m back to the starting point.

Cottages in Preston at the end of the walk

If you are travelling by bus the closest stop to the start of the walk is the 'Red Lion Preston'.

Interactive map

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