Walk 277: Reed South-West Loop

5.3 miles (8.6 km) with 76m of total ascent

Approaching Buckland just before point 7

This is a lovely walk over the gentle rolling countryside south and west of the village of Reed in north Hertfordshire. The views along the way are amazing. When we tested the route in July 2024 wildflowers bordered most of the rights of way attracting many species of butterflies.

Route notes

The route crosses several arable fields where crops can cover the path just before harvest in the late summer. Those same paths will be ploughed over and reinstated after harvesting. The sections between points 2 & 3, between points 8 & 9, and between points 18 & 20 could be affected.

In summer and early autumn brambles and nettles can be a problem along some rights of way. When we tested the route in July 2024 we had to push back nettles with a hiking pole along a 150m stretch between points 5 & 6 but, although wearing shorts, we were not stung.

There are two stretches of lane and road walking on this route. The first, between points 16 & 17, is along a quiet lane, the second is along a road between points 22 & 23 which doesn't have a pedestrian pavement. The route crosses the A10 twice.

Unlike most of our walks this route doesn't include a pub. The only refreshment opportunity is The Silver Ball Cafe at point 24 towards the end of the walk.

For those travelling by bus, the stop you need to enter into Intalink is 'Silver Ball, Reed' to find the timetable for the number 18 bus. The bus stop is at point 23 in the walk.

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 277: Reed 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.

Enter the churchyard of St Mary's Church

1: From the junction of Church Lane and Church Close (location - https://w3w.co/sharpness.dividers.grading), enter the churchyard of St Mary's Church on Reed footpath 17 (location - https://w3w.co/mega.elections.loves). The church has a rich history. It was recorded in the Doomsday Book of 1086 and parts of it date back to the Saxon period.

St Mary's Church, Reed

Walk through the churchyard, with the church on your left, heading E on Reed footpath 17 for 90m until you reach a gap in the hedge leading to a field (location - https://w3w.co/whimpered.remote.destined), see image below.

Head E across an arable field on Reed footpath 17

2: Go through the gap then head E on Reed footpath 17 across an arable field. When we walked this route in July 2024 the crop had yet to be harvested but the path was clear. Continue for 250m until you cross a track and then reach a gap in the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/scores.rainwater.decide), see image below.

Go through the gap in the hedgerow then turn right

3: Cross the track, go through the gap in the hedgerow, then turn right on Reed footpath 20. Head S for 110m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/honestly.issued.jolt), see image below.

Continue heading straight and S on Reed footpath 20

4: Head straight and S on Reed footpath 20 ignoring a footpath on the left. Continue for 430m until you reach a field (location - https://w3w.co/plays.prepares.stub), see image below.

Follow Reed footpath 20 round to the right

5: Follow Reed footpath 20 round to the right then head SW for 35m until the footpath bends left through a hedgerow tunnel (location - https://w3w.co/bombshell.gently.dance), see image below.

Follow Reed footpath 20 through a hedgerow tunnel

Follow Reed footpath 20 as it heads S through the hedgerow tunnel. When we tested this route in July, 2024 there were nettles and brambles encroaching over the public right of way. We walked in shorts and didn't get stung, but we had walking poles to push the nettles to one side.

Continue through the hedgerow tunnel on Reed footpath 20 for 165m until you emerge, hopefully unscathed, at the other end (location - https://w3w.co/mango.managed.mediate), see image below.

Head S on Buckland footpath 14

6: At this point you will have crossed a parish boundary and the footpath you are on is now Buckland footpath 14. Follow the footpath, with a brook and hedgerow on the right and fields on the left. Head first S then SW for 710m until you reach a bend (location - https://w3w.co/baseballs.arrived.woke), see image below.

Cross the brook then turn left

7: Cross the brook then turn left to head SE, with the brook now on the left. Continue for 45m to a bend (location - https://w3w.co/glad.dupe.frail) where Buckland footpath 14 turns to the right to head SSW, still with the brook on the left. Continue for 125m to another bend (location - https://w3w.co/loaded.shame.conclude), see image below.

Head SW, still on Buckland footpath 14

Head SW, still on Buckland footpath 14, for 65m until you reach a lane (location - https://w3w.co/headline.lavished.soup). Turn right on the lane, head SW for 25m until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/craziest.shuffles.cabs), see image below.

Turn left on Buckland footpath 7

8: Turn left on Buckland footpath 7 then head SW across an arable field. Continue for 240m until you reach a hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/commuting.timeless.betrayal), see image below.

Go through a gap in the hedgerow to reach a path

Go through a gap in the hedgerow to reach a path. The next section weaves through the churchyard of St Andrew's Church, Buckland. I have created a map to show the route through the churchyard, which is explained in the following directions.

Map of route through the churchyard

9: Once through the gap in the hedgerow turn left then immediately right, see image below.

Turn right on Buckland footpath 12

Turn right on Buckland footpath 12 then head WNW to reach the churchyard, see image below.

Buckland footpath 12 entering the churchyard

Follow Buckland footpath 12 NW through the churchyard, with the church on the left and the old rectory on the right.

Continue through the churchyard on Buckland footpath 12

Continue on Buckland footpath 12 heading NW for 90m until you reach a gate in the corner of the churchyard to the left of the old rectory (location - https://w3w.co/odds.gown.rewriting), see image below.

Leave the churchyard at the gate

10: Leave the churchyard at the gate then continue on Buckland footpath 12 heading W for 210m until you reach the A10 (location - https://w3w.co/bypassed.towel.graced).

11: Turn right on the pedestrian pavement alongside the A10 then head N for 75m until you reach a byway on the left (location - https://w3w.co/discussed.seducing.totals).

Turn left on Buckland BOAT 6

12: Turn left on Buckland BOAT 6 (byway open to all traffic), which is also Therfield BOAT 35 along the next stretch as the byway straddles a parish boundary.

Buckland BOAT 6 heading W

Follow Buckland BOAT 6 W for 235m until it becomes Therfield footpath 35 just after a tree on the left (location - https://w3w.co/balanced.culling.hobby), see image below.

After the tree on the left you follow Therfield footpath 35 NW

13: Follow Therfield footpath 35 NW for 1.1km until you reach a bend (location - https://w3w.co/drag.dove.solicitor), see image below.

Turn left on the bend, still on Therfield footpath 35

14: Turn left at the bend, still on Therfield footpath 35. Continue heading NW with the hedgerow on the left and field on the right. This stretch doesn't appear to be used often but it was fine, see image below.

Therfield footpath 35 heading NW from point 14

Continue for 450m until the path bends to the right at the end of the field then reaches a gap leading to a footbridge on the left (location - https://w3w.co/golf.intricate.intend), see image below.

Turn left, still on Therfield footpath 35

15: Turn left, still on Therfield footpath 35, then cross the footbridge, see image below.

Cross the footbridge still on Therfield footpath 35

There was a sign either side of this footbridge warning that it might be dangerous, see image below. We didn't spot any danger when we crossed it.

The sign on the footbridge at point 15

Continue on Therfield footpath 35 heading WNW for 135m until you reach a gate leading to a lane called Dane End (location - https://w3w.co/collected.visits.exhale), see image below.

Go through the gate then turn right on Dane End

16: Go through the gate then turn right on Dane End. Head E then NE for 570m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/unguarded.submits.already), see image below.

Turn right on Therfield footpath 32

17: Turn right on Therfield footpath 32 then head ESE for 145m before the footpath turns left (location - https://w3w.co/mixture.arch.excusing), see image below.

Turn left, still on Therfield footpath 32

18: Turn left, still on Therfield footpath 32, then cross a footbridge before heading NNW for 195m across an arable field, see image below.

Cross the footbridge then head NNW

Therfield footpath 32 was slightly obscured by ripened crop when we tested this route in July 2024.

Take care when walking along this stretch because when we walked along the footpath the land underfoot had cracked and there were some deep holes; it would be easy to twist an ankle.

After crossing the field you will come to a gap in the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/clicker.caves.zealous), see image below.

Go through the gap then continue across another arable field

19: Go through the gap then continue across another arable field which was also partially obscured by crop when we tested the route, see image below.

Follow Therfield footpath 32 across another arable field

Follow Therfield footpath 32 as it heads NNE across another arable field for 345m until it reaches the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/refusals.amicably.feels), see image below.

Turn right at the hedgerow then head NE

20: Turn right at the hedgerow then head NE, with the hedgerow on the left and the field on the right, for 55m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/resettle.vesting.redeemed), see image below.

Ignore the footpath on the left

Ignore the footpath on the left and head straight still on Therfield footpath 32 and now heading E for 190m with the hedgerow on the left and field on the right. Continue until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/equal.joints.cuff), see image below.

Turn left, still on Therfield footpath 32

21: Turn left, still on Therfield footpath 32 but now heading NE. Continue for 340m until you reach Haywood Lane (location - https://w3w.co/pegged.decorator.code), see image below.

Turn right on Haywood Lane

22: Turn right on Haywood Lane. There isn't a pedestrian pavement along this stretch so take care if traffic approaches. Head E for 355m until you reach the A10 (location - https://w3w.co/handyman.hiring.terminal).

* At this point you will see The Silver Ball Cafe on the right.

23: Cross the A10 then turn right on the pedestrian pavement. Head S on the pavement for 30m until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/blogs.corded.shears), see image below.

Turn left on Reed footpath 3

Turn left on Reed footpath 3 then head E for 445m until you reach Bricklayers Lane (location - https://w3w.co/dock.mallets.waistcoat), see image below.

Turn left on Bricklayers Lane

24: Turn left on Bricklayers Lane then head N for 20m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/reliving.stables.gold), see image below.

Turn right on Reed footpath 4

Turn right on Reed footpath 4 then head SSE for 130m to a gap in the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/consoles.disposal.curly), see image below.

Go through the gap then take the left fork

25: Go through the gap then take the left fork heading SE to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/guesswork.revise.sympathy), see image below.

Turn left at the junction then head E

26: Turn left at the junction then head E, still on Reed footpath 4, for 180m to High Street, Reed (location - https://w3w.co/sweated.perfectly.throat).

27: Turn right on High Street then head S for 175m until the road bends right where it meets a road called Driftway (location - https://w3w.co/drew.pocketed.chained), see image below.

Turn right on Driftway then head W

28: Turn right on Driftway then head W for 50m until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/airports.weary.human), see image below.

Turn left on Reed footpath 16

29: Turn left on Reed footpath 16 then head SW for 150m to a footpath junction (location - https://w3w.co/reefs.profile.sparkle), see image below.

Head straight and SW on Reed footpath 7

30: Continue straight and heading SW, but now on Reed footpath 7. Continue for 145m until you reach a gap in the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/thudding.lookout.obvious), see image below.

Follow on Reed footpath 7 through the gap

Go through the gap and then though a gate leading to the churchyard of St Mary's Church, see image below.

Go through a gate then cross the churchyard

31: Go through the gate then continue heading SW, still on Reed footpath 7, with the church on the left, until you leave the churchyard and return to the start of the walk.

St Mary's Church, Reed

Interactive map

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