Walk 279: Great Offley South-East Loop

6 miles (9.6 km) with 90m of total ascent

The view at point 5 in the walk

This is a lovely walk with long stretches where you might feel you have escaped from civilisation with just the sound of birdsong and the odd plane overhead. It starts outside The Red Lion in the village of Great Offley then passes The Plough at Ley Green close to the halfway point before looping back over undulating fields with wide open views. The Dream Bean Cafe is a 850m drive south of the start/finish point.

The walk crosses arable fields which might be overgrown with crops in the summer and ploughed over at other times of the year. You will also cross livestock fields where you might encounter cattle. There are signs along the route asking dog owners to keep their pets under control. There is one short stretch of lane walking where there is no pedestrian pavement.

The nearest bus stop is 600m NW of the start/finish point along Kings Walden Road. The bus stop is called 'Great Offley Luton Rd Post Office (nr)' and is served by the 101 bus. The journey is 18 mins from Hitchin. You can check times at Intalink.

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 279: Great Offley South-East Loop
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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.

Take the footpath on the right of the overspill car park

1: As you face The Red Lion pub (location - https://w3w.co/date.carbon.worms) turn right then head S for 10m until you reach a footpath on the right close to the pub's overspill car park (location - https://w3w.co/elbowing.slogged.exhales), see image below.

Turn right on Offley footpath 13

Turn right on Offley footpath 13 then head SW for 270m until you reach a footpath junction at a gate (location - https://w3w.co/pheasants.radiating.ballpoint), see image below.

Turn left then head S on Offley footpath 12

2: Turn left, go through the gate, then head S, now on Offley footpath 12, with the hedgerow on the left and field on the right.

Head S on Offley footpath 12

Continue heading S for 195m until you reach a gap in the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/cheek.blubber.excavate). The gap is hard to spot - see the line of the orange arrow on the image below.

Go through the gap in the hedge, still on Offley footpath 12

3: Go through the gap, still on Offley footpath 12, to reach an arable field, see image below.

Offley footpath 12 heads diagonally across the field

Offley footpath 12 heads diagonally SW across the field through the crop for 340m until it reaches the corner of the field and a gap between trees (location - https://w3w.co/squashes.wizard.mothering), see image below.

Go through the gap then head S

4: Go through the gap then head S until you reach another arable field (location - https://w3w.co/however.secretly.stitching), see image below.

Head SSW across the arable field

Head SSW across the arable field, now on Kings Walden footpath 39, for 175m until you reach woodland (location - https://w3w.co/wriggled.shadowed.lately), see image below.

Head SSE with woodland on the right and field on the left

5: Head SSE, still on Kings Walden footpath 39 and with woodland on the right and field on the left. Continue for 110m until you reach the end of the woodland and a gap in the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/crowd.logbook.remainder), see image below.

Go through the gap in the hedgerow to reach another arable field

6: Go through the gap in the hedgerow to reach another arable field, see image below.

Head S across the arable field until you reach the hedgerow

Head S across the arable field for 135m until you reach the hedgerow on the other side (location - https://w3w.co/panic.union.needed).

7: Head SSE, with the woodland on the right and field on the left. Continue for 285m until you reach the end of the woodland and a footpath junction (location - https://w3w.co/leads.influencing.activism), see image below.

Turn left on Kings Walden footpath 38

8: Turn left at the footpath junction on Kings Walden footpath 38. There wasn't a marker post at this junction when we tested the walk so Ellie had to stand in to point the way, see image above.

Head ENE across an arable field

Head ENE on Kings Walden footpath 38 across an arable field until you reach the hedgerow and a path leading down to Kings Walden Road (location - https://w3w.co/bridges.conspired.risks), see image below.

Follow Kings Walden footpath 38 down to Kings Walden Road

9: Turn right on Kings Walden Road. This stretch of road doesn't have a pedestrian pavement so please take care. Head SE on Kings Walden Road for 450m until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/waged.coast.finalists), see image below.

Turn left on Kings Walden footpath 25

10: Turn left on Kings Walden footpath 25 then head diagonally SE across a field.

Continue for 145m until you reach hedgerow

Continue for 145m until you reach hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/parsnips.sparkles.covenants), see image below.

Follow Kings Walden footpath 25 SE across another field

11: Go through the gap in the hedgerow then follow Kings Walden footpath 25 SE for 125m across another field, through a gate (location - https://w3w.co/harmless.shook.enhancement), then to the left of a house (location - https://w3w.co/sketching.dynamic.fatherly) before reaching Kingswell End Road (location - https://w3w.co/indicated.inviting.boots).

12: Turn left on Kingswell End Road then head ENE for 75m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/scorecard.shifting.amphibian), see image below.

Turn right on Kings Walden footpath 25

Turn right on Kings Walden footpath 25 then head SE for 30m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/skidding.chained.racetrack), see image below.

Turn left at the junction, still on Kings Walden footpath 25

13: Turn left at the junction, still on Kings Walden footpath 25 then head SE with the hedgerow on the left and field on the right. Continue for 150m until you reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/unite.height.vent), see image below.

Continue heading SE on Kings Walden footpath 25

14: Go through the gate then continue heading SE on Kings Walden footpath 25 for 325m until you reach School Lane (location - https://w3w.co/happily.ironic.daylight).

15: Turn left on School Lane then head NE for 210m until you reach a right-hand bend (location - https://w3w.co/jugs.grins.edits), see image below.

Follow School Lane round to the right

Follow School Lane round to the right then head E for 35m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/prowess.fatherly.synthetic), see image below.

Turn right on Kings Walden footpath 26

16: Turn right on Kings Walden footpath 26 then head SW for 15m to a gate. Go through the gate then head SE for with the hedgerow on the left and a play area on the right. Continue heading SE across several livestock fields where you might encounter cattle. After 220m you will reach Plough Lane (location - https://w3w.co/repaying.songbirds.flaking). The Plough pub will be on your right (location - https://w3w.co/pelt.deeper.expectant), see image below.

The Plough, Ley Green

17: When you reach Plough Lane turn left then head NE for 10m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/scorch.earplugs.hounded), see image below.

Turn right, still on Kings Walden footpath 26

Turn right, still on Kings Walden footpath 26, then head SE across another livestock field. Continue, with the field boundary on the right for 300m until you reach Parsonage Lane (location - https://w3w.co/spiking.kite.ratty).

Turn left on Parsonage Lane then take the footpath on the right

18: Turn left on Parsonage Lane then head NNE for 10m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/registers.hydrant.melon). Turn right, still on Kings Walden footpath 26.

Head SE across a livestock field until you reach woodland

Head SE across a livestock field for 125m until you reach woodland (location - https://w3w.co/remember.hairstyle.strapping), see orange arrow on the image above.

19: Continue heading SE, still on Kings Walden footpath 26 with the hedgerow on the left and field on the right. After 240m you will reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/flipper.pulps.towel). Go through the gate then continue heading SE for 230m until you reach the corner of a field (location - https://w3w.co/cling.paces.fevered), see image below.

Turn left to reach a junction

20: Turn left to reach a junction where you turn left on Kings Walden BOAT 45 (byway open to all traffic).

Follow Kings Walden BOAT 45 N for 770m until you reach Back Lane (location - https://w3w.co/simulator.perfume.fruitcake), see image below.

Cross Back Lane then head NNE on Kings Walden bridleway 31

21: Cross Back Lane then head NNE on Kings Walden bridleway 31. Continue for 240m until you reach a gap (location - https://w3w.co/region.ourselves.slap) see image below.

Continue, still on Kings Walden bridleway 31

22: Go through the gap then head NE on Kings Walden bridleway 31, but now with the hedgerow on the right and the field on the left, for 335m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/wheels.warnings.embellish), see image below.

Turn right then turn left on Kings Walden BOAT 48

23: Turn right through the hedgerow then turn left on Kings Walden BOAT 48. Head NNE for 220m until you reach a byway on the left (location - https://w3w.co/buzzards.remembers.goats), see image below.

Turn left on Kings Walden BOAT 47

24: Turn left on Kings Walden BOAT 47 then head W for 260m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/however.guitars.swatting), see image below.

Turn right on Kings Walden restricted byway 47

25: Turn right on Kings Walden restricted byway 47 then head W for 580m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/rips.thinnest.moving), see image below.

Head SSW for 110m until you reach a byway on the right

26: Turn left then head SSW for 110m until you reach a byway on the right (location - https://w3w.co/smarter.mooring.irony), see image below.

Turn right on Kings Walden restricted byway 36

27: Turn right on Kings Walden restricted byway 36 then head NW. Continue for 890m until you reach a gate on the right leading into a field (location - https://w3w.co/teaspoons.lilac.issues), see image below.

Go through the gate then head NNW on Offley bridleway 22

28: Go through the gate then head NNW, now on Offley bridleway 22.

Follow Offley bridleway 22 diagonally NNW across a field

Follow Offley bridleway 22 diagonally NNW across a field until you reach a gate in the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/discrepancy.chatters.envoy), see image below.

Go thorough the gate then head NW on Offley bridleway 22

29: Go thorough the gate then head NW still on Offley bridleway 22.

* This is the least attractive part of the walk. When we tested the route in August 2024 work was underway to fill pothole on the bridleway with hardcore. I am sure this will be of great benefit once it settles in. However, in the meantime it might be worth walking on the edge of the bridleway to avoid twisting an ankle.

Continue on Offley bridleway 22 for 650m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/agenda.intelligible.reassured), see image below.

Continue heading NW at the junction

30: Continue heading NW at the junction, still on Offley bridleway 22, with the hedgerow on the left and field on the right. After 240m you will reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/presented.yield.snacks), see image below.

Turn left on Offley UCR 1

31: Turn left on Offley UCR 1 (unclassified unmetalled county road), which is also called Harris Lane,  then follow it NW for 330m back to the start of the walk.

There is another pub in the village, The Green Man (location - https://w3w.co/intervene.haven.tumble), which is 555m NW of the start/finish point along Kings Walden Road.

Interactive map

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