Walk 280: Buntingford North Loop

7.4 miles (11.9 km) with 129m of total ascent

Buntingford bridleway 4 at point 24 in the walk

Another lovely walk in the north-east of the county affording expansive views across rolling countryside. The walk starts in the town of Buntingford then heads west via Throcking then east via Chipping before passing through Wyddial then returning to Buntingford. You will cross the River Rib twice.

Several rights of way cross arable fields that might be in the process of being harvested, ploughed over prior to sowing the next crop, or obscured by ripened crop. There are two sections, at points 15 & 16, where nettles and brambles are growing over the public right of way (August 2024) but both can be avoided. Both have been reported to Hertfordshire County Council's rights of way service.

Parking is in Buntingford car park off Bowling Green Lane (charges apply during the week). The nearest bus stop to the start of the walk is called 'Buntingford Pharmacy' and is served by the 331 bus. Another option is to catch the number 18 bus to The Countryman in Chipping (the stop is called 'Chipping Ermine Street') then join the walk at point 16. You can check times from your location 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 280: Buntingford North 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.

Charges at the public car park in Buntingford (Aug 2024)

1: From the public car park in Buntingford (location - https://w3w.co/sank.telephone.robes) head WSW to the vehicular exit at the junction with Bowling Green Lane (location - https://w3w.co/exact.tastings.locate) then turn right.

Head NNW on Bowling Green Lane. After 225m the lane becomes Buntingford bridleway 31 as you reach playing fields on the left (location - https://w3w.co/simply.candidate.fake).

Continue heading NNW for 170m until you reach a footpath on the left at the end of the playing fields (location - https://w3w.co/gentlemen.curve.lightly), see image below.

Turn left on Buntingford footpath 36

2: Turn left on Buntingford footpath 36. Be sure to take the path beyond the signpost not before. Head W for 350m until you reach a footbridge over the A10 (location - https://w3w.co/goodbyes.animals.local), see image below.

Cross the footbridge then continue heading W

3: Cross the footbridge then continue now on Cottered footpath 40.

Head W on Cottered footpath 40

Head W on Cottered footpath 40 with woodland on the left. Continue for 200m until you reach the end of the woodland (location - https://w3w.co/follow.starlight.jiggle), see image below.

Cottered footpath 40 heads across an arable field

4: Cottered footpath 40 now heads WNW across an arable field. Continue for 255m before reaching a gap in the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/sizes.pave.riskiest), see image below.

Go through the gap then head across a second arable field

5: Go through the gap then continue heading WNW across a second arable field, still on Cottered footpath 40. Continue for 275m until you reach a gap in the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/projects.satellite.fictional), see image below.

Cross a third arable field on Cottered footpath 40

6: Go through the gap then continue heading WNW across a third arable field.

Continue heading WNW still on Cottered footpath 40

Continue, still on Cottered footpath 40, for 410m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/give.undertook.together), see image below.

Head WNW on Cottered restricted byway 39

7: Continue heading WNW, but now on Cottered restricted byway 39, for 460m until you reach a lane (location - https://w3w.co/sailed.lemons.prune), see image below.

Turn right on the lane

8: Turn right on the lane then head in a northerly direction for 255m until you reach Cottered Road at its junction with Throcking Road (location - https://w3w.co/unsigned.zones.eagle).

9: Turn right on Throcking Road then head NE for 50m until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/height.scanning.roofer), see image below.

Turn left on Cottered footpath 42

Turn left on Cottered footpath 42 then head NNW across an arable field.

Continue for 615m until you reach woodland

Continue for 615m until you reach woodland (location - https://w3w.co/grow.poses.converged), see image below.

Turn right at the woodland then head NE

10: Turn right at the woodland then head NE, with the woodland on the left and field on the right. Continue for 35m until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/champions.flopping.gender), see image below.

Turn left on Sandon footpath 30

Turn left on Sandon footpath 30 then cross a wooden footbridge. Head NW, with the woodland on the left.

Continue for 330m until you reach a footpath on the right

Continue for 330m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/roving.bonfires.awaited), see image below.

Turn right on Sandon footpath 31

11: Turn right on Sandon footpath 31 then head NE between two arable fields. Continue for 360m until you reach woodland (location - https://w3w.co/skip.beeline.tweed), see image below.

Continue heading NE, still on Sandon footpath 31

12: Continue heading NE, still on Sandon footpath 31, with the woodland on the left, for 280m until you reach the end of the woodland where the footpath bends right then left (location - https://w3w.co/outlast.camcorder.hence).

Follow Sandon footpath 31 as it heads NNE

13: Sandon footpath 31 now heads NNE, with hedgerow on the left and a field on the right. Continue for 350m until you reach Throcking Lane (location - https://w3w.co/roost.yawned.label), see image below.

Turn right on Throcking Lane

14: Turn right on Throcking Lane. This is a quiet lane without a pedestrian pavement, but there are verges where you can stand aside if traffic approaches.

Head in an easterly direction along Throcking Lane for 650m until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/truly.protests.teardrop), see image below.

Turn left on Buckland footpath 1

15: Turn left on Buckland footpath 1. The beginning of this path was overgrown with nettles when we tested the route in August 2024 but we got through okay in shorts by using a hiking pole to hack away the nettles. There is a way to walk to the left of the worst of the nettles in order to avoid them.

Head NE with the hedgerow on the left and field on the right. After 125m the footpath you are on becomes Buckland bridleway 1 (location - https://w3w.co/labs.tearfully.star).

Continue now heading ENE on Buckland bridleway 1 for 560m until the bridleway cuts to the right through the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/clothed.seaside.perfectly), see image below.

Follow the bridleway E for 95m until you reach the A10

Follow the bridleway E for 95m until you reach the A10 in Chipping (location - https://w3w.co/thumbnail.screamed.tablet), see image below.

The Countryman cafe

* The Countryman cafe will be on the right (location - https://w3w.co/thinnest.empire.melts). The cafe is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 5pm.

16: Cross the A10 then turn left. Head N for 35m crossing Chipping Bridge over the River Rib. Immediately after the bridge you will reach a bridleway on the right (location - https://w3w.co/promoting.pranced.stocked), see image below.

Turn right on a bridleway after crossing Chipping Bridge

Turn right on Buckland bridleway 11 then head SE for 40m until the bridleway goes off to the left (location - https://w3w.co/hugs.soulful.ruling), see image below.

The overgrown section can be avoided

This short section was overgrown with brambles and nettles when we tested this route. We managed it in shorts using hiking poles to hack our way through. If you are unable to get through you could continue on the track (see orange arrow on the right on the image above) for 50m to rejoin Buckland bridleway 11 (location - https://w3w.co/spins.rave.irrigate).

17: Continue on Buckland bridleway 11 between two arable fields. This is a lovely bridleway with excellent views. Head ENE for 830m until you reach a junction on the edge of woodland (location - https://w3w.co/shelf.employ.loopholes), see image below.

Keep right still on Buckland bridleway 11

18: Keep right then continue heading ENE then SE, still on Buckland bridleway 11. Continue until you reach the end of the woodland (location - https://w3w.co/cloud.unspoiled.sagging), see image below.

Go through a gap in the hedgerow

19: Go through a gap in the hedgerow, cross a wooden footbridge, now on Wyddial bridleway 4, then head SE across an arable field.

Cross an arable field on Wyddial bridleway 4

Continue for 215m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/wriggled.vanilla.potato), see image below.

Turn right on Wyddial bridleway 3

20: Turn right on Wyddial bridleway 3 then head SW for 150m until you reach a bridleway on the left (location - https://w3w.co/subtitle.suitcase.walls), see image below.

Turn left on Wyddial bridleway 5

21: Turn left on Wyddial bridleway 5 then head SE for 765m until you reach Wyddial Road (location - https://w3w.co/houseboat.hello.lunged).

22: Turn right on Wyddial Road then head SW for 35m until you reach Moles Lane on the left (location - https://w3w.co/replying.envisage.miles), see image below. There is a bench on the small traffic island.

Turn left on Moles Lane

Turn left on Moles Lane then head SSE for 335m until the lane ends and becomes a bridleway (location - https://w3w.co/slam.pronouns.bulb), see image below.

Head SSE on Wyddial bridleway 9

Continue heading SSE, now on Wyddial bridleway 9, for 100m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/idealist.cover.navy), see image below.

Turn left then head ENE to a junction

23: Turn left then head ENE for 135m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/breakfast.culling.facing), see image below.

Turn right on Buntingford bridleway 4

24: Turn right on Buntingford bridleway 4 then head ESE. Continue for 665m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/gossiping.neat.mirror), see image below.

Continue heading ESE, still on Buntingford bridleway 4

Continue heading ESE, still on Buntingford bridleway 4 until you reach a bend (location - https://w3w.co/backup.increases.burn).

25: Follow Buntingford bridleway 4 as it bends right then heads SW for 315m, with hedgerow on the left and fields on the right, to a footpath junction (location - https://w3w.co/entrust.ground.according), see image below.

Head SW now on Buntingford bridleway 6

26: Keep heading SW now on Buntingford bridleway 6 for 115m, with hedgerow on the left and field on the right. Continue to a footpath junction (location - https://w3w.co/width.custard.bottle), see image below.

Continue heading SW, now on Buntingford footpath 34

Continue heading SW, now on Buntingford footpath 34, with hedgerow on the left and fields on the right, for 315m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/hopes.regarding.learns), see image below.

Turn right on Buntingford restricted byway 8

27: Turn right on Buntingford restricted byway 8 then head W for 435m until you reach The Causeway (location - https://w3w.co/stolen.rods.plans), see image below.

Turn left on The Causeway

28: Turn left on The Causeway then head in a westerly direction for 645m until you reach a ford and then a bridge over the River Rib (location - https://w3w.co/rainwater.tasters.grounded), see images below.

Turn left before you reach a ford

Cross the bridge over the River Rib

29: Cross the River Rib then head WSW along Church Road. You will pass The Fox and Duck pub on the right (location - https://w3w.co/presumes.pulps.audit).

Continue heading SW for 165m until you reach High Street, Buntingford (location - https://w3w.co/country.vanilla.upsetting).

30: Turn right on High Street then head NNW for 15m until you reach a footpath on the left immediately after The Buntingford Coffee Shop (location - https://w3w.co/bank.woodstove.enough).

* There are several opportunities for refreshments along Buntingford High Street including The Falcon (location - https://w3w.co/rhino.energy.smiles) and The Black Bull (location - https://w3w.co/confetti.yards.bricks).

Turn left down the side of The Buntingford Coffee Shop then follow Buntingford footpath 30 back to the car park.

There are public toilets as you reach the parking area (location - https://w3w.co/means.intention.salmon).

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Interactive map

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