Walk 283: Much Hadham West Loop

7.4 miles (11.9 km) with 104m of total ascent

The view as you leave Much Hadham

This is a great walk for those who enjoy wide open views across rolling countryside well away from traffic and people. At times all you will hear is birdsong and the occasional plane overhead. There is a good mix of footpaths, bridleways and byways with some shaded stretches.

Getting there

There are bus stops close to the village hall on High Street, Much Hadham (location - https://w3w.co/loving.kept.clubs), which is served by the number 35 bus. You can check bus 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 283: Much Hadham 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.

The Bull, High Street, Much Hadham

1: With your back to The Bull (location - https://w3w.co/yours.laying.chief) turn right then head S along High Street for 235m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/making.lake.zooms), see image below.

Turn right on Much Hadham footpath 10

2: Turn right on Much Hadham footpath 10 then head WSW for 155m until you reach a footpath to the left of a gate (location - https://w3w.co/trendy.card.left), see image below.

Turn left, still on Much Hadham footpath 10

3: Turn left, still on Much Hadham footpath 10, then head SSW for 25m until you go through a gap in the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/pets.ready.labels), see image below.

Go through the gap on Much Hadham footpath 10

Head SW across a field for 295m until you reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/herds.harp.cling), see image below.

Go through the gate, still on Much Hadham footpath 10

4: Go through the gate, still on Much Hadham footpath 10, then continue heading SW for 135m to another gate (location - https://w3w.co/offers.puff.clash), see image below.

Go through the gate, still on Much Hadham footpath 10

5: Go through the gate, still on Much Hadham footpath 10, then head SW for 15m until you reach a gate on the right (location - https://w3w.co/librarian.turkey.hungry), see image below.

Turn right then go through the gate

Turn right then go through the gate. Continue heading SW across a field for 120m until you reach a track (location - https://w3w.co/desire.with.stream), see image below. At this point the public right of way would have gone straight ahead, but a landowner has disputed the path so we had to use a diversion.

Turn left on the track

6: Turn left on the track then head SE for 80m until you reach Kettle Green Road (location - https://w3w.co/costs.tribune.curve), see image below.

Cross Kettle Green Road then take the footpath on the other side

7: Cross Kettle Green Road then take the footpath on the other side. Follow the footpath as it bends to the right then heads W then SW for 65m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/vocal.remit.nearly), see image below.

Turn left on Much Hadham footpath 11

8: Turn left on Much Hadham footpath 11 then head S for 200m until you reach a track running along the back of houses on the left (location - https://w3w.co/walks.pens.eager).

9: Follow the track S for 90m then SE for 75m until you reach Windmill Way (location - https://w3w.co/league.model.patio), see image below.

Turn right on Windmill Way

10: Turn right on Windmill Way then head SE for 135m until you reach a bridleway on the right (location - https://w3w.co/next.takes.finds), see image below.

Turn right on Much Hadham bridleway 14

11: Turn right on Much Hadham bridleway 14 then head SW for 385m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/pool.bottle.grant), see image below.

Cross the junction then head S

12: Cross the junction, still on Much Hadham bridleway 14, then head S for 95m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/issued.buddy.retain), see image below.

Turn right still on Much Hadham bridleway 14

13: Turn right, still on Much Hadham bridleway 14, then head SW for 225m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/bravo.intro.glare), see image below.

Turn right on Much Hadham bridleway 53

14: Turn right on Much Hadham bridleway 53 then head WSW for 140m to a farm (location - https://w3w.co/barn.eagle.remedy), see image below.

Follow Much Hadham bridleway 53 through the farmyard

15: Follow Much Hadham bridleway 53 through the farmyard then head NW for 405m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/cliff.expect.clots), see image below.

Turn left on Much Hadham bridleway 52

16: Turn left on Much Hadham bridleway 52 then head SW for 340m until you reach woodland and a junction (location - https://w3w.co/news.line.driven), see image below.

Head S on Ware bridleway 16

17: When you reach the woodland the bridleway crosses a parish boundary and becomes Ware bridleway 16. Continue with the woodland on the right for 270m until you reach a right-hand bend (location - https://w3w.co/resist.boom.poems).

18: Follow Ware bridleway 16 as it bends right then heads W, with the woodland on the right, for 190m to a left-hand bend (location - https://w3w.co/ropes.oddly.eagles), see image below.

Continue on Ware bridleway 16 now heading SSW

19: Continue on Ware bridleway 16 now heading SSW and with the hedgerow on the right for 175m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/lunch.spare.impose), see image below.

Turn right on Ware bridleway 17

20: Turn right on Ware bridleway 17 then head W for 30m until you reach hedgerow between two fields (location - https://w3w.co/eating.pages.owner), see image below.

Ware bridleway 17 runs along the left of the hedgerow

Ware bridleway 17 runs along the left of the hedgerow, see orange arrow on the image above. Continue heading W, with the hedgerow on the right, for 525m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/hoping.wounds.remote), see image below.

Turn right on Wareside bridleway 66

21: Turn right on Wareside bridleway 66 then head WNW for 15m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/towers.poster.raves), see image below.

Turn left on Wareside footpath 8

Turn left on Wareside footpath 8 then head WSW for 30m until the footpath crosses a track (location - https://w3w.co/race.visual.sunset), see image below.

Cross the track then continue on Wareside footpath 8

Cross the track then continue heading WSW for 150m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/suffice.labels.translated), see image below.

Cross the junction then continue on Wareside footpath 8A

22: Cross the junction then continue heading WSW now on Wareside footpath 8A. Continue for 150m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/leave.tune.shuts), see image below.

Turn left on Wareside footpath 54

23: Turn left on Wareside footpath 54 then head SW for 125m, with the hedgerow on the right and field on the left, until the footpath bends right (location - https://w3w.co/epic.joins.melt), see image below.

Follow Wareside footpath 54 down to a footbridge

24: Follow Wareside footpath 54 down to a footbridge over Nimney Bourne (location - https://w3w.co/using.loves.axed), see image below.

Cross Nimney Bourne via the footbridge

Cross Nimney Bourne via the footbridge then head WSW and uphill for 80m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/flying.curry.riots), see image below.

Turn right on Wareside restricted byway 73

25: Turn right on Wareside restricted byway 73 then head NW, SW, then NW again for 260m until you reach a lane (location - https://w3w.co/groom.sends.shark), see image below.

Turn left on the lane then head SW

26: Turn left on the lane then head SW for 45m until you reach a track on the right (location - https://w3w.co/noting.relax.music), see image below.

Turn right on Wareside BOAT 74

27: Turn right on what looks like a private drive, but which is also Wareside BOAT 74 (byway open to all traffic) then head NW for 35m to where the byway continues N between two houses (location - https://w3w.co/dunes.spray.exams), see image below.

Head N on Wareside BOAT 74

Head N on Wareside BOAT 74 for 890m until you reach a lane (location - https://w3w.co/throw.woof.woof), see image below.

Turn left on the lane

28: Turn left on the lane then head NNW for 180m until you reach Cold Christmas Lane (location - https://w3w.co/bowls.glue.unfair), see image below.

Turn right on Cold Christmas Lane

29: Turn right on Cold Christmas Lane then head NNE. This is a quiet lane with wide grass verges where you can stand to one side if traffic approaches. Continue for 690m until you reach a road junction (location - https://w3w.co/happen.plant.slams), see image below.

Cross the road junction then head N on Standon footpath 54

30: Cross the road junction then head N on Standon footpath 54. After 255m you will reach a farmyard (location - https://w3w.co/uses.buyers.dates), see image below.

Head N through the farmyard on Standon footpath 54

31: Follow Standon footpath 54 N through the farmyard for 65m until the footpath bends left (location - https://w3w.co/loans.bride.stared) then bends right (location - https://w3w.co/deaf.single.income), see image below.

Standon footpath 54 now heads NE

32: Standon footpath 54 now heads NE for 75m before leaving the farm buildings where it becomes Standon footpath 56 (location - https://w3w.co/peanut.credit.neon), Please check the satellite image below for the route through the farmyard.

Standon footpath 54 as it passes through the farmyard

33: Follow Standon footpath 56 as it heads N with the hedgerow on the right.

Continue for 145m until the footpath bends left (location - https://w3w.co/depend.loose.poetic) then heads W, still with the hedgerow on the right.

Continue for 75m until the footpath bends right (location - https://w3w.co/rated.looked.toast), then heads NNE, still with the hedgerow on the right.

Continue until the footpath goes through a gap in the hedgerow in the corner of a field (location - https://w3w.co/flap.guitar.elite), see image below.

Go through the gap then cross an arable field

34: Go through the gap then follow Standon footpath 56 as it crosses an arable field, see image below.

Head NE across the arable field

Head NE across the arable field. Continue for 175m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/parent.pulled.pipe), see image below.

Turn right on Standon bridleway 49

35: Turn right on Standon bridleway 49 then head in an easterly direction for 490m until you reach a left-hand bend (location - https://w3w.co/flames.logo.spare), see image below.

Follow Standon bridleway 49 round to the left

36: Follow Standon bridleway 49 round to the left then head NNE for 235m until you reach a right-hand bend (location - https://w3w.co/bikes.fairly.held), see image below.

Follow Standon bridleway 49 round to the right

37: Follow Standon bridleway 49 round to the right then head ESE for 300m until the bridleway reaches an arable field (location - https://w3w.co/older.risks.combining), see image below.

Head SE across the arable field

38: Head SE across the arable field for 135m until you join a track (location - https://w3w.co/case.goats.basis).

Turn right on Standon bridleway 50

39: Turn right on the track, which is Standon bridleway 50, then continue heading SE for 120m where you cross a parish boundary (location - https://w3w.co/flops.river.flags).

Continue heading SE, now on Much Hadham bridleway 7, for 230m until you reach a bend (location - https://w3w.co/exist.navy.anyone), see image below.

Much Hadham bridleway 7 goes to the left of the hedgerow

40: Much Hadham bridleway 7 goes to the left of the hedgerow (see orange arrow on the image above).

Continue heading SE for 165m, with the hedgerow on the right, until you enter woodland (location - https://w3w.co/mint.canny.snow), see image below.

Continue on Much Hadham bridleway 7 through a wooded area

41: Continue on Much Hadham bridleway 7 through a wooded area. This section of the bridleway is also known as Cox Lane.

Head ESE along Much Hadham bridleway 7 for 345m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/sunk.puddles.affair), see image below.

Keep left at the junction still on Much Hadham bridleway 7

42: Keep left at the junction (see line of orange arrow on the image above), then head in an easterly direction, still on Much Hadham bridleway 7.

Continue heading ESE, still on Much Hadham bridleway 7, for 245m until you emerge on a farm track (location - https://w3w.co/snows.fixed.will), see image below.

Turn left, still on Much Hadham bridleway 7

43: Turn left, still on Much Hadham bridleway 7 then head NE for 305m until you reach a junction where Much Hadham bridleway 7 turns right off the gravelled farm track (location - https://w3w.co/detect.ticket.improving), see image below.

Turn right, still on Much Hadham bridleway 7

44: Turn right, still on Much Hadham bridleway 7, then head in an easterly direction through a wooded area.

Continue on Much Hadham bridleway 7 for 1.1km until you reach High Street, Much Hadham (location - https://w3w.co/meals.called.fresh), see image below.

Turn right on High Street

Turn right on High Street then head S for 180m back to The Bull at the start of the walk.

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Local history

The earliest recorded mention of Hadham dates back to 946 in the will of Queen Aelfleda, wife of King Edmund. The land was later bequeathed to the Bishops of London, who held it for more than 800 years. Evidence of Roman occupation has been found in the form of pottery kilns and a coin hoard, suggesting that the area was bustling even during the Roman era. The village was home to the Bishops of London and their former summer palace still stands today. It is renowned for being the birthplace of Edmund Tudor, the father of Henry VII. The parish church of St. Mary the Virgin dates back to the 13th century and features beautiful stained glass windows and intricate carvings. Much Hadham's High Street, which is one of the longest in the country, is lined with charming historic buildings, many dating back to the 15th century. The village has retained its traditional character, with a mix of shops, pubs, and quaint cottages. During World War II, Much Hadham served as a prisoner of war camp, housing Italian and German prisoners. It later became a training ground for American and Gurkha soldiers preparing for the D-Day landings. (source - Gemini AI)

Interactive map

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