Walk 287: Nomansland South-East Loop

5.1 miles (8.1 km) with 83m of total ascent

Footpath between points 18 & 19

This walk starts at the car park on Nomansland Common then heads south-east along the edge of Heartwood Forest before looping back through Symondshyde Great Wood. It includes several rights-of-way that are new to our Hertfordshire Walker collection of walks as well as revisiting some old favourites.

There is one extremely muddy and boggy section through Titnol's Wood between points 11 & 12 - your boots will get muddy. We recommend those who don't like mud to choose a different walk. For those happy to walk through mud we recommend wearing waterproof boots and taking hiking poles. Some walkers have created a detour to avoid the worst of the mud.

You will cross a livestock field between points 16 & 17 where there are signs alerting dog owners to the presence of farm animals. You will also walk along a 155m stretch of narrow country lane between points 5 & 6 where there isn't a pedestrian pavement or a grass verge.

Getting there

The closest bus stops to the starting point is at point 21 which is 330m NNE from point 2 in the walk. It's outside The Wicked Lady (location - https://w3w.co/dance.signal.list). The stops are served by the number 304, 357, and 612 buses. 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 287: Nomansland 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.

1: From the Nomansland Common car park (location - https://w3w.co/fixed.speech.wells) off Ferrers Lane (which was free-of-charge in October 2024 when we published this walk), take the track on the right just before the vehicular exit (location - https://w3w.co/door.detail.acute), see image below.

Follow the track as it weaves its way to Ferrers Lane

Follow the short track as it weaves E then N for 55m to reach Ferrers Lane (location - https://w3w.co/builds.candle.could). Cross Ferrers Lane then turn right on the track on the other side at the junction with Down Green Lane (location - https://w3w.co/shout.slam.limes), see image below.

Follow the track in an easterly direction

Head in an easterly direction along the track for 110m until the path splits (location - https://w3w.co/pine.prom.went), see image below.

Take the right fork then continue heading in an easterly direction

Take the right fork then continue heading in an easterly direction for 180m until you reach the B651 (location - https://w3w.co/basic.shell.deputy), see image below.

Cross the B651 then take the bridleway on the other side

2: Cross the B651 then take the bridleway on the other side. Head E on Sandridge bridleway 7 for 155m until you reach the NE edge of Heartwood Forest (location - https://w3w.co/native.fire.critic), see image below.

Continue heading in an easterly direction on Sandridge bridleway 7

Follow Sandridge bridleway 7 as it heads E then SE. There are some lovely views to your right towards Heartwood Forest.

Head SE on Sandridge bridleway 7

Continue on Sandridge bridleway 7 for 895m until you reach Coleman Green Lane (location - https://w3w.co/shine.dragon.tuck), see image below.

Cross Coleman Green Lane then continue on Sandridge bridleway 7

3: Cross Coleman Green Lane then continue on Sandridge bridleway 7 with the hedgerow on the right and field on the left. After 280m the hedgerow ends at which point you will be walking between two fields.

Follow Sandridge bridleway 7 until you reach a farmyard

Continue on Sandridge bridleway 7 for 240m until you reach a farmyard where the bridleway bends left then right through the farm buildings (location - https://w3w.co/signal.preoccupied.rank), see image below.

Follow Sandridge bridleway 7 through the farmyard

4: Follow Sandridge bridleway 7 as it heads left then right heading SE through the farmyard. Continue for 175m until you reach Hammonds Lane (location - https://w3w.co/races.matter.ever), see image below.

Turn left on Hammonds Lane

5: Turn left on Hammonds Lane. This is a narrow lane without any pedestrian pavement or verge to walk along. Head ENE for 155m until you reach a byway on the right (location - https://w3w.co/only.across.gates), see image below.

Turn right on Sandridge restricted byway 1

6: Turn right on Sandridge restricted byway 1 then head SE for 120m to a right-hand bend (location - https://w3w.co/host.dare.foods), see image below.

Head SW on Sandridge restricted byway 1

Turn right at the bend then continue on Sandridge restricted byway 1, now heading SW, for 40m until you reach a left turn just before a house (location - https://w3w.co/gloves.spin.noble), see image below.

Turn left, still on Sandridge restricted byway 1

7: Turn left, still on Sandridge restricted byway 1, then head SE for 170m to a bend (location - https://w3w.co/smooth.stage.lofts) where you follow the byway to the right. Continue on Sandridge restricted byway 1, now heading SSE, for 260m until you reach a bridleway on the left (location - https://w3w.co/pencil.punks.book), see image below.

Turn left on Hatfield bridleway 47

8: Turn left on Hatfield bridleway 47 then head ENE through Symondshyde Great Wood. This is a lovely woodland especially in the autumn.

Hatfield bridleway 47 through Symondshyde Great Wood

Continue along Hatfield bridleway 47 for 680m until you reach Hammonds Lane (location - https://w3w.co/organ.slide.once), see image below.

Turn right on Hammonds Lane

9: Turn right on Hammonds Lane then head SE for 40m until you reach a bridleway on the left (location - https://w3w.co/media.pile.apron), see image below.

Turn left on Hatfield bridleway 49

* At this point lovers of real ale might want to continue to the The 3 Brewers Brewery in The Potato Shed at Symondshyde Farm 20m further up Hammonds Lane on the left (location - https://w3w.co/focus.jungle.songs). The brewery shop is open from 8am to 4pm Mondays to Fridays, but they also serves drinks inside and out on Fridays and on Saturdays from 11 until 5 as well as the occasional Sunday. Apparently it is popular with walkers and cyclists. Check with the brewery for opening times to avoid disappointment.

If you don't visit the brewery turn left on Hatfield bridleway 49 then head in a northerly direction for 255m until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/carbon.puddles.putty), see image below.

Turn left on Hatfield footpath 48

10: Turn left on Hatfield footpath 48 then head NW across an arable field, see image below.

Cross the arable field on Hatfield footpath 48

Continue across the arable field on Hatfield footpath 48 for 285m until you reach woodland (location - https://w3w.co/twins.beans.bronze), see image below.

Follow Hatfield footpath 48 through Titnol's Wood

11: Follow Hatfield footpath 48 through Titnol's Wood. This is a well-used path which, although designated as a footpath, seems to be used by cyclists and horse riders resulting in it getting churned up in places.

* There is a 100m section of this footpath which is boggy and where your boots will get muddy. This is not a walk for white trainers. This public right of way could do with an elevated walkway because it is soggy most seasons and especially bad after rain. Consider wearing waterproof boots and carrying a hiking pole so you don't slip. If you look carefully you will see walkers have trodden a couple of detours either side of the worst stretch to try to avoid the mud. I took a detour and emerged unscathed but my wife followed the footpath and got a bit messy. Nothing too serious though and we've both lived to tell the tale.

Continue on Hatfield footpath 48 through Titnol's Wood for 255m until you leave the woodland and reach an arable field.

Cross the field heading NNW

12: Cross the field heading NNW. Continue for 330m until you reach the other side.

* This field is ploughed several times a year and is usually reinstated by walkers treading the route and flattening the soil below. It was being ploughed as we tested the walk on Sunday 27 October 2024). The landowner is obliged by law to reinstate the path within 14 days. The correct route for Hatfield footpath 48 is to cross the field aiming for the tree on the right (see orange arrow on the image above), but the exact direction can vary as walkers struggle to find the correct direction after the right-of-way has been ploughed over.

Hatfield footpath 48 on the NNW side of the field

On the image above you can see that walkers negotiating the ploughed field have emerged on the other side slightly to the left of the correct line of the public right of way (location - https://w3w.co/rising.event.donor), probably because the path had not been reinstated and they had to guess the way.

13: Head NNW, with the hedgerow on the left and field on the right. Continue for 110m until you reach a gap in the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/fits.method.labs), see image below.

Turn left through the gap still on Hatfield footpath 48

14: Turn left through the gap then head NW still on Hatfield footpath 48, see image below.

Continue on Hatfield footpath 48

Continue on Hatfield footpath 48, with the hedgerow on the left and field on the right, for 390m until you reach the corner of the field where the footpath goes through the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/dads.super.visits), see image below.

Go through the gap in the hedgerow

Go through the gap in the hedgerow to reach Coleman Green Lane (location - https://w3w.co/trip.bricks.slam), see image below.

Cross Coleman Green Lane to take the footpath to the left

15: Cross Coleman Green Lane then take the footpath to the left (location - https://w3w.co/issues.votes.giving), see orange arrow on the image above.

* If you need refreshments you could take an 80m detour to the right to walk NE along Coleman Green Lane to The John Bunyan pub/restaurant (location - https://w3w.co/curving.shows.noises).

After crossing Coleman Green Lane head WSW on Sandridge footpath 39 for 65m to a footpath junction (location - https://w3w.co/richer.list.leads).

Head WNW on Sandridge footpath 14

Cross the junction then head straight and WNW on Sandridge footpath 14, with fences either side, for 140m until you reach a gate leading to a livestock field (location - https://w3w.co/spill.groom.nearly), see image below.

Cross the livestock field, still on Sandridge footpath 14

16: Cross the livestock field, still on Sandridge footpath 14. Continue, now heading W, for 120m until you reach Beech Hyde Lane (location - https://w3w.co/years.order.author).

17: Turn right on Beech Hyde Lane then head NNW for 80m until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/float.medium.logo), see image below.

Turn left on Sandridge footpath 15

18: Turn left on Sandridge footpath 15 then head NW for 590m until you reach Dyke Lane (location - https://w3w.co/stared.drop.rams). Along the way you will cross a parish border and the final part of this right of way before you reach Dyke Lane will be Wheathampstead footpath 21.

Turn right on Dyke Lane then head NE for 25m until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/either.narrow.twins), see image below.

Turn left on Wheathampstead footpath 74

19: Turn left on Wheathampstead footpath 74. Head NW for 515m until you reach a cut through on the right (location - https://w3w.co/status.songs.served), see image below.

Go through the gap then turn left

Go through the gap, turn left, then cross the B651 (location - https://w3w.co/bricks.pool.tunes), see image below.

Turn left on the footpath just before the gate

20: Turn left on the footpath just before the gate on the other side of the B651 (location - https://w3w.co/spike.crew.stable). Follow Wheathampstead footpath 48A SSW for 615m until you reach a track on the right leading to Wheathampstead Cricket Club (location - https://w3w.co/warm.pipes.garage).

* If you need refreshments The Wicked Lady is on the left across the B651 (location - https://w3w.co/shops.caged.ahead).

21: Cross the track leading to the cricket club then head straight following a gravelled track that leads to Nomansland Common (location - https://w3w.co/rooms.translated.enter), see image below.

Head S on the track with the B651 on the left

Head S on the track, with the B651 on the left. Continue for 115m with the cricket pitch on the right. Just before you reach the last bench on the right you fork right then head SSW across the common (location - https://w3w.co/paths.legend.branch), see image below.

Leave the gravelled track then fork right before the last bench

22: Leave the gravelled track then fork right before the last bench. Head SSW across the common until you reach Ferrers Lane (location - https://w3w.co/tube.analogy.chef), see image below.

Cross Ferrers Lane then turn right

23: Cross Ferrers Lane then turn right. Head WNW across the Nomansland Common for 275m back to the car park.

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Local history

Evidence of flint axe heads suggests Nomansland Common was used for grazing as early as 4000 BC. During the 15th century the monasteries of St Albans and Westminster both claimed ownership of the common leading to more than 20 years of conflict. In 1429 a jury finally divided the common between the parishes of Sandridge and Wheathampstead, marking the boundary with a Hertfordshire pudding stone boulder. In 1427 the Abbot of Westminster erected a gallows on the common which was promptly destroyed by servants of St Albans Abbey. The gallows was finally removed in 1485. During the 1700s the common was notorious for highway robberies, with infamous figures like Dick Turpin and Tom King using it as a meeting point. A gibbet was erected at the top of the hill towards St Albans as a warning to thieves. Between 1829 and 1837 horse races were held on the common, including the first proper steeplechase in England in 1830. King George VI won the St Albans Cup on the common in 1829. During the war the common was used for crop cultivation to support the war effort. German and Italian prisoners of war cleared scrubland to make way for fields. After the war, the land was returned to its natural state. Conservation efforts are ongoing to preserve its unique heathland ecosystem. (source - Gemini AI)

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Interactive map

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