This walk covers the rolling countryside to the east of Weston. It's the third in the collection that starts and finishes in the village and the fifth that passes through. This new route explores several new paths as well as some old friends walked in reverse. You will notice birdsong along parts of this route as you leave the noise of civilisation behind.
When we mapped and tested this walk in April 2025 the paths were dry and firm, but there are stretches which look like they could be muddy after rain. Along the way there are several old gates. Hertfordshire County Council's Rights of Way team is currently replacing gates across the county so some photographs in the directions below might differ from what you see when you walk the route. We didn't see any livestock along the way, but we saw evidence that cattle or horses had been in some fields.
) which are served by the number 391 bus. You can check bus times at
.
There were plenty of parking opportunities on the roads in Weston when we visited but please make sure traffic restrictions haven't been introduced since.
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
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Map for Walk 294: Weston East Loop
Click on the map above for a larger version
Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
Elements © Thunderforest © OpenStreetMap contributors
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
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| The Red Lion, Weston |
The walk starts outside the currently closed (April 2025) Red Lion pub (location -
https://w3w.co/wins.media.slices), on Damask Green Road.
.jpeg "Head E along Weston footpath 20") |
| Head E along Weston footpath 20 |
1: With your back to the Red Lion cross Damask Green Road head E along a track to the right of Manor Farm. There is a green footpath sign which reads 'public footpath to church'. This is Weston
footpath 20.
Head E for 305m with playing fields on the left and a hedgerow on the right until you reach a gap in the hedge (location -
https://w3w.co/procures.restrict.umbrella), see image below.
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| Continue through the gap, still on Weston footpath 20 |
2: Go through the gap, still on Weston footpath 20 and still heading E. Continue, with a play area on the left and hedgerow on the right for 170m until Weston footpath 20 goes through the hedgerow at the end of a field (location -
https://w3w.co/prettiest.talking.tube), see image below.
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| Continue heading in an easterly direction |
3: Continue heading in an easterly direction, now on Weston footpath 9, for 190m until you reach a gate (location -
https://w3w.co/unpainted.slides.ships) leading to the churchyard of The Holy Trinity Church, see image below.
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| Go through the gate then head NE through the churchyard |
4: Go through the gate then head NE through the churchyard for 45m to a junction (location -
https://w3w.co/firework.juniors.veered), see image below.
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| Turn right at the junction |
5: Turn right at the junction then head in an easterly direction with the church on the left.
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| Holy Trinity Church, Weston |
Continue for 100m until you leave the churchyard at Church Lane (location -
https://w3w.co/regal.score.cities), see image below.
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| Turn left when you reach Church Lane |
Just before you leave the churchyard look out for the grave of Jack O' Legs on the right, see image below.
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| The grave of Jack O' Legs |
According to local legend, Jack o' Legs was a giant who lived in a cave near Weston. He is often depicted as a kind of Hertfordshire Robin Hood, stealing from the rich bakers of Baldock to give flour to the poorer people of Weston during a time of poor harvest and inflated prices. The bakers, understandably unhappy with this, eventually caught and blinded him. As his last request before being hanged in Baldock, Jack asked to be taken to a spot where he could shoot an arrow towards Weston and be buried where it landed. His wish was granted, and despite his blindness, he shot an arrow with his enormous bow (which no one else could apparently wield). The arrow is said to have traveled the three miles to Weston and landed in the churchyard.
6: When you reach Church Lane turn left then head N for 200m until you reach Maiden Street (location -
https://w3w.co/butternut.regret.visits), see image below.
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| Turn right on Maiden Street |
7: Turn right on Maiden Street then head SE for 65m until you reach a
bridleway on the left (location -
https://w3w.co/spotted.crusaders.outings), see image below.
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| Turn left on Weston bridleway 14 |
8: Turn left on Weston bridleway 14 then head NE for 195m until you reach a gravelled track (location -
https://w3w.co/sharper.petty.mural), see image below.
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| Continue heading NE along the gravelled track |
Continue heading NE along the gravelled track, still on Weston bridleway 14, until you reach a clearing (location -
https://w3w.co/canine.sympathy.mealtime), see image below.
9: Continue heading NE on Weston bridleway 14 across an arable field for 120m until you reach a bench on the left and a wooden footbridge (location -
https://w3w.co/stapled.cobbles.hoped), see image below.
.jpeg "Cross the footbridge then turn left") |
| Cross the footbridge then turn left |
10: Cross the footbridge then turn left. Head NE for 200m on Weston bridleway 14 where it cuts through a copse (location -
https://w3w.co/infinite.inflation.owls), see image below.
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| Continue on Weston bridleway 14 |
Continue on Weston bridleway 14 until reaches a junction (location -
https://w3w.co/nuns.emulated.mondays), see image below.
.jpeg "Turn right at the junction") |
| Turn right at the junction |
11: Turn right at the junction on a byway that runs along a parish boundary and is both Weston BOAT (
byway open to all traffic) 39 and Clothall BOAT 12. This is a lovely stretch of wooded byway which undulates as it heads SE. The birdsong was amazing when we walked this stretch in April 2025.
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| Continue along this BOAT for 1.8km |
Continue along this BOAT for 1.8km until you cross a bridge over the Weston Tributary (location -
https://w3w.co/reassured.toolbar.scowls), see image below.
.jpeg "Cross the bridge and continue heading SE") |
| Cross the bridge and continue heading SE |
12: Cross the bridge then continue heading SE, ignoring a footpath on your left. 420m beyond the bridge you will reach a bridleway on the right (location -
https://w3w.co/logbook.cities.manager) see image below.
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| Turn right on Weston bridleway 38 |
13: Turn right on Weston bridleway 38.
Then head W for 100m to a junction (location -
https://w3w.co/blogs.depravity.appetite), see image below.
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| Head in a westerly direction on Weston footpath 15 |
14: Ignore the track on the right and instead take the left fork then head WSW, now on Weston footpath 15. Continue for 660m until you reach a junction (location -
https://w3w.co/embarks.envisage.stamp), see image below.
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| Cross a track and head for a gate |
15: Cross a track then head for a gate leading to a field (see orange arrow on the image above).
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| Go through the gate then head WSW across a field |
Go through the gate then head WSW still on Weston footpath 15. We heard a Linnet when passing through this gate. Cross a field and continue for 195m until you reach another gate (location -
https://w3w.co/elect.edits.debut), see image below.
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| Go through the gate then continue heading WSW |
16: Go through the gate then continue heading WSW, still on Weston footpath 15, with the trees on the left and field on the right. Continue for 240m until you reach another gate (location -
https://w3w.co/weaved.serves.retraced), see image below.
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| Go through the gate then keep right |
17: Go through the gate then keep right, still on Weston footpath 15. Cross a field (with a static caravan on the left) and continue for 120m until you pass the car park of
The Rising Sun pub on the left and reach Dane End Lane, (location -
https://w3w.co/touches.closer.plums).
* If you need refreshments at this point you could visit The Rising Sun on your left or take a short detour to Lolleywood Cafe (location - https://w3w.co/roadshow.mass.misfits). To get to the cafe turn right when you reach Dane End Lane then head N for 80m. Turn right at a junction then head ENE then NE for 280m.
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| Turn right opposite the pub on Weston footpath 28 |
18: When you reach Dane End Lane turn left then head S for 15m before turning right opposite the pub and following Weston footpath 28 through a farmyard, see image above. For the route of footpath through the farmyard see the satellite image below.
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| The route of Weston footpath 28 through the farmyard |
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Once you leave the farmyard head WSW
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19: Once you leave the farmyard head WSW, still on Weston footpath 28. Continue for 295m until you reach a junction (location -
https://w3w.co/tiredness.trifling.fondest), see image below.
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| Keep left at the junction then head WSW |
20: Keep left at the junction then head WSW still on Weston footpath 28. Continue for 490m until you reach Warrensgreen Lane (location -
https://w3w.co/lightbulb.stole.trouble), see image below.
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| Turn right on Warrensgreen Lane |
21: Turn right on Warrensgreen Lane then head NW for 165m until the lane bends left and you reach a footpath gate straight ahead (location -
https://w3w.co/bulletins.rejoiced.pools), see image below.
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| Go through the gate then keep heading NW |
22: Go through the gate then keep heading NW now on Weston footpath 23. After 50m you will go through another gate (location -
https://w3w.co/sidelined.open.spun), see image below.
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| Go through the gate then continue heading NW |
Go through the gate then continue heading NW, still on Weston footpath 23, for 700m to a track and a footpath junction (location -
https://w3w.co/appear.branch.forced), see image below.
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| Cross the track still on Weston footpath 23 |
23: Cross the track, still on Weston footpath 23, then go through a gate on the other side (location -
https://w3w.co/famed.media.exam). See image below.
.jpeg "Head E along Weston footpath 20")
.jpeg "Cross the footbridge then turn left")
.jpeg "Turn right at the junction")
.jpeg "Cross the bridge and continue heading SE")
A fantastic walk, glorious views for ages on this one. Beware the red gate at the church, it doesn't open fully like you expect it to! The BOAT you walk along is the best in Herts from my experience, as it is not churned up at all by horses or vehicles.
ReplyDeleteGreat, glad you enjoyed it, Gerry, we did too.
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