Walk 12: Old Welwyn Loop

4.6 miles (7.4km) with 90m total ascent

 

This walk starts alongside Ayot Greenway before touching on the outskirts of old Welwyn at the halfway point where there are several restaurants and pubs if you want to break the journey. There is a fair amount of up and down.

Directions

Map for Walk 12: Old Welwyn Loop
Click here or on the map above for a larger version
Map created on MapHub -  copyright details here
There is an interactive map embedded at the end of these directions

Those with GPS devices can download GPX or KML files for this walk. We've added What3Words 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: Park in the Ayot Greenway car park (location - https://w3w.co/sports.slides.stream) off Ayot St Peter Road. From the car park follow Ayot St Peter footpath 11 (location - https://w3w.co/gossip.bought.stress) and head SW for 150m until you reach Ayot St Peter Road (location - https://w3w.co/flops.water.rift).

2: Cross the road and take the footpath directly opposite, Ayot St Peter footpath 14, and follow it for W for 220m until you reach a house (location - https://w3w.co/reply.civil.nets).

3: Just past the house turn left and head S on Ayot St Peter footpath 13 for 190m until you reach Waterend Lane (location - https://w3w.co/nerve.rang.drag).

4: Turn right on Waterend Lane and head NW then N for 200m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/bath.towers.entire).

5: Keep left, still on Waterend Lane, and continue heading NW for 140m until you reach a footpath on the right at the point where the lane bends to the left (location - https://w3w.co/cages.swing.pink).

6: Turn right on this path, Ayot St Peter footpath 13, and head NW for 340m until you meet Ayot Greenway, which was once a railway branch line between Welwyn Garden City and Luton (location - https://w3w.co/combining.incomes.grand).

7: Turn right on Ayot Greenway and head E for 80m looking out for a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/skills.lamps.epic).

8: Turn left on the footpath, Ayot St Peter Footpath 17, and head N and NE around Saul’s Wood for 510m until you reach Ayot St Peter (location - https://w3w.co/fans.sunset.feast).

9: Turn right on Ayot St Peter Road and head SE for 10m. Look out for a footpath immediately after School Lane (location - https://w3w.co/pints.combining.vets). This is Ayot St Peter Footpath 22. Take this footpath and continue heading SE, E and then NE for 600m until you reach White Hill (location - https://w3w.co/hugs.serve.melt).

10: Turn left on White Hill and head NE for 220m until you spot a footpath sign on your right (location - https://w3w.co/crash.jumps.trade).

11: There are two choices here, one heads E but the footpath you want, Welwyn Footpath 43, heads NE diagonally downhill across a field which can be muddy after rain. Continue down this footpath for 500m until you reach Ottway Walk. Continue for another 270m until you reach Hobbs Hill on the left (location - https://w3w.co/frosted.couch.jump).

12: Turn left on Hobbs Hill and follow the footpath, still Welwyn Footpath 43, N for 230m until it reaches School Lane.

* At this point you can leave the walk by turning right (see yellow detour on maps above and below) and explore the many pubs and restaurants of Old Welwyn.

13: If you don't need a stop, continue SW on School Lane for 700m past the hospital looking out for a footpath sign on your right (location - https://w3w.co/famed.decks.rich).

14: Take this footpath, Ayot St Peter Footpath 3, as it goes NW and then heads W across the fields for 1.1km. This path can be muddy after rain. Continue until you reach a footpath crossing (location - https://w3w.co/snow.reason.actual).

15: Turn left and head S along the footpath, Ayot St Peter Footpath 7, for 250m until you meet Ayot St Peter Road (location - https://w3w.co/fairly.amount.solar).

16: Continue S along Ayot St Peter Road for 260m until the road bend to the right (location - https://w3w.co/aside.region.giant).

17: Continue heading S going through a door in the gate to a country house. Go through the door and continue straight following the footpath, Ayot St Peter Footpath 19, as it heads SW for 180m until you reach a footpath on your let (location - https://w3w.co/rents.villa.bars).

18: Turn left, still Ayot St Peter Footpath 19, and head SE and S for 160m before reaching a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/closer.fully.polite).

19: Take this footpath, Ayot St Peter Footpath 18, and head SE for 340m until you reach Ayot Greenway (location - https://w3w.co/richer.trendy.doing) where you turn left and head SE for 680m back to the car park.

* There are two pubs close to the start/finish point. They are The Waggoners at Ayot Green (location - https://w3w.co/report.trip.stove) and The Red Lion on Digswell Hill (location - https://w3w.co/aspect.risk.edge).

Interactive Map

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