Walk 14: The Woodman Loop

4.8 miles (6.95 km) with 87m total ascent

A pleasant circular walk from The Woodman, Wildhill car park over fields, along a ridge, through woodland and back to the pub. This route is a combination of two shorter walks on this site, Walk 2: The Camfield Place Loop, and Walk 6: The Wildhill Loop.

Directions

Map for Walk 14: The Woodman Loop
Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
Elements © Thunderforest © OpenStreetMap contributors
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.

If you intend to end this walk with a drink at the Woodman in Wildhill the landlord says you can park in the pub car park (location - https://w3w.co/oldest.tamed.chart). When in the pub car park you will see that the parking area splits. The lower area, just beyond a few out-buildings, leads to a gate in the SW corner. This is the start of the walk.

1: Go through the gate and take Hatfield footpath 84 heading SSW across a field. You will cross a wooden bridge, go through another gate and cross a second field before reaching a second footbridge.

2: Cross the footbridge and, after the first tree on your left turn left and after 15m you will reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/statue.jumped.charmingly). Go through the gate and turn right heading SW with the hedgerow on your right and the field on your left.

3: After 200m you will reach a gap in the hedge on your right. Go through the gap, turn right and head NW for 15m before turning left and following the path uphill with the hedgerow on your right and the field on your left.

4: After 220m the path goes diagonally uphill across the field heading SSW for 110m. At the top of the hill (location - https://w3w.co/hidden.asleep.script) follow the path round to the left of the woods with the field on your left for 260m until you reach Grubbs Lane.

5: When you reach Grubbs Lane turn right and head NW for 230m until you reach a footpath on your right (location - https://w3w.co/stump.select.gates) soon after you past Westfield Lodge.

6: Take this footpath, Hatfield footpath 82, and head NW across the field for 200m heading to the left of the pylon until you reach a second field. Continue heading diagonally NW across the second field for 230m until you reach woodland.

7: Keeping the woods on your right, continue NW along the footpath for 260m to the point where the path bends to the right (location - https://w3w.co/gravel.large.term). You are now on Hatfield footpath 81. Continue on this path heading NNW for 250m until you reach Wildhill Road.

8: Cross Wildhill Road and head N along a farm road with farm buildings on your left and cottages on your right. Continue along this track for 430m. This is Hatfield UCR1 (unmetalled unclass county road).

9: When you reach a T-junction turn right and follow the tree-lined path, Hatfield BOAT (byway open to all traffic) 80, as it heads E. Follow this byway for 880m until you reach West End Lane.

10: Here you turn left and follow the lane as it heads E and then N for 260m. Soon after the bend, look out for a signpost on the right for Hatfield BOAT 14 to Essendon (location - https://w3w.co/civic.varieties.twins).

11: Take this byway and head E and then NE for 620m until you reach a footpath on your right accessed through a metal gate.

12: Take this path, Essendon footpath 16, and head SE for 320m with the hedgerow on your left and the field on your right until you reach a footbridge. Cross the bridge and continue heading SE for another 420m until you reach a footpath on your right.

13: Turn right here and climb the hill heading SW and then SE along Essendon footpath 15 for 620m until you reach Cum Cum Hill, the B158.

14: Here you turn right and walk along the footpath alongside the B158 until you reach the junction with Wildhill. Continue along Kentish Lane passing the Wildhill junction and heading SW (at some point you need to cross Kentish Lane in order to continue walking along the footpath on the E side of the road) for 300m looking out for a footpath on your right (location - https://w3w.co/smiled.pets.cube).

15: Cross the road and take this path, Hatfield footpath 85, and follow it for 530m as it goes through the hedgerow and across a field, then skirts woodland with the hedge on your right and the field on your left. The path goes through another gate, across another field, and through a gate in the hedge before dropping down the hill to The Woodman car park.

Interactive map

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