Walk 15: Wildhill Double Loop

4 miles (6.5 km) with 142m total ascent

 

You can do this walk from either The Candlestick or The Woodman. The figure of eight involves retracing one bit of the track for 610m, but it’s no hardship. The part you cover twice will be uphill if you start and finish at The Woodman, and downhill if you start at the Candlestick.

Directions

Map for Walk 15: Wildhill Double 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.

1: From The Woodman car park (location - https://w3w.co/congratulations.trim.usual) take the footpath on the E side of the beer garden, Hatfield footpath 85 for 540m. Walk uphill and diagonally SE across the field and go through a gate in the hedgerow. Head SSE until you reach another gate at the edge of woodland. With the woodland on your left, head SE until the path crosses a field and goes through a gap in the hedgerow to the B158.

2: Cross the road and turn left, walking NNE along the E side of the B158 for 315m towards the right-hand bend in the road at the point where Wild Hill goes off to the left.

3: Turn right along Essendon footpath 19, which follows a private road heading SE. After 140m the footpath veers left to reach a footbridge and a gate. Go through the gate and head NE along Essendon footpath 20 with the woodland on your right and the field on your left. After 120m you will reach the end of the woodland where you drop down slightly to the right to go through a wooden gate by an outbuilding (location - https://w3w.co/fields.blast.funded) - see image below. Go through the gate and continue heading NE, now with the house and gardens on your right and the hedge on your left for 70m until you cross a footbridge and reach Hornbeam Lane.

The gate mentioned in point 3 below - continue for 70m to Hornbeam Lane

4: Turn left on Hornbeam Lane and walk NW for 310m until you reach the B158. Opposite you will see a footpath, Essendon footpath 15. Cross the road and take this path continuing NW until you reach a footpath sign.

5: Turn right and head NE through Duncan’s Wood and downhill for 480m along a sheltered track between the fields until you come to a gate and a footpath crossing.

6: Your way is left heading NW along Essendon footpath 16 for 740m keeping Essendon Brook on your right. Cross the footbridge and climb out of the valley.

7: At the top of the hill turn left on Essendon BOAT 14 (byway open to all traffic). Follow this byway as it heads S for 620m until you reach West End Lane.

8: Turn right on West End Lane and head N for 940m until you reach The Candlestick.

9: Turn right down the footpath just after The Candlestick (location - https://w3w.co/chimp.proven.organs). This is Essendon footpath 13 which you follow as it heads SE for 440m until you reach a byway.

10: Turn right on the byway, Essendon BOAT 14 again, and head S for 480m until you reach point 7 again. Continue along the byway heading SW for another 620m until you West End Lane again.

11: Turn left on West End Lane and head S, SW, then S for 870m back to Wildhill.

Interactive map

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