Walk 15: Wildhill West End Loop

4 miles (6.4 km) with 116m total ascent

The view looking SW from point 3

This figure-of-eight route starts from The Woodman (location - https://w3w.co/lucky.pints.forum) at Wildhill and passes The Candlestick (location - https://w3w.co/guitar.pills.soup) at West End about two-thirds of the way round. It will involve walking a 500m section twice, but from different directions. There is a short stretch of lane walking, but it is a quiet lane with very little traffic and there are grass verges where you can step to one side if traffic approaches.

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 15: Wildhill West End 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 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.

Leave the car park through a metal gate to the SE of the beer garden

1: From The Woodman car park (location - https://w3w.co/star.yard.oppose) take the footpath on the left at the end of the beer garden (see image above). This is Hatfield footpath 85, see image below.

The footpath between the beer garden and the car park

Go through a metal gate then walk uphill and diagonally SE across the field for 540m until you reach a gate in the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/trials.shins.ever), see image below. There are usually horses in this field.

Go through the gate then head SSE across an arable field

2: Go through the gate then head SSE across an arable field until you reach another gate at the edge of woodland (location - https://w3w.co/pizza.began.sands), see image below.

After the gate head SE with the woodland on your left

3: After the gate keep left and head SE with the woodland on your left and field on your right for 140m until the path crosses a field and continues for 110m before going through a gap in the hedgerow and reaching the B158 (location - https://w3w.co/fonts.shuts.output).

4: Cross the road then turn left and walk NNE along the pedestrian pavement along the E side of the B158 for 315m towards a right-hand bend in the road at the point where Wildhill Road goes off to the left and a footpath goes off to the right (location - https://w3w.co/filed.author.dame), see image below.

Turn right along Essendon footpath 19

5: Turn right along Essendon footpath 19, which at this point is also a private drive. Head SE for 140m then follow the footpath as it leaves the drive and forks to the left (location - https://w3w.co/ripe.tunes.pies), see image below.

Keep left at the fork then continue on Essendon footpath 19

Keep left at the fork then continue on Essendon footpath 19 heading SE for 65m until you reach a footbridge and a gate on the left (location - https://w3w.co/vital.pink.boil), see image below.

Go through the gate then head on Essendon footpath 20

6: Go through the gate then keep to your right, heading 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 then continue heading NE

Go through the gate then 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 (location - https://w3w.co/scan.quiet.scans).

7: Turn left on Hornbeam Lane then walk NW for 310m until you reach the B158 (location - https://w3w.co/mostly.hers.palm), see image below.

Cross the road then take Essendon footpath 15

8: Cross the B158 then take Essendon footpath 15 on the opposite side. Head NW for 150m until you reach farm yard where the footpath bends right after a barn (location - https://w3w.co/sing.strain.bunk).

9: Turn right then 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 (location - https://w3w.co/slap.email.posts), see image below.

Go through the gate then turn left on Essendon footpath 16

10: Go through the gate then turn left on Essendon footpath 16. Follow this path NW for 425m, with Essendon Brook on your right, until you reach a footbridge crossing Wildhill Brook (location - https://w3w.co/poet.causes.forms), see image below.

Cross the bridge then continue on Essendon footpath 16

11: Cross the bridge then follow Essendon footpath 16 NW as you climb out of the valley with the hedgerow on the right and field on the left. Continue for 330m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/solved.flies.shift), see image below.

Turn right on Essendon BOAT 14

12: Turn right on Essendon BOAT 14 (byway open to all traffic). Follow this byway as it heads N then NNW for 850m until you reach West End Lane (location - https://w3w.co/clap.moon.reform).

13: Turn left on West End Lane then head WSW for 270m until you reach The Candlestick pub/restaurant and a footpath on the left running alongside the side of the pub (location - https://w3w.co/parks.thank.hiking), see image below.

Turn left on Essendon footpath 13

14: Turn left on Essendon footpath 13 then head SE and downhill for 440m, with the hedgerow on the left and field on the right, until you reach Essendon BOAT 14 again (location - https://w3w.co/storm.monday.season).

15: Turn right on Essendon BOAT 14 then head S for 480m until you reach point 12 again (location - https://w3w.co/solved.flies.shift), see image below.

Keep right continuing on Essendon BOAT 14

16: Keep right continuing on Essendon BOAT 14 heading SW for 620m until you West End Lane (location - https://w3w.co/preoccupied.hogs.vines).

17: Turn left on West End Lane then head S for 100m to a bend then head WSW for 165m to another bend (location - https://w3w.co/many.crazy.oiled).

18: Stay on West End Lane as it bends left then heads SSE and downhill for 490m back to Wildhill Road (location - https://w3w.co/fuel.full.rental).

19: Turn left on Wildhill Road then head E for 115m back to The Woodman and the starting point.

Interactive map

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