Walk 16: North Mymms Ridge

6 miles (9.6 km) with 114m total ascent

 

This is a good hill walk that you can do starting and finishing in Brookmans Park village. At one point the route follows an old coaching road from South Mimms to North Mymms and crosses the secluded Potwells valley. There is a short part that is alongside the A1(M), but it is soon over. Look out for the old oaks and the remains of the windpump along Love Lane.

Directions

Map for Walk 16: North Mymms Ridge
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.

There is restricted parking in Brookmans Park with penalty notices issued at certain times of the day but there is a pay car park at the station (location - https://w3w.co/spring.round.pumps).

1: Head W out of Brookmans Park village along Station Road crossing the railway bridge and heading N for 180m until you come to Bradmore Lane. Turn left and head W down Bradmore Lane for 830m until you reach the second footpath on your right soon after a right-hand and left-hand bend. (location - https://w3w.co/split.mason.baked)

2: Take this path, North Mymms footpath 8 and follow it for 480m first heading N keeping the hedgerow on your left and the field on your right and then NNW, NW and N ignoring the first footpath and continuing until you reach the second footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/flip.cabin.link)

3: Turn left on North Mymms footpath 30 and follow it 360m down through the woods, across a stream via a footbridge and up the other side to a field. Turn left at the field and head SW and then W for 270m until you reach the cycle track running alongside Swanland Road.

4: Turn left on the cycle track and walk S for 190m until you reach the junction with Warrengate Road. If you want refreshments you can turn left at this point and visit The Woodman Inn at Water End.

5: Cross Swanland Road and take North Mymms bridleway 82 (location - https://w3w.co/bubble.tent.undulation) which goes over the A1(M).

6: When you get to the other side head S down Tollgate Road for 40m to the point where the road bends to the right and a track heads S alongside the A1 (M). This is North Mymms BOAT (byway open to all traffic) 5. Head down this for 140m until you come to a track on your right after a line of fir trees.

7: Turn right and head SW on North Mymms bridleway 1 for 770m until you reach a crossing in the track. Continue heading SW, still on North Mymms bridleway 1, for 540m with Cangsley Grove on your right until you meet a footpath on your left (location - https://w3w.co/bikes.speeds.often).

8: Take this footpath, North Mymms footpath 1, and head SW for 480m across the field, over a footbridge, and uphill until you reach North Mymms bridleway 2.

9: Turn left on this bridleway and continue heading S for 770m eventually dropping down to Woodhill Farm.

10: At this point turn sharp left (location - https://w3w.co/finger.clay.quest) and follow Ridge restricted byway 11 which soon becomes North Mymms restricted byway 3, and head NE for 1.7km through Mymmshall Wood and Hawkshead Wood eventually reaching a footbridge over the A1(M).

11: Cross the motorway and follow the path round until you reach Swanland Road. Cross Swanland Road and go down the lane leading down to a small road bridge over Mimmshall Brook. When you reach this bridge don't go over it, but, instead turn left (location - https://w3w.co/behave.dirt.sound) and head NNE along Warrengate Road with the houses on your left and Mimmshall Brook on your right for 570m.

12: After passing the waterworks on your right, look out for a footpath sign on your right (location - https://w3w.co/keep.decreased.swing). This is North Mymms footpath 11. Here you cross the brook on a footbridge (look out for kingfishers). This path becomes a boardwalk for a short stretch and then continues as a footpath called Wise's Lane for 560m. Ignore the first path off to your right and continue straight, passing Brick Kiln Wood on your left. At the end of this path you will come to a gate. Turn right, cross a footbridge and then turn left and follow this path alongside the edge of the field for 320m until you reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/senior.ending.stores).

13: After going through the gate turn left, cross another footbridge, veer left and then right and follow the footpath, North Mymms footpath 9, NE for 570m until it reaches Station Road. Turn right, cross Station Road and head back to Brookmans Park.

Interactive Map

---