Walk 21: Cucumber Lane Loop

5.8 miles (9.3 km) with 139m total ascent

 

A varied circular which starts and finishes at The Woodman, Wildhill. The route takes you around the Cartland Estate, through a hornbeam wood, along quiet lanes and tracks with open views, and across fields. This walk does involve a short five minute stretch walking along a country lane without a footpath.

Directions

Map for Walk 21: Cucumber Lane Loop
Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
Elements © Thunderforest © OpenStreetMap contributors
There is a larger, more detailed 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 location 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 take refreshments at The Woodman, Wildhill, before or after your walk the landlord is happy for you to park in the pub car park.

1: Leave the car park (location - https://w3w.co/waters.fear.bells), turn left and head W for 120m until you reach West End Lane. Turn right and follow the lane NNW, ENE, then NNW for 750m until you reach a byway on the right (location - https://w3w.co/game.slate.edgy).

2: Turn right on Essendon BOAT 14 (byway open to all traffic) and follow it heading E and NE for 620m until you reach a gate on the right (location - https://w3w.co/salad.transfers.filed).

3: Turn right here on Essendon footpath 16 and head SE for 360m until you reach a footbridge. Cross the footbridge and continue walking SE for 430m through the woods, with Essendon Brook on your left, until you reach a footpath junction (location - https://w3w.co/fuzzy.metals.gravy).

4: Turn right and follow Essendon footpath 15 through the Cartland Estate for 630m first heading SW then SSE until you reach the B158, Cum Cum Hill.

5: Cross the road, and head SE down Hornbeam Lane, also Essendon bridleway 18, for 1.4km passing the houses on your right, stables on your left, and continuing until the lane narrows and becomes a track, then climbs through an avenue of hornbeams until you reach to Cucumber Lane (location - https://w3w.co/poker.zoom.noisy).

6: Turn right on Cucumber Lane and head SE for 440m until you reach a T-junction.

7: Turn left and head NE for 50m looking out for a byway on your right (location - https://w3w.co/slurs.cubs.nuns). This is Hatfield restricted byway 88. Take the track and walk past a lodge on your left and a bungalow on your right and head SSE for 270m until you reach a bridleway on your right (location - https://w3w.co/broken.hurry.ropes).

8: Turn right on Hatfield bridleway 87 and follow it WSW then WNW for 1.3km until you reach a farm. The public right of way goes through the farm building and continues heading NE then E for 740m until it reaches the B158 again (location - https://w3w.co/wiping.retail.senior).

9: Cross the B158 and walk WNW for 440m along the pedestrian pavement to the left of Grubbs Lane until the lane dips. At this point the pedestrian pavement disappears for the next 340m until you reach Hatfield footpath 84 on the right (location - https://w3w.co/sage.spoke.units).

10: Turn right on Hatfield footpath 84 and head NNE for 280m until you reach a gap in the hedge (location - https://w3w.co/begins.papers.torch).

11: Follow the footpath downhill through the crops first NNE then NE for 350m until you reach a gap in the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/curvy.golf.path).

12: Go through the gap, turn left, and follow the path N, NE, then ENE for 210m keeping the hedge on your left and the field on your right until you reach a gate on the left (location - https://w3w.co/noting.slams.liability).

13: Go through gate, still on Hatfield footpath 84, turn to the right, cross a footbridge, then head NNE for 270m, cross another field, go through another gate, across another footbridge, go through another gate and emerge in The Woodman car park.

Interactive Map

---