Walk 24: Brookmans Park - Wildhill

6.5 miles (10.6 km)

View on the return leg after point 12

This is a walk we do regularly from our home in Brookmans Park over the fields and hills to The Woodman, Wildhill, and returning via a slightly different route. Regular users of our walks will have noticed that this is one of several routes that include The Woodman pub. Those who try the beer will soon see why. There is one 260m section along Grubbs Lane, between points 7 and 8, where there is no pavement, but you can step into the hedgerow if you need to avoid oncoming traffic.

Directions

Map for Walk 24: Brookmans Park - Wildhill return
Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
Elements © Thunderforest © OpenStreetMap contributors
There is an interactive map at foot of this page

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.

There is restricted parking in Brookmans Park village centre and surrounding roads (check signs), but you can pay to park in the station car park (location - https://w3w.co/zone.direct.edge).

1: Walk E out of Brookmans Park village up Brookmans Avenue for 1km until you meet a road going off to your left called Golf Club Road (location - https://w3w.co/trim.acted.yard). Take this road, which is also North Mymms footpath 68.

2: Continue along Golf Club Road for 410m until you reach Brookmans Park Golf Club on your left and Chancellor's School on your right. You will see a track on your right (location - https://w3w.co/silent.await.divide) which is a continuation of North Mymms footpath 68. Take this path and head NE with the school on your right. Continue along the track for 310m until you reach Pine Grove.

3: Turn slightly left on The Drive (location - https://w3w.co/window.buck.canny). This is a gated road, but still North Mymms footpath 68. Follow it NNE for 180m.

4: At the end of The Drive you reach the junction of Bell Lane and the A1000, The Great North Road. Turn right and right again following the A1000 SE for 120m.

5: Look across the road to your left and you will see a footpath sign (location - https://w3w.co/rail.decide.ally) shortly before you reach the Brookmans Park Transmitting Station. Take this footpath, North Mymms footpath 37, and walk NE for 420m until you reach a small footbridge.

6: Cross the footbridge and keep right and then left with the field on your left and the hedgerow on your right. You are now on Hatfield footpath 86. You will spot a water tower on your right. Soon after the water tower will be able to see a spigot mortar emplacement in the hedgerow on your right (location - https://w3w.co/audio.curving.native). These are the remains of the local WWII fortifications.

The spigot mortar emplacement near the Brookmans Park Transmitting Station

7: Continue heading NNE for 600m with the field on your left and the hedgerow on your right until you reach a small footbridge and then Grubbs Lane (location - https://w3w.co/ties.stay.smart). Turn left and head WNW along Grubbs Lane for 600m, down a dip and up again looking out for a footpath on your right after you have climbed out of the dip. (Be careful here because there is no footpath for 300m).

8: When you reach the footpath, Hatfield footpath 84 (location - https://w3w.co/song.remind.small), turn right and and cross the fields heading NNE for 300m.

9: When you reach the woodland, keep the field on your right and head for a gap in the hedge (location - https://w3w.co/divide.begin.speeds). The spot offers good views north to Wildhill. The path now goes downhill and crosses the field diagonally for 130m through the crop.

Hatfield footpath 84 between heading NE (see point 10)

10: When you reach the hedgerow keep right and, with the field on your right and the hedgerow on the left, head NE for 210m until you reach a gap in the hedge straight ahead (location - https://w3w.co/feels.grapes.rivers). Here you cross a small brook contained in a pipe. Turn left after going through the gap then continue, keeping the hedgerow on your left and the field on your right.

Turn left at the white-topped post by the fourth oak tree 

11: After 200m, and at the fourth oak tree on your left, you will find a set of steps heading down to a gate taking you to a gate leading to a field used by horses (location - https://w3w.co/broom.appeal.duck). Go through the gate, turn right, cross a footbridge, then take the footpath N heading to the right of an old oak tree. You are aiming for the gate. Go through the gate, cross another footbridge, and head for the final gate that leads into The Woodman car park at Wildhill (location - https://w3w.co/life.exact.rush) - this part can be boggy.

12: For the return, start by going back the way you came through The Woodman car park and retrace your steps to Grubbs Lane.

Hatfield footpath 83 heading SW

13: However, for this return journey, turn left on Grubbs Lane and head SE for 85m until you reach Hatfield footpath 83 on your right (location - https://w3w.co/long.train.glitz). Take this path and head SW for 750m as the path runs through the crop, across a footbridge, across another field, and through a small copse. At this point look out for the remains of a WWII Tett turret (location - https://w3w.co/softly.privately.drove) on your right, see image below.

The Bell Bar Tett turret, North Mymms, Hertfordshire

Cross another field, now on North Mymms footpath 66, and emerge at the corner of Woodside Lane and the A1000, Great North Road (location - https://w3w.co/stored.crisis.barks).

14: Turn left on Woodside Lane, cross The Great North Road, and take the lane opposite, Bell Lane. (If you want, you can stop for refreshments at The Cock o' The North to your left). If not, head SSE down Bell Lane for 460m until you see a footpath sign on your right (location - https://w3w.co/fight.tested.level) at the point where the road bends to the left.

15 Take this footpath, North Mymms footpath 33, then follow it NW and W with the hedge on your left and the field on your right. After 1.2km you will reach a footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/mutual.issued.rated) after which you turn left and continue heading W along a footpath that runs parallel to Bulls Lane.

16: When you reach Skimpans Bridge, which carries the East Coast Mainline, go under the bridge and then turn left along a footpath that runs S alongside the railway (location - https://w3w.co/traps.sudden.films). Follow this path, North Mymms footpath 34, until it branches slightly to the right and goes through woodland. There will be a football pitch on your left.

17: At the end of the path go down some steps, turn right, cross a brook and enter North Mymms Community Centre car park (location - https://w3w.co/arch.finely.newly). Head SW along a track for 110m until you reach Station Road. Turn left on Station Road and follow it SSE for 1km to Brookmans Park station. There are several shops, cafes, restaurants and a pub serving refreshments in the village.

Interactive Map

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