Walk 29: Wildhill South-West Loop

7 miles (11.3 km) with 143m total ascent

Footpath at the start of the walk south of The Woodman

A good walk for views over the south Hertfordshire countryside. The route follows quiet rights of way and lanes through woodland. The walk starts and finishes at The Woodman, Wildhill.

This route involves walking along a section of The Hertfordshire Way which goes along Cucumber Lane where there is no pedestrian pavement. The lane has always been quiet on the dozens of times we have walked it but a user of Hertfordshire Walker has reported (October 2024) that it was busy when they walked the route. Walking groups or those walking with children might want to choose a different walk.

Getting there

There is a bus stop outside The Woodman which is served by the numbers 200 and 201 buses. You can check bus times at Intalink.

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 29: Wildhill South-West Loop
Click on the map for a larger version
Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
Elements © Thunderforest © OpenStreetMap contributors
There is an interactive map 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.

The landlord at The Woodman says that walkers are welcome to use the pub car park if they are planning on buying refreshments at The Woodman before or after the walk.

The Woodman, Wildhill

1: Leave the car park at the Woodman pub via the gate at the SW corner (location - https://w3w.co/gravel.like.racks).

Leave the car park through a gate in the SW corner

Go through the gate and then follow Hatfield footpath 84

Go through the gate then follow Hatfield footpath 84 SSW across a field. This section can be boggy after rain but is wet most of the year because of a nearby spring. You will cross a wooden footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/charge.ranks.likes), see image below.

Continue through another gate and cross a second field

Continue through another gate and cross a second field before reaching a second footbridge across another section that can be boggy after rain (location - https://w3w.co/jumpy.sofa.became), see image below.

Hatfield footpath 84 heading towards the second footbridge

Cross the footbridge. Immediately after crossing the footbridge turn left after the first tree on your left and you will come to a gate (location - https://w3w.co/statue.jumped.charmingly), see image below.

Go through the gate then turn right

2: Go through the gate then turn right heading first WSW for 80m with the hedgerow on your right and the field on your left before Hatfield footpath 84 bends left then heads SW for 120m until you reach a gap in the hedge on the right (location - https://w3w.co/slam.watch.zones), see image below.

Go through the gap, then head SW and uphill

3: Go through the gap, then head SW and uphill for 240m, with the hedgerow on the right and field on the left, until the path bends left then heads across a field, see map and image below.

Route between points 2 & 4
Image created on MapHub

Follow Hatfield footpath 84 across the field and uphill

Follow Hatfield footpath 84 across the field and uphill for 110m until you reach woodland (location - https://w3w.co/broad.insist.dining), see image below.

Follow the footpath left then right

4: At the top of the hill (location - https://w3w.co/hidden.asleep.script) follow the footpath round to the left of the woods with the field on your left then head SSW for 265m until you reach Grubbs Lane at a gate (location - https://w3w.co/sage.spoke.units), see image below.

When you reach Grubbs Lane turn left

5: When you reach Grubbs Lane turn left. After 75m, turn right on Hatfield footpath 83. Head SW through the crops for 750m. The path crosses a brook then continue diagonally across the next field, through a small copse. At this point, look out for the remains of the WWII Tett turret on your right (location - https://w3w.co/risky.hang.storms).

The remains of a Tett turret alongside Walk 24

The path is now North Mymms footpath 66 which continues SW across a third field then emerges on Woodside Lane by the garage on the A1000. (At this point you can get refreshments at the garage, or a little further south on the A1000 at The Cock o' The North or The Dutch Nursery cafe and shop.)

6: Turn left then go directly across the A1000 Great North Road. Follow Bell Lane SSE, SE, and NNE for 800m until you reach the A1000 again (location - https://w3w.co/pipe.slides.cross).

Turn right on the A1000
Image courtesy Gerry Gross

7: Turn right on the A1000 then head SSE for 110m looking out for a footpath sign on your left across the road (location - https://w3w.co/good.treat.hook).

Cross the A1000 then follow North Mymms footpath 37
Image courtesy Gerry Gross

8: Cross the road and head NE and then ENE down North Mymms footpath 37 for 410m with the Brookmans Park Transmitting Station on your right.

9: After a footbridge the path bends to the right and then left with the hedge on your right and the field on your left. Soon after you pass the water tower on your right, look out for the spigot mortar emplacement on your right (location - https://w3w.co/lamps.booth.tried).

The spigot mortar emplacement E of Brookmans Park

You are now on Hatfield footpath 86. Continue heading NE for 590m until you reach Grubbs Lane (location - https://w3w.co/tins.inches.rival).

Turn right on Grubbs Lane
Image courtesy Gerry Gross

10: Turn right on Grubbs Lane then head ESE for 215m until you reach the B158, Kentish Lane.

Cross Kentish Lane then follow Hatfield bridleway 87
Image courtesy Gerry Gross

Cross Kentish Lane then head E down the lane directly opposite, which is also Hatfield bridleway 87. Continue for 760m.

11: When you reach a farm the path continues straight through the farmyard (location - https://w3w.co/bleak.recall.broad). Continue heading E on Hatfield bridleway 87 for 1.4km until you reach a T-junction in the tracks (location - https://w3w.co/person.bills.preoccupied).

Turn left on Hatfield restricted byway 88
Image courtesy Gerry Gross

12: Turn left on Hatfield restricted byway 88 then head N for 260m until you reach Tyler's Causeway.

Turn left on Tyler's Causeway
Image courtesy Gerry Gross

13: Turn left on Tyler's Causeway and, after 75m turn right up Cucumber Lane heading NW for 440m looking out for a byway sign on your left (location - https://w3w.co/closet.large.less).

Turn left on Essendon byway 18, also known as Hornbeam Lane
Image courtesy Gerry Gross

14: Turn left on Essendon restricted byway 18, also known as Hornbeam Lane, and continue NW for 1.4km until you reach the B158 again (location - https://w3w.co/marble.plenty.bonds).

Cross the B158 then follow Essendon footpath 15
Image courtesy Gerry Gross

15: Cross the B158 then follow Essendon footpath 15 directly opposite. Continue for 150m.

Follow Essendon footpath 15 as it turns right just past a barn
Image courtesy Gerry Gross

16: Follow Essendon footpath 15 as it turns right just past a barn then heads NE for 470m through woods then down between fields and into a dell.

Go through the gate then turn left
Image courtesy Gerry Gross

17: Go through the gate (location - https://w3w.co/fuzzy.metals.gravy) then turn left. Continue along Essendon footpath 16 heading NW for 720m.

Cross the footbridge then continue on Essendon footpath 16

You will cross a footbridge and climb up the field with the hedge on your right. Continue until you meet the Essendon BOAT 14 (byway open to all traffic) from Wildhill to West End (location - https://w3w.co/cross.think.wipe).

Turn left on Essendon BOAT 14
Image courtesy Gerry Gross

18: Turn left on Essendon BOAT 14 then head SW for 620m until you reach West End Lane (location - https://w3w.co/rats.trying.upgrading).

Turn left on West End Lane
Image courtesy Gerry Gross

19: Turn left on West End Lane then head S, WSW, and then SSE for 770m down the hill to Wildhill.

Turn left on Wildhill Road
Image courtesy Gerry Gross

20: At the T-junction turn left then head E for 120m back to The Woodman car park.

Interactive Map

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