Walk 53: Essendon East Loop

6.5 miles (10.5 km) with 194m total ascent

The stile at point 8 in the walk

This walk from Essendon heads to Howe Green then on to Bayford before passing Little Berkhamsted then looping back to Essendon. The route crosses Essendon golf course twice and includes a fair amount of up and down. There are two pubs along the way.

This walk involves 1.5km of road walking where there are no pedestrian pavements. If you are walking with children, dogs, or a large walking group, it might be wise to pick another route from our collection of 300 free walks. There is an unofficial detour that many walkers take to avoid the roads.

Directions

Walk 53: Essendon East 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 at the 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.

Head down Church Street, passing Essendon church on your left

1: With the Essendon war memorial on the right (location - https://w3w.co/hints.green.hooked), head NW down Church Street, passing Essendon church on your left. Continue until you reach West End Lane (location - https://w3w.co/leaps.softly.silks). Turn left on West End Lane then head W for 120m until you reach a footpath on the right just after the last house (location - https://w3w.co/carry.hobby.tune), see image below.

Turn right on Essendon footpath 5

2: Turn right on Essendon footpath 5 then walk diagonally NE for 350m across the field, with the backs of the houses on your right. Continue until you reach the B158, Essendon Hill (location - https://w3w.co/live.lamp.raft).

Cross the B158 then take the footpath opposite

3: Cross the B158 then take the footpath opposite, still Essendon footpath 5. Continue, now heading ENE for 200m until you reach a gate leading to Essendon golf course (location - https://w3w.co/cloak.kicked.newly), see image below.

Go through the gate to reach a fairway

4: Go through the gate to reach a fairway. The footpath crosses this fairway see orange line on the image below.

Cross the fairway heading NE

Cross the fairway, looking to the right to make sure the way is clear of golfers. Continue for 160m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/summer.modern.locals), see image below.

Cross the junction then head E

5: Cross the junction then head E, now on Essendon footpath 2. Continue for 160m until you reach another junction (location - https://w3w.co/begun.scare.jobs), see image below.

Cross the junction then cross another fairway

6: Cross the junction then cross another fairway. Continue, still heading E, for 180m until you reach another junction (location - https://w3w.co/backed.poker.planet), see image below.

Cross the junction then head down to a wooden footbridge

Cross the junction then head down to a wooden footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/loft.hung.estate), see image below.

Cross the footbridge then turn left on Bedwell Avenue

7: Cross the footbridge then turn left on Bedwell Avenue (location - https://w3w.co/demand.backed.sheep). Head NE on Bedwell avenue, which is also Little Berkhamsted bridleway 26. Continue for 90m until you reach a footpath sign on the right (location - https://w3w.co/launch.face.pound).

Turn right on Little Berkhamsted footpath 1

8: Turn right on Little Berkhamsted footpath 1 then head ENE and uphill for 150m to reach a lane (location - https://w3w.co/estate.dozen.vision), see image below.

Turn left on the lane

9: Turn left on the lane, which is also Little Berkhamsted bridleway 18, then head NE and E for 180m until the lane bends to your left.

At the bend take the footpath on the right

10: At the bend take the footpath on the right just after a house (location - https://w3w.co/yoga.tiny.lunch). Follow Little Berkhamsted footpath 4 SSE for 230m with the hedgerow on the right and field on the left. Continue until you reach a footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/crew.exist.glory), see image below.

Cross the footbridge then continue across another field

11: Cross the footbridge then continue across a couple of fields until you emerge at the top of a lane by Ashfield Farm (location - https://w3w.co/slice.locked.tunnel).

Continue straight heading SSE along Little Berkhamsted bridleway 18

Continue straight heading SSE along Little Berkhamsted bridleway 18 for 40m until you reach a footpath on your left (location - https://w3w.co/save.pigs.gifted), see image below.

Turn left on Little Berkhamsted footpath 3

12: Turn left on Little Berkhamsted footpath 3, then follow it E for 300m as it climbs over a hill and drops down to a gate (location - https://w3w.co/ship.digs.critic), see image below.

Go through the gate then follow Little Berkhamsted footpath 3

13: Go through the gate then follow Little Berkhamsted footpath 3 as it becomes a track and then a paved lane. Follow this lane for 540m as it heads SE round to the right with Culver Wood on your left and then bends E to a road called Robins Nest Hill (location - https://w3w.co/wiping.purely.erase), see image below.

Turn left on Robins Nest Hill

14: Turn left on Robins Nest Hill then walk N for 55m along the E (right) side of the road until you reach a track on the right that avoids walking along section of road (location - https://w3w.co/plot.rubble.carbon), see image below.

Follow the track to avoid walking on the road

Continue along the track, with Robins Nest Hill on your left, for 60m until you reach Little Berkhamsted footpath 5 (location - https://w3w.co/brick.recent.serve), see image below.

Turn right on Little Berkhamsted footpath 5

15: Turn right on Little Berkhamsted footpath 5, which follows a track at this point, then head E for 90m until the footpath leaves the track and heads straight (location - https://w3w.co/pulse.fool.alarm), see image below.

Continue along Little Berkhamsted footpath 5

16: Continue along Little Berkhamsted footpath 5 for 165m until you reach a lane, which is also Little Berkhamsted bridleway 20 (location - https://w3w.co/movie.riches.hoot), see image below.

Turn right then follow Little Berkhamsted bridleway 20

17: Turn right then follow Little Berkhamsted bridleway 20 in a southerly direction for 295m until you meet a bridleway on the left (location - https://w3w.co/grants.soaks.famous), see image below.

Turn left on Little Berkhamsted bridleway 21

18: Turn left on Little Berkhamsted bridleway 21 then head NNE and NE for 270m until the path forks (location - https://w3w.co/rots.insect.wiring), see image below.

Take the right hand fork

Take the right fork then continue to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/backed.stuff.maker).

Turn right on a track that is also Little Berkhamsted footpath 24

19: Turn right on a track that is also Little Berkhamsted footpath 24. Continue for 110m until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/small.year.tiles), see image below.

Turn left on Little Berkhamsted footpath 6

20: Turn left on Little Berkhamsted footpath 6 then head E and downhill with the hedgerow on the left and field on the right. Continue for 150m until the footpath bends left and goes through a gap (location - https://w3w.co/indeed.freed.intent), see image below.

Follow Little Berkhamsted footpath 6 as it bends left

21: Follow Little Berkhamsted footpath 6 as it bends left then goes through a gap in the hedgerow. Continue, now heading NE for 60m, with the woodland on the right and field on the left, until the footpath enters Bayford Wood (location - https://w3w.co/fluid.charge.codes), see image below.

Follow the footpath into Bayford Wood

22: Enter Bayford Wood (location - https://w3w.co/crunch.wacky.pizza) where the footpath becomes Bayford footpath 3.

Follow the footpath down steps and across a wooden bridge

Follow the footpath down steps and across a wooden bridge. Once across the bridge the route climbs NE out of the valley.

After crossing the bridge there is evidence that many walkers take an unofficial detour on the right that heads S with the river on the right. This avoids walking on roads through Bayford. The unofficial route is not way-marked and involves a fair amount of up and down. It can also be muddy at certain times of the year. Hertfordshire Walker does not include unofficial paths in our directions, and nor do we recommend using unofficial routes.

The unofficial shortcut between points 22 and 29

Continue on Bayford footpath 3 as it climbs NE out of the valley

Continue on Bayford footpath 3 as it climbs NE out of the valley then crosses a field. After 240m you will reach a T-junction (location - https://w3w.co/ideal.amuse.arts), see image below.

Turn right at the T-junction on Bayford footpath 4

23: Turn right at the T-junction on Bayford footpath 4 . Continue, now heading SSE with the hedgerow on your left and field on the right, for 75m until the path bends left (location - https://w3w.co/enable.figure.critic), see image below.

Turn left, still on Bayford footpath 4

24: Turn left, still on Bayford footpath 4 then head E for 255m before emerging on Bayford Lane (location - https://w3w.co/river.hangs.wide).

Turn right on Bayford Lane

25: Turn right on Bayford Lane then follow the road S, E and then S for 650m to Bayford village.

Unfortunately this part of the walk involves some lane walking without any pedestrian pavements, which is probably why many walkers seem to take the unofficial detour mentioned earlier.

26: When you reach Bayford Village, turn right on Ashendene Road. Continue now heading SW for 750m until you reach a footpath on your right (location - https://w3w.co/natively.lamp.keep), see image below.

Turn right on Bayford footpath 5

27: Turn right on Bayford footpath 5 then follow it as it weaves NW, then SW and NW for 390m through the fields and then into Bayford Woods (location - https://w3w.co/bucks.this.drops), see image below.

Continue through Bayford Woods on Bayford footpath 5

28: Continue through Bayford Woods, still on Bayford footpath 5, for until 295m you reach a footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/full.plan.steep), see image below.

Cross the footbridge then turn left

You will notice a path on the right just before you cross the footbridge. This is where the unofficial detour joins the official route.

29: Cross the footbridge then turn left, now on Little Berkhamsted footpath 9. Head SW and W for 580m through the fields climbing your way up to Little Berkhamsted, emerging on a lane called Bucks Alley (location - https://w3w.co/called.cheese.reap).

Turn right on Bucks Alley

30: Turn right on Bucks Alley then head NW for 15m until you reach a footpath on your left (location - https://w3w.co/cross.union.making), see image below.

Turn left, still on Little Berkhamsted footpath 9

Turn left, still on Little Berkhamsted footpath 9. Follow this footpath WSW for 340m passing Little Berkhamsted church on the right before emerging in Little Berkhamsted village.

Pass the church on your right then turn left in the village

31: Turn left in the village then head S for 50m until you reach Emmie Murphy's village store on the right just before The Five Horseshoes on the left.

Immediately beyond the village store take the footpath on the right

32: Immediately beyond the village store take Little Berkhamsted footpath 8 on the right (location - https://w3w.co/solved.neon.barks). Follow the footpath WSW for 180m, with the cricket pitch on the left and hedgerow on the right, until you reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/person.ranch.went), see image below.

Turn right on Little Berkhamsted bridleway 22

33: Turn right on Little Berkhamsted bridleway 22 then head NW for 60m until you reach Little Berkhamsted Lane (location - https://w3w.co/energetic.launch.stars).

34: Turn left on Little Berkhamsted Lane then head SW for 100m until you reach a bridleway/lane on your right (location - https://w3w.co/living.cherry.offer), see image below.

Turn right on Little Berkhamsted bridleway 17

35: Turn right on Little Berkhamsted bridleway 17 which heads NW. Follow this metalled bridleway for 300m until it becomes a track (location - https://w3w.co/clean.ready.patch), see image below.

Continue heading NW still on Little Berkhamsted bridleway 17

36: Continue heading NW still on Little Berkhamsted bridleway 17 for 670m dropping down through woodland until you reache a cottage on the left and then a metalled lane leading to the golf course (location - https://w3w.co/tens.shots.supply), see image below.

Head W and uphill on Essendon bridleway 4

37: Head W and uphill on Essendon bridleway 4 for 190m up to the golf club buildings (location - https://w3w.co/fled.kind.tricks), see image below.

Follow the path round as it bends right then left

38: Follow the bridleway round as it bends right then left (around the club buildings) then continues W and NW for another 510m before crossing a fairway (location - https://w3w.co/ears.aims.undulation), see image below.

Look left before crossing the final fairway

39: Look left before crossing the final fairway then follow the bridleway until it emerges on School Lane (location - https://w3w.co/asset.paper.lucky).

40: Turn left on School Lane and head W for 180m back to Essendon village. There is a pub in Essendon village called The Rose & Crown.

---

Interactive map

---