Walk 71: Welham Green - Brookmans Park Linear

3.6 mi (5.8 km) with 360 ft of ascent

 

This walk starts at Welham Green station and follows old footpaths and lanes to Bell Bar, once a busy stopping point for horse-drawn stage coaches travelling between London and the north. It then continues via Gobions Open Space and Gobions Pond to Brookmans Park station.

Directions

Map for Walk 71: Brookmans Park Linear NE
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.

If travelling by car, there is restricted parking in Welham Green (check signs), but you can pay to park in the station car park (location - https://w3w.co/vase.ears.stir).

The start of the walk down Foxes Lane

1: This walk starts down Foxes Lane, a byway on the E side of the railway bridge by Welham Green station (location - https://w3w.co/parts.intro.guilty). The lane is North Mymms BOAT 84 (byway open to all traffic), which runs SE from Dixons Hill Road. Continue the lane becomes a track.

Continue heading SE then E for 550m ignoring two footpaths heading off to the left. The first soon after the start (location - https://w3w.co/closer.bounty.exist) and the other before a right-hand bend (location - https://w3w.co/globe.noon.breath). After the right-hand bend follow the byway S then SE again for 610m until you reach Bulls Lane (location - https://w3w.co/help.limbs.cheeks).

2: When you reach Bulls Lane turn right and walk down the lane heading SW for 160m until you see a footpath sign on your left (location - https://w3w.co/carbon.mobile.boxer).

Take the footpath off to the left as you head west down Bulls Lane

3: Take this path, North Mymms footpath 35, and head across the field diagonally to your left walking SE for 200m towards the woodland (location - https://w3w.co/mole.broke.catch). There is no obvious path at this point because this is a little-used footpath. Make sure you head to the right of the tree (location - https://w3w.co/loops.slime.rider) that appears on your left as you cross the field. When you reach the woodland turn left on North Mymms footpath 33, and continue walking E and then SE for 740m with the fields on your left and the woods on your right until you reach the gate leading to Bell Lane (location - https://w3w.co/fight.tested.level).

4: When you reach Bell Lane continue straight, heading slightly E and then NE for 300m until just before you reach the A1000, the Great North Road.

* At this point you could turn left and head NW along The Great North Road for 380m for refreshments at either the Cock o' The North (location - https://w3w.co/inspector.thus.after) or The Dutch Marketplace (location - https://w3w.co/store.game.blank).

On your right you will see a footpath leading down a gated road called The Drive, this is North Mymms footpath 68 (location - https://w3w.co/oppose.margin.panels).

5: Turn right and walk down The Drive heading SW for 170m until you reach the top of Pine Grove (location - https://w3w.co/labels.fears.basket). Continue straight down a track to the right of the last house on the top of the west side of Pine Grove and continue walking SW for 320m with Chancellor's School on your left until you emerge at the top of Golf Club Road (location - https://w3w.co/rank.point.activism). Opposite you and to your right will be Brookmans Park Golf Club.

6: Here you turn left and walk S on Golf Club Road, still North Mymms footpath 68, for 430m until you reach the junction with Brookmans Avenue, Georges Wood Road, and Mymms Drive (location - https://w3w.co/caged.towns.wooden).

7: Continue straight heading S for 320m on Mymms Drive, past Moffats Lane on your right and Calder Avenue on your left, and past The Grove on your right. Soon after passing The Grove you will see a track between the houses on your right (location - https://w3w.co/shell.seats.puts).

8: Here you turn right and head SW for 130m down the track until you reach a gate leading to the woods in Gobions Open Space. This area is known as Gobions Gardens. Continue heading SW for 170m ignoring the path off to your right, until you reach Gobions Pond (location - https://w3w.co/spit.wakes.lofts).

Gobions Pond in Gobions Gardens

9: Turn left at Gobions Pond and follow the path as it bends round to the right. Keep the pond on your right as you walk along the southern edge of the pond heading W for 410m. Continue until you reach the end of the pond and the open field (location - https://w3w.co/tolls.exist.lists). Cross the field heading NW for 90m in the direction of the play area.

10: In the western corner of this field, just below the play area, you will see a gap in the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/income.mental.tribe). Take this path and follow it as it heads W for 300m with the woods on your right and the field on your left. At the western end of this path go through another gap in the hedgerow as you turn right to reach the gate at the top of Bluebridge Avenue (location - https://w3w.co/rounds.sling.horn).

11: Walk SW down Bluebridge Avenue until you reach Bluebridge Road where you turn right and head NW to Brookmans Park village centre.

Interactive map

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