Walk 73: Hatfield to North Mymms Linear NW

An old railway track, open common land, and swallow holes

7.5 miles (12 km)

The path leading up to Redwell Wood
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

The walk starts outside the Galleria in Hatfield and heads south along the route of the old railway branch-line from Hatfield to St Albans. You will pass the restored station of Nast Hyde Halt, walk for almost two miles down a tree-lined byway, cross Colney Heath common, then climb the hill over to North Mymms across Potwell Valley with its meadows and swallow holes. Eventually you drop down to Water End and cross the swallow holes. At that point the route splits for those returning to Brookmans Park and Welham Green.

Directions

Map for Walk 73: Hatfield to North Mymms Linear NW

Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
Elements © Thunderforest © OpenStreetMap contributors
See the interactive map below the directions for KML and GPX details

Catch the 610 Uno bus from Brookmans Park or Welham Green to the Galleria in Hatfield. As you approach the Galleria the bus swings left down College Lane and then takes another 10 minutes going round the University of Hertfordshire before returning and arriving at the Galleria bus stop, so you could jump off a stop before the Galleria to save 10 mins.

1: Head NW from the bus stop looking out for a sign on your left immediately after you cross the A1(M). Take this path, Hatfield footpath 184, and head SW for 200m with the A1(M) on your left until a path turns to your right under a road bridge. You are now on the Alban Way, which follows the route of the former Hatfield to St Albans railway line. Follow the path SW for 1.1km as it goes through a small housing estate and then crosses Ellenbrook Lane. Cross the lane and continue heading SW. Immediately after Ellenbrook Lane you will pass through the restored Nast Hyde Halt, one of the stations on the old line.

Nast Hyde Halt on the Alban Way
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

It's worth stopping here to explore the community effort that has preserved some of this railway history.

Nast Hyde Halt on the Alban Way
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

The video below, shot by North Mymms resident and photographer, Ron Kingdon in 1968, shows this line when it was operating.

And a more recent video, shot in 2017 by Rediscovering Lost Railways.

Continue walking SW following the track until you see a byway on your left. This is Colney Heath BOAT 52 (byway open to all traffic), although it is also registered as Hatfield BOAT 26.

The byway heading south from the Alban Way
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

2: Turn left and follow this byway as it weaves its way SW and SE for 620m until it crosses the A414 North Orbital Road. Follow the byway on the other side of the A414, now Colney Heath restricted byway 51 heading SSE and S for 830m. It becomes a gravel road at the point where a large concrete cube blocks the byway but you continue until you reach a footpath intersection just before a new estate of houses. If you reach the houses you have gone too far.

The footpath junction at east of Colney Heath and north of Roestock
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

3: At this intersection take the path that goes off to your right, Colney Heath footpath 24 and follow it as it bends to your left heading SW behind the backs of the houses. Continue for 500m with the houses on your left and the field on your right. Follow this path over a number of fields, still heading SW, until you reach Colney Heath High Street.

4: Cross the road and turn left. Soon after the shops turn right to reach the common. You will see a coal post in front of you.

A coal post at Colney Heath
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

Head SW and climb the path to reach Coursers Road. Here you turn right, cross the bridge, and take the gravel track on your right.

The gravel track leading SW from Colney Heath
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

Continue heading SSW down this track for 230m until you reach a wooden gate on your left leading to another part of Colney Heath Common.

The gate leading south and south-east towards Coursers Road
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

5: Take this path and head SE, diagonally across the field for 200m. You will come to a gap in the hedgerow and your way is SE to your left with the hedgerow on your left and the field on your right. You are aiming for the wooden gate in the far corner of the field.

The gate leading from the common land to Coursers Road
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

Go through the gate and turn right heading S with Coursers Road on your left and the field on your right. The path bends round following Coursers Road and you continue, now walking SW for 300m on Ridge bridleway 32, until you reach a path on your left which crosses Coursers Road and enters Coursers Farm.

The footpath sign by the gap where the path crosses Coursers Road
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

6: You are now on Ridge footpath 8. Follow the white markers with yellow arrows through the farm until you leave the farm buildings behind and have a track ahead of you. On your right will be an industrial site with machinery. You continue straight heading S.

The track heading south from Coursers Farm
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

7: When you reach a group of portable buildings and containers you turn left and then have two options. You could follow the white signs with yellow arrows as the path weaves through the buildings and heads SW through a narrow path overgrown with trees. But this is difficult to walk, especially after rain. Instead, you could follow the white sign which is marked 'permissive path' (see yellow detour on the map above) and follow this round to meet Ridge footpath 8 again.

The choice of the permissive path or official path 8 (permissive path recommended)
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

Whatever way you choose you will reach a junction where the two routes meet. Your way is to continue heading SE on Ridge footpath 8 crossing several fields. There are way-marked post set up to guide you.

Follow the way-marked signposts as you cross several fields and climb the hill
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

At one point, close to the top of the hill, you take a right turn followed by a left turn and then continue through the crops.

Follow the way-marked signposts as you cross several fields and climb the hill
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

You will pass through a field that had grazing shire horses the day we did this. They were friendly.

Follow the way-marked signposts as you cross several fields and climb the hill
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

8: When you reach the buildings at top of the hill, turn left and follow the Ridge bridleway 10 NE. At this point there are some wonderful views over the Hertfordshire countryside to the NW and W. You can see St Albans cathedral on a good day. Continue NE. On your right is Redwell Wood.

The path leading NE to Potwells Valley with Redwell Wood on the right
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

9: Follow the path through the woods until you reach a gate opening out a great view to the NE over North Mymms. This is Potwells Valley. There is an interesting feature about the geology of this area on the North Mymms History Project in a feature entitled The Natural History Around Water End.

Potwells Valley looking NE over North Mymms
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

Continue heading NE, now on Ridge footpath 29 as it drops down the hill to reach a crossing in the track. You cross the track and continue heading NE now on North Mymms footpath 44 to a wooden footbridge. Cross the bridge and then climb though the field to a gate leading to North Mymms bridleway 91 running NE alongside the S of Cangsley Grove. Turn right on this path and continue through the woods. You will cross another track, and continue NE, now on North Mymms bridleway 1 for 1.2km until you reach a track running along the west side of the the A1(M). This is North Mymms BOAT 5. Here you turn left and head N until you reach Tollgate Road. Turn right on Tollgate Road and head N walking under the footbridge.

10: Just after the footbridge take the path on your left, North Mymms bridleway 82, as it climbs left and over the footbridge crossing the A1(M). Drop down to the other side where the path emerges on Swanland Road. Cross Swanland Road and walk SE down Warrengate Road until you reach The Woodman Inn.

11: Here you turn left on the North Mymms footpath 7 immediately after The Woodman Inn and follow it round over the swallow holes climbing through the woods at the other side to reach an open field.

The swallow holes at Water End
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

The swallow holes at Water End
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

The point where those heading to Welham Green and Brookmans Park part ways
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

12: At the open field the route splits for those heading back to Brookmans Park and Welham Green.

* Those heading to Brookmans park turn right, follow the North Mymms footpath 8 round to the right with the field on your left and the hedgerow on your right. Head for the SW corner of this field and cut through the hedgerow to reach Bradmore Lane. Here you turn left and follow the lane to Station Road where you turn right, cross the railway bridge and return to Brookmans Park.

** Those heading to Welham Green turn left and follow North Mymms footpath 8 as it heads NE with the fields on your right and the hedgerow on your left. The path will go through a gap in the hedge before bending right and then continuing NE across a field to reach Station Road. Turn left on Station Road, then right on Bulls Lane, left on Holloways Lane, and then turn right on Dixons Hill Road to reach the railway station. 

Interactive map

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