Walk 83: North Mymms South Long Loop

4.3 miles (6.9 km) with 103m total ascent

The view between points 6 & 7

Enjoy a gentle circular walk from St Mary’s, North Mymms. Explore scenic woods, historic wells, and quiet valleys on this charming Hertfordshire trail.

This route starts and finishes at St Mary's Church, North Mymms, heads south climbing up through Cangsley Grove, skirts a quiet valley at Potwells, continues up through pine woodland in Redwell and Mymmshall Wood, then sweeps back passing an old well and wind-pump that once served the nearby farms and houses.

There is a short stretch alongside the A1(M), and then the path crosses a field where (sometimes) there is a bull warning (we have never encountered a bull in 20+ years). If there is a bull in the field you can always take the alternative lane route along Tollgate Road.

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 83: North Mymms South Long 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 below the 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.

1: Park along St Mary's Church Lane (location - https://w3w.co/recent.chief.holly), making sure you don't block any of the gates leading to the fields.

Head SSW along the lane which is also North Mymms bridleway 2

Head SSW along the lane, which is also North Mymms bridleway 2. Continue for 520m until the paved part of the road swings to your right (location - https://w3w.co/lions.keen.ends), see image below.

Continue heading SSW, still on North Mymms bridleway 2

2: Continue heading SSW, still on North Mymms bridleway 2, for 270m until you come to a footpath on the left with fields on either side.

Ignore the path on the left and keep heading uphill

Keep heading SSW as the bridleway climbs up through Cangsley Grove - look out for Purple Emperor butterflies in July and August. When you reach the top of the hill you will come to a gate on the right (location - https://w3w.co/twist.cult.earth), see image below.

Turn right on North Mymms bridleway 90

3: Turn right on North Mymms bridleway 90, which later crosses a parish boundary and becomes Ridge bridleway 44. Head SW with the hedgerow on the right and field on the left. Continue for 200m until the bridleway cuts through trees then continues (location - https://w3w.co/local.makes.trees), see image below.

Cut through the hedgerow, still on Ridge bridleway 44

Cut through the hedgerow, still on Ridge bridleway 44. Continue with the hedgerow on the right and field on the left until you pass a gate on the right (location - https://w3w.co/owls.speeds.last), see image below.

Ignore the gate on the right. Head SE on Ridge bridleway 10 with the hedgerow on the right. Continue for 150m until you drop down to reach a footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/cling.meal.chop).

After crossing the the footbridge continue heading SE

After crossing the footbridge head SE still on Ridge bridleway 10.

Cross the field for 230m until you reach a gate

Continue across the field for 230m until you reach a gate leading to a T-junction in the track (location - https://w3w.co/darker.adopt.storms).

Turn right after the gate still on Ridge bridleway 10

4: Turn right after the gate still on Ridge bridleway 10 (also North Mymms bridleway 2 at this point) then head S, SSE, and S for 670m passing Redwell Wood and down the hill before reaching a cottage on the left and reaching a track on the left (location - https://w3w.co/finger.clay.quest).

* At this point you could continue heading S for refreshments at The Black Horse (620m).

Turn left on Ridge restricted byway 11

5: Turn left just beyond the cottage on Ridge restricted byway 11, then head NE and NNE for 280m.

North Mymms restricted byway 3

This track becomes North Mymms restricted byway 3 then heads NNE, NE then E through Mymmshall Wood for 1.3km until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/bottle.cake.sands) just before the A1(M).

Take the left fork then head NE for 140m

6: Take the left fork then head NE for 140m until you join North Mymms restricted byway 3.

Turn left on the byway then head NNW

Turn left on the byway then head NNW, with the hedgerow and the A1(M) on the right and a field on the left. Continue for 180m until the track bends to the left.

The North Mymms wind-pump on the left

You will pass a small round building on your left. This used to be a wind-pump. The well in front of the pump used to serve the local farms and homes in Victorian times.

The wind-pump and well on the W side of Love Lane

7: After passing the wind-pump on the left, continue to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/atomic.lime.pots).

Ignore the right turn then head W then NW

Ignore the right turn then head W then NW for 260m until you reach a crossing in the track (location - https://w3w.co/dairy.safe.span).

Turn right on North Mymms bridleway 1

8: Turn right on North Mymms bridleway 1 then head NE for 770m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/backed.rocks.switch) just before the A1(M).

Turn left on North Mymms BOAT 5

9: Turn left on North Mymms BOAT (byway open to all traffic) 5 then head N for 150m until you reach Tollgate Road. Here you turn right then head north.

Take the path on the left

10: Go under the footbridge then take the path on your left leading through the bushes to a gate leading to a field (location - https://w3w.co/glitz.ever.hurry).

>* If you want refreshments you can cross the A1(M) and visit The Woodman Inn on Warrengate Lane, Water End.

Go through the gate on North Mymms footpath 6

Go through the gate then cross the field on North Mymms footpath 6 heading WNW for 500m back to St Mary's Church Lane.

Interactive map

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