Walk 85: North Mymms Park South Loop

7.1 miles (11.4km) with 101m of total ascent

Hawkshead Wood mentioned at point 18

This walk is a mix of peaceful remote locations and sections walking alongside the busy M25 and A1(M) motorways. The reason we have included the two sections close to major roads is that it enables walkers to follow a loop that takes in the southern part of North Mymms Park. This is a fairly stretching hike with a fair amount of uphill walking.

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 85: North Mymms Park South Loop
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Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
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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. 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.

Start in Brookmans Park village centre. There is restricted parking, but you can pay to use the station car park (location - https://w3w.co/fell.dizzy.rates).

1: Head W crossing the railway bridge then follow Station Road round as it heads N. When you reach Bradmore Lane on your left (location - https://w3w.co/every.swift.soak). Turn left then head W down Bradmore Lane. After 490m you will reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/woes.verbs.first), see image below.

Turn right on North Mymms footpath 7

2: Turn right on North Mymms Footpath 7 then walk through the hedgerow for 20m until you reach an open field (location - https://w3w.co/unions.washed.ended), see image below.

North Mymms Footpath 7 crosses an arable field

North Mymms Footpath 7 now heads in a westerly direction crossing an arable field (see the line of the orange arrow on the image below). However this public right of way is is rarely reinstated after crops have been sown. We have reported this to Hertfordshire County Council's rights of way (ROW) team.

Your options are to follow the right of way in the direction of the orange arrow and trample the crop, or do what many walkers have done which is to keep to your left then walk round the edge of the field until you reach the point where North Mymms footpath 7 meets the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/forced.wedge.coast), see map of the unofficial detour below.

Right of way in green, unofficial detour in orange

Continue on North Mymms footpath 7 heading WNW for 130m with the hedgerow on the left and field on the right until North Mymms footpath 3 heads into the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/mental.calculating.labels). Here you turn right then head N for 200m, still with the hedgerow on the left and field on the right. Continue until you reach the second white-topped post on the left (location - https://w3w.co/hopes.lazy.pure).

3: Turn left on North Mymms footpath 32 then head SW for 170m heading dropping down to a footbridge over a brook. Cross the bridge then climb up to the other side, now North Mymms footpath 30, heading W until you reach a field (location - https://w3w.co/wipe.loops.rubble).

Turn left then continue on North Mymms footpath 30 first SW for 160m then W for 200m until you reach Swanland Road (location - https://w3w.co/never.humid.rainy).

Turn left on the path alongside Swanland Road then head SSW for 190m until you reach the junction with Warrengate Road (location - https://w3w.co/that.debate.smile).

4: Cross Swanland Road then head for the bridleway sign on the W side of the road (location - https://w3w.co/patch.reduce.images). This is North Mymms bridleway 82, which crosses the A1(M). Once over the A1(M) look out for a footpath sign on your left (location - https://w3w.co/link.equal.doctor).

5: This is North Mymms footpath 6 which heads WNW across a field (often grazed by sheep), to St Mary's Church Road (location - https://w3w.co/pillow.bubble.quarrel).

6: Turn left on St Mary's Church Road then walk SSW for 440m following the road, also North Mymms bridleway 2, until it bends to the right (location - https://w3w.co/lions.keen.ends).

7: Go through the gate then continue heading SSW for 760m along North Mymms bridleway 2 ignoring a path to your left at the point where the track starts to climb up to Cangsley Grove. At the top of the hill you can enjoy the views to the south over the valley (location - https://w3w.co/things.being.gums).

The bridleway mentioned in point 8

8: Here you turn right on North Mymms bridleway 90, which becomes Ridge bridleway 44, then heads SW then S for 440m until you reach a gate on the right (location - https://w3w.co/words.cared.heave), see image below.

The gate mentioned in point 8

9: Go through the gate then take Ridge bridleway 10 heading SW for 760m until you reach Redwell Wood Farm (location - https://w3w.co/rise.jobs.vibrates). Along the way you will have some great views over to St Albans to your right.

10: Look out for a bridleway on your left between the farm buildings. This is Ridge bridleway 13. Take this bridleway then head SE for 130m then SW for 150m until the bridleway turns to the left (location - https://w3w.co/mice.doctor.ruled) and continues alongside the N side of the M25 for 150m until you see a bridleway sign on your left (location - https://w3w.co/roof.thing.mutual). This is Ridge bridleway 41.

The bridleway sign mentioned at the end of point 10

11: Turn left then follow the path E until it merges with another bridleway, Ridge bridleway 34, where you turn left and continue heading E until you reach Blackhorse Lane (location - https://w3w.co/delay.vanish.towers). Turn left on Blackhorse Lane then head ESE and then ENE for 580m until you reach a bend in the road and a triangle of grass (location - https://w3w.co/learns.script.float)

12: Turn left and then immediately right taking the path to the right of the cottage (location - https://w3w.co/scrap.tribal.fleet). This is Ridge restricted byway 11, which you follow uphill heading NE then NNE for 270m at which point the track becomes North Mymms restricted byway 3 then heads NNE, NE, then E for 1.4km through the pine trees of Hawkshead Wood until you reach a gate leading to a footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/edits.sage.stays) over the A1(M).

The cottage mentioned in point 12

13: Cross the A1(M) then cross Swanland Road. Take the cut through to Warrengate Road (location - https://w3w.co/pans.nods.rates). Turn left on Warrengate Road then head N, NNE, then NNW passing the pumping station looking out for a footpath sign on your right (location - https://w3w.co/booth.stews.organ). This is North Mymms footpath 11, which is also known as Wise's Lane.

14: Take this footpath then cross a footbridge over Mymmshall Brook (stop on the bridge for a few minutes to see if you can spot a kingfisher). Continue heading E for 840m following the footpath through Brick Kiln Wood. At the end of the wood you will go through a gate, turn right, then cross a footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/spits.ample.plan).

Once across the footbridge turn left heading E, still on North Mymms footpath 11, with the hedge on your left and the field on your right. Continue for 290m until you reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/tunnel.battle.sweep).

15: Turn left then follow North Mymms footpath 9 over a footbridge. Continue for 600m heading NE, NNE, then N until you reach Station Road (location - https://w3w.co/shakes.festivity.will) where you turn right then head back to Brookmans Park.

Interactive Map

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