Hertfordshire Walker: Walk 89: Welwyn North NE Loop

Walk 89: Welwyn North NE Loop

Rolling hills, cute villages, loads of pubs

7 miles (11.2 km)

The path between points 6 and 7 below
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

This is an excellent walk that goes through deep woodland, across open fields, has sweeping views over rolling Hertfordshire countryside, passes through several cute villages with interesting pubs, has an really good restaurant at the halfway point, and the whole walk can be done via pubic transport starting and finishing at Welwyn North station.

Directions

Map for Walk 89: Welwyn North NE Loop
Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
Elements © Thunderforest © OpenStreetMap contributors
See the interactive map below the directions for KML and GPX details

1: Leave Welwyn North station via the car park on the W side and take the footpath through to Woodside Road. Turn right and then right again down Warren Way. Keep walking NE along Warren Way, then take a right turn, also down Warren Way, and continue until you reach Welwyn Footpath 54. Take this path ENE for 40m then NNE for 40 to a footpath junction.

The permissive path mentioned in point 2 below
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

2: When you reach a footpath crossing, continue straight along a permissive path cut through the woodland for 150m. A sign inviting walkers to use the permissive path reads: “Take nothing but photographs; leave nothing but footprints”.

The railway cutting mentioned in point 3 below
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

3: After the path joins Welwyn Footpath 53 turn left and continue N for 200m until you come to the top of the railway cutting. Here you turn right and then take the first footpath on your left, Welwyn Footpath 29, and continue heading NNE with the railway on your left in a cutting.

4: Continue heading NNE passing a large air vent on your left. This is a ventilation shaft for the railway tunnel below. Continue until you reach another vent on your right. Walk past this vent then veer to your right.

The ventilation shaft mentioned in point 4 above
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

5: Turn right at a large tree and then take Welwyn Footpath 27 on your right and follow it SEE. Continue along this path for 370 until it leaves the woodland. Continue heading SSE for 270m with a fence on your left and fields on your right.

The footpath on the right mentioned in point 5 above
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

6: At the gate turn left and head N on Welwyn Bridleway 26 and continue along this bridleway for 920m until you reach a footpath crossing.

7: Continue heading N for 500m on Woolmer Green Bridleway 24 until you reach Robbery Bottom Lane.

Robbery Bottom Lane heading east mentioned in point 8 below
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

8: Continue N on Robbery Bottom Lane for 90m and follow the lane as it turns right turn and heads ENE for 500m until you reach White Horse Lane.

9: Cross White Horse Lane and take the bridleway immediately opposite, Woolmer Green Bridleway 9, and continue heading NE along this bridleway for 950m until you reach Datchworth Green.

Woolmer Green Bridleway 9 mentioned in point 9 above
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

10: There are a couple of pubs in the village if you want a break. The Plough is an excellent real ale pub. No frills, just good beer. Across the road is The Tilbury which has a great menu. There is also a coffee shop and a village store.

The Tilbury mentioned in point 10 above

Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

At the road crossing continue E for 340m along Watton Road looking out for a byway open to all traffic (BOAT) on your right, Datchworth BOAT 19. There is no pavement on this short stretch of lane, so walk against the traffic on the right hand side of the road until you reach the byway on the right.

Datchworth BOAT 19 heading south mentioned in point 10 above
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

11: Head SSE on this BOAT, also known as Back Lane for 610m. Ignore the first footpath on your right. The path enters woodland.

12: Shortly after entering the woodland turn right on Watton-At-Stone Footpath 27 and follow the path as it heads SW for 550m until it meets Bramfield Road.

Watton-At-Stone Footpath 27 mentioned in point 12 above
Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

13: Turn left on Bramfield Road then take the first turn on your right along Coltsfoot Lane. Here you pass The Horns restaurant and pub.

The Horns mentioned in point 13 above

Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

14: Head E on Coltsfoot lane for 500m ignoring the first footpath on your left. When you reach Colltsfoot Farm on your right, take Datchworth Footpath 17 on your left. Follow this path SW for 780m until you reach Whitehorse Lane in Burnham Green. There is the White Horse pub in the village if you want refreshments.

The White Horse mentioned in point 14 above

Image by Hertfordshire Walker released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

15: Turn left on Whitehorse Lane and head S for 170m, then turn right on Harmer Green Lane heading W for 210 along Harmer Green Lane looking out for Welwyn Footpath 34 on your left.

16: Take this footpath and head SW for 830m until you reach Pennyfathers Lane.

17: Cross Pennyfathers Lane taking Welwyn Bridleway 50 opposite and continue heading SW for 1.1km. This bridleway becomes Welwyn Footpath 34b and drops down to New Road.