Walk 90: Heartwood Forest Long Loop

4.9 miles (7.9 km) with 76m total ascent

The path between points 14 and 15

This is a picturesque and varied walk taking in a part of Heartwood Forest that attracts fewer walkers - probably because it’s further from the car park. The route, one of our favourites, passes through the eastern section of the forest which is an area rich in wildflowers and butterflies. In this area you will also find a communal orchard of native fruit trees, and an arboretum laid out with several distinct areas of native trees.

According to the Woodland Trust, Heartwood Forest is the largest continuous new native forest in England; “a place where everyone can find space, peace, wildlife and miles of beautiful woodland to explore.” This ramble follows the outer edge of the site passing through the village of Sandridge where you can find refreshments at three pubs and a village store with a cafe. There is also a pub a short detour close to the halfway point.

This route was first published in August 2019 but was rerouted in July 2025 after part of the walk was fenced off to protect nesting skylarks. Other changes to the original route were also made.

Nesting skylarks

Nesting skylark warning signs

There are several sections between points 5 and 11 and between points 17 and 18 where there are signs asking dog owners to keep their pets under control because of nesting skylarks. Sadly, on the day we tested this revised route, one woman was throwing a ball into the grassland beyond the sign resulting in her pet bounding through the nesting area. Such a pity. Skylarks typically nest on the ground between April and August and can raise two to three broods during this time.

Sign asking dog owners to keep their pets under control

Getting there

There are bus stops close to point 2 in the walk (location - https://w3w.co/guitar.power.risky) and (location - https://w3w.co/beats.loans.bucket) which are served by the number 304, 305, 357, and 612 buses. You can check bus times at Intalink.

Directions

Map for Walk 90: Heartwood Forest Long Loop
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Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
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There is an interactive map below 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.

Park in the free car park in Heartwood Forest (location - https://w3w.co/hardly.carbon.chill), which is accessible from High Street (B651) just north of Sandridge (location - https://w3w.co/marker.salon.riding).

Leave the car park at the gate at the southern edge

1: Leave the car park at the gate just to the left of the disabled parking area at the point where the car park road bends round (location - https://w3w.co/grape.tested.soon). Once through the gate turn left then head ESE on Sandridge bridleway 8 for 300m until you reach High Street, Sandridge (location - https://w3w.co/agrees.tonic.sling).

Turn left on High Street

2: Turn left on High Street then head NNE for 60m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/gifted.acute.rods), see image below.

Turn right on Sandridge footpath 18

3: Turn right on Sandridge footpath 18 then head E for 320m until you reach Langley Grove (location - https://w3w.co/space.mint.sorters), see image below.

Cross Langley Grove then continue on Sandridge footpath 18

4: Cross Langley Grove then continue heading E along Sandridge footpath 18 for 90m until you come to a wooden Heartwood Forest noticeboard (location - https://w3w.co/firm.nets.body), see image below.

Turn left then head NNE through the community orchard

5: Turn left then follow the footpath as it weaves its way in a northerly direction for 740m until you reach Coleman Green Lane (location - https://w3w.co/manage.beam.golf), see image below.

Cross Coleman Green Lane then head in a northerly direction

6: Cross Coleman Green Lane then head in a northerly direction for 240m until you reach a fork (location - https://w3w.co/every.orbit.puts), see image below.

Take the left fork

7: Take the left fork then continue heading in a northerly direction for 360m until you reach an information board at the southern corner of the arboretum (location - https://w3w.co/wide.elbow.unfair), see image below.

The arboretum information board

8: When you reach the arboretum you might want to read the information board about the different trees growing in the area.

Continue on the path to the right of the information board

Continue on the path to the right of the information board until you reach a gate leading to Drovers Lane (location - https://w3w.co/could.chained.banks), see image below.

Cross Drovers Lane then go through a gate

9: Cross Drovers Lane, go through a gate, then head N and uphill for 180m until you reach a T-junction where your footpath meets Sandridge bridleway 7 (location - https://w3w.co/noted.festivity.dice), see image below.

Turn left then follow the path W towards woodland

10: Turn left then follow the path W for 80m until it enters woodland (location - https://w3w.co/leave.belly.plant), see image below.

Enter the woodland then continue heading W

Enter the woodland then continue heading W for 145m until you reach the B651 (location - https://w3w.co/surely.boom.below), see image below.

Cross the B651 then turn left to reach Ferrers Lane

11: Cross the B651 then turn left to reach Ferrers Lane (location - https://w3w.co/herb.level.sank), see image below.

Cross Ferrers Lane then turn right

If you are in need of refreshments you could turn right immediately after crossing the B651 then follow the footpath N for 380m to visit The Wicked Lady pub/restaurant (location - https://w3w.co/palm.axed.relay).

If you don't take the detour to the pub, cross Ferrers Lane then turn right (location - https://w3w.co/item.share.reef) to head W across Nomansland Common.

Head W across Nomansland Common

Continue heading W for 345m passing a car park on the right (location - https://w3w.co/player.drove.saving).

12: After passing the car park continue heading W for 780m until the path reaches woodland (location - https://w3w.co/puddles.teach.fall), see image below.

Enter the woodland then continue heading W

Enter the woodland then continue heading W for 125m until you reach a footpath T-junction (location - https://w3w.co/note.stays.activism), see image below.

Turn left then head S to a gate

13: Turn left then head S for 100m until you reach a gate leading to Heartwood Forest (location - https://w3w.co/manliness.pigs.decay), see image below.

Go through the gate then head SW

14: Go through the gate then head SW for 240m, with the hedgerow on the right, until you reach Round Wood (location - https://w3w.co/lakes.gains.lives), see image below.

Turn right then head NW

15: Turn right then head NW for 150m ignoring the first path on your left (location - https://w3w.co/arch.tanks.bounty), see image below.

Ignore the path on the left

Continue heading NW, with the hedgerow on the right until the path you are on bends to the left (location - https://w3w.co/tiles.agents.lived), see image below.

Follow this path as it bends left

16: Follow this path as it bends left then heads SW along the western edge of the forest for 1km until it reaches a bridleway crossing (location - https://w3w.co/flops.snaps.cities), see image below.

Cross the bridleway then continue heading straight

17: Cross the bridleway then continue heading straight and WSW for 210m until the track bends to the left (location - https://w3w.co/fits.cliff.summer). This is another field where at certain times of the year skylarks will be nesting on the ground and dog owners are asked to keep their pets under control, see image below.

Continue on this path, now heading slightly uphill

Continue on this path, now heading SSE and uphill, for 800m until you reach a gate on the left (location - https://w3w.co/radio.heave.storm), see image below.

Go through the gate on the left

18: Go through the gate on the left, see image below.

Once through the gate head E

Once through the gate head E for 380m to a clearing (location - https://w3w.co/purple.taxi.uses), see image below.

Head NE across the clearing

19: Head NE across the clearing for 280m until you reach the edge of Langley Grove (location - https://w3w.co/fault.tubes.duck), see image below.

Head for the edge of Langley Grove

20: Keeping Langley Grove on the left follow the edge of the woodland, how heading SE, see image below.

Keeping Langley Grove on the left head SE

Continue heading SE for 60m ignoring the first footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/gifted.crate.spices), see image below.

Keep heading SE with Langley Grove on the left

21: Keep heading SE with Langley Grove on the left for 150m until you reach another footpath on the left leading into Langley Grove (location - https://w3w.co/fuel.blunt.hike), see image below.

Turn left through the gate to enter Langley Grove

22: Turn left, go through the gate, then head NE through Langley Grove for 195m until you reach steps leading down to a bridleway (location - https://w3w.co/sums.daring.award), see image below.

Leave Langley Grove then turn right

23: Take the steps down to the bridleway then turn right. Head SE down the bridleway for 285m until you reach a gate on the left (location - https://w3w.co/polite.odds.areas), see image below.

Turn left through the gate then turn right

24: Turn left through the gate then turn right to follow a gravelled footpath downhill for 210m back to the car park (location - https://w3w.co/them.baking.honey).

After your walk you can find refreshments at one of three pubs in Sandridge. The Green Man, The Queens Head, and The Rose and Crown. There is also Heartwood Tearooms attached to the village store.

Interactive map

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