Walk 116: Frithsden North-West Loop

5.9 miles (9.5 km) with 176m total ascent

Great Gaddesden bridleway 10 mentioned in point 4

This walk mixes woodland, hills, valleys, cute hamlets, and open views across the undulating Hertfordshire countryside. It starts and ends at a pub. The route passes through Frithsden Beeches. Be prepared for several ups and downs; you need to be able to climb hills for this walk. And it can be muddy in places, so if you are worried about slipping you might want to take a stick. The walk crosses a golf course.

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 116: Frithsden North-West 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 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 along the lane outside The Alford Arms, but please check whether any parking restrictions have been introduced since this walk was written. (Location https://w3w.co/harp.land.rails).

Spooky Lane and Devil's Bridge - see point 1 below

1: Head NNE and uphill along Roman Road for 380m until the lane becomes a track. Continue NNE along a track known as Spooky Lane that runs between walls and under Devil's Bridge for 360m until you reach Nettledon Road.

2: Turn left on Nettledon Road then head WNW for 50m until you reach a footpath on the right. Turn right on Nettledon with Potten End footpath 9 then head N for 590m at which point your path crosses a parish boundary and becomes Great Gaddesden footpath 76. Continue heading NNE for 310m until you reach a lane called St Margarets.

3: Turn left on St Margarets then pass the Amaravati Buddhist Monastery on the left. Follow the lane NW for 690m until it becomes a track. Continue NW along this byway, Little Gaddesden BOAT 9 (byway open to all traffic) for 1.4km until you reach a bridleway on the left (location - https://w3w.co/relegate.angle.sticks).

4: Turn left on Great Gaddesden bridleway 10 then walk downhill for 920m as the bridleway heads SW, then bends SSE and then bends SW again before it reaches Nettleden Road, Little Gaddesden.

Footpath 7 continues between low brick walls to a metal gate - see point 5

At the metal gate continue diagonally left and downhill on footpath 7

5: Turn right then head NW for 130m along Nettleden Road looking out for a footpath on the left.

Turn left on Little Gaddesden footpath 7 then head SSW through the woodland following the path as it cuts between some low brick edging before reaching a metal gate (see images above).

Continue SSW following Little Gaddesden footpath 7 downhill through the woodland to a clearing.

Continue heading SSW and uphill, still on Little Gaddesden footpath 7, for 1.1km to Hillingdon Road.

Footpath 33 entering Frithsden Beeches - see point 6 below

6: Cross Hillingdon Road then take Northchurch bridleway 49 which heads S out of the lay-by (location - https://w3w.co/patch.directors.longingly). Follow this bridleway as it turns SSE and heads uphill through the woods for 100m at which point it bends to the left at a clearing

Continue for 120m keeping the woodland on your left and the field on your right until you cross a paved track.

Cross this track and continue heading S for 220m on Northchurch bridleway 49 through the woodland until you enter Frithsden Beeches.

Bridleway 33 through Frithsden Beeches

7: Continue heading S through the woodland for 220m until you reach a junction. Continue heading SSE, then SSW, now on Northchurch bridleway 54, for another 270m until you reach another junction.

At this point you could take a short detour, recommended by a regular user of Hertfordshire Walker, Gerry Gross, to visit the site of  a 'labyrinth' of WWI training trenches. To reach them continue heading S on Northchurch bridleway 54 for 100m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/quicker.selling.accented). Turn left on Northchurch bridleway 55 then head SE for 530m to reach the trenches (location - https://w3w.co/elevate.delighted.regretted), see image below.

Image of site of trenches courtesy of Gerry Gross

The First World War training trenches and associated earthworks south of Berkhamsted Cricket Club off Castle Hill are listed by Historic England as a 'scheduled monument'. In September 1914, a month after the declaration of WWI, a training camp was set up on Berkhamsted Common. Around 2,000 men from the Inns of Court Officers' Training Corps also known as 'The Devil's Own' were accommodated, mostly in tents. In July 1917, the trainng trenches were dug to enable soldiers to get used to trench warfare. They continued to be operational until June 1919. Around 13km of training trenches had been dug across the Northchurch and Berkhamsted Commons.

8: If you don't take the detour to visit the WWI training trenches, turn left on Northchurch bridleway 33 then head SE through woodland and across a golf course for 600m to the point where the track splits (location - https://w3w.co/booklets.kiosk.lives).

Take the left fork then continue on Northchurch bridleway 33 across the golf course fairway for 170m until you reach a lane (location - https://w3w.co/chains.tricycle.reporting).

9: Cross the lane then continue heading SE now along Nettledon with Potten End bridleway 24 for 650m ignoring the first junction on the left. Continue to the second footpath junction on your left (location - https://w3w.co/wiped.talent.verse).

10: Turn left then head NE along Nettledon with Potten End footpath 17 for 900m back to The Alford Arms.

Interactive map

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