Walk 133: Ridge West Loop

5.1 miles (8.2km) 115m of total ascent

The path between points 1 and 2

This is a good walk for those who enjoy wide open views - this time across the Colne Valley to St Albans. It starts and finishes close to The Old Guinea pub/restaurant in Ridge and follows footpaths and byways across fields and through woodland with a fair bit of up and down along the way.

Directions

Map for Walk 133: Ridge West Loop
Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
Elements © Thunderforest © OpenStreetMap contributors
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.

The church in Ridge at the start of the walk

1: From Deeves Hall Lane in Ridge, (location - https://w3w.co/hedge.bank.losses) take the footpath (see image below). Head W through the northern edge of St Margaret's churchyard (location - https://w3w.co/manliness.lists.margin).

The footpath at the start of the walk

Head WSW on this path, Ridge footpath 23, for 45m until you reach a footpath junction (location - https://w3w.co/towers.frost.media).

At the junction take Ridge footpath 21 NW across the field

Go through the gate and take Ridge footpath 21 which heads NW across the field. Continue for 840m until you reach Mimms Lane (location - https://w3w.co/voting.became.chained).

Cross Mimms Lane and continue on Ridge footpath 21 through woodland until you reach a footpath junction just before the path reaches Packhorse Lane (location - https://w3w.co/hooks.slips.blues), see image below.

Turn left on Ridge footpath 20 just before you reach Packhorse Lane

2: Take this path, Ridge footpath 20, and head SW for 270m with Catharine Bourne and the hedgerow on your right and the field on your left until you reach a fork in the path just before a gap in the hedge leading to the next field (location - https://w3w.co/clever.gates.bleak).

Take the right fork down to a footbridge 5m to your right (location - https://w3w.co/stem.smiled.pipes), see image below.

The footbridge over Catharine Bourne

Cross the footbridge and head NW on Shenley footpath 23A for 420m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/holds.bags.scam). At the end of this path the route has been slightly rerouted but is well signposted.

3: Turn right on Shenley BOAT 33 (byway open to all traffic) and head N for 240m until you reach Rectory Lane (location - https://w3w.co/apply.labels.slurs).

Turn left on Rectory Lane and head W for 10m looking out for a footpath on your right (location - https://w3w.co/admit.anyway.healthier).

Shenley footpath 25 heading NW off Rectory Lane

Take this path, Shenley footpath 25, see image above. Head NW. After 200m you will pass through woodland where we spotted white bluebells, see image below.

According to the National Trust, the white flowers are the result of “a genetic mutation”. The trust says the proportion of blue to white flowered bluebells in the UK is 10,000 : 1.

White bluebells N of point 3 on the route

Keep heading NW along Shenley footpath 25 for 1.3km, enjoying open views over to St Albans.

Continuing until you reach a footpath junction (location - https://w3w.co/indeed.recall.fees).

* Football fans might be interested to know that you are now close to the training grounds for Arsenal and Watford football clubs.

4: Turn left on Shenley footpath 26 and head SW for 500m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/tent.tribune.baked). At this point the track becomes Shenley bridleway 13, also the Watling Chase Trail along this stretch, and continues SW for 430m to another junction (location - https://w3w.co/certified.worked.foal).

5: Turn left on Shenley footpath 29 and head SSE for 150m to another junction (location - https://w3w.co/yoga.pages.cigar), see image below.

The left turn from Shenley footpath 29 to footpath 30

Here you turn left on Shenley footpath 30, which is also the Hertfordshire Way at this point, and head ESE for 270m until you reach the edge of woodland (location - https://w3w.co/plenty.path.cake).

Continue now heading SE 510m until you come to a white-topped post, see image below (location - https://w3w.co/could.transfers.baked).

Ignoring a path off to your left, continue following the main track (in the direction of the yellow arrow below) to the trees ahead (location - https://w3w.co/retail.matter.long) and on up the hill.

Ignore the path to the left but continue on the track to the left of the tree

Continue to follow the track o the point where Shenley footpath 21 joins from the left (location - https://w3w.co/spices.joins.blank).

At this point Shenley footpath 30 ends but you continue on the track which is now Shenley footpath 21 and continue heading SSE for 480m until you reach Rectory Lane (location - https://w3w.co/energetic.tides.guitar).

7: Take the footpath opposite, Shenley footpath 18, which you follow SSE for 510m, with the hedgerow on your left and the field on your right, until you reach Mimms Lane (location - https://w3w.co/boss.rarely.grants).

8: When you reach Mimms Lane, take the footpath directly opposite, still Shenley footpath 18.

* At this point the official right of way crosses the crop. When we tested this walk the field had recently been planted, the crop was growing, and the path had not been reinstated. So, rather than trample the crop, we chose to walk round the edge of the field. We were not alone, other walkers were taking the same route and the detour looked well trodden.

To take this detour, turn left as soon as you enter Shenley footpath 18 and, with the hedge on your left and the field on your right head ENE for 40m, then bend right (location - https://w3w.co/lawn.text.twice) and head SE for 130m before bending right again (location - https://w3w.co/insist.gangs.translated) and then heading SSE for 120m with the hedgerow on your left and the field on your right until you reach the SE corner of the field by an old tree (location - https://w3w.co/traded.reform.angel).

9: Turn left at the tree and, immediately after, take the right-hand fork, Shenley footpath 20, see image below, and follow it heading ESE and uphill for 340m to a footpath junction (location - https://w3w.co/evenly.fuel.spends).

Take the right-hand fork and follow Shenley footpath 20 ESE uphill

10: Cross the junction and continue straight, now on Ridge footpath 23, and follow it ESE then E for 960m back to the starting point.

Interactive map

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