Walk 267: St Paul's Walden East Loop

4.3 miles (6.9 km) with 92m of total ascent

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We really enjoyed this walk which explores the rolling and extremely quiet countryside east of St Paul's Walden. The walk starts and finishes outside All Saints Church close to The Strathmore Arms. From there it heads north then east along bridleways, footpaths, byways, and quiet country lanes. At times all you can hear is birdsong interrupted only by the odd plane.

This route crosses a couple of livestock fields, so if you are nervous about walking in fields populated by cattle or horses it might be best to pick a different walk.

We walked the rights of way across the livestock field without any trouble. The cattle didn't seem interested in us. There are signs asking dog owners to keep their pets under control.

There are one or two spots where we had to push back the nettles. We were walking in shorts (not a great idea in the nettle season) but neither of us got stung. It seems someone had been there before us with a strimmer to clear the way.

There is a lot of lane walking in this route, but the lanes are quiet. We saw one car the entire walk. There are verges where you can step aside to avoid any traffic.

The St Paul's Walden Bury Estate car park

There is a private car park (location - https://w3w.co/hype.again.never) belonging to the St Paul's Walden Bury Estate which welcomes visitors during daylight hours. Please check this hasn't changed before leaving your car.

Car park "open to all users"

There are also parking spaces opposite the church (location - https://w3w.co/begun.hooked.flame).

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 267: St Paul's Walden East Loop
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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.

Enter the churchyard then head N

1: From Church Lane enter the churchyard then head N on St Paul's Walden footpath 3 with the church on your left. Continue for 90m until you leave the churchyard at a gate to reach Whitehouse Lane (location - https://w3w.co/cult.added.phones), see image below.

Go through the gate then turn left on Whitehouse Lane

2: Turn left on Whitehouse Lane then head NW for 70m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/stages.themes.hotels), see image below.

Turn right on St Paul's Walden footpath 7

3: Turn right on St Paul's Walden footpath 7 then head NE for 365m until the footpath bends right to reach the B651 (location - https://w3w.co/leaned.giving.paths), see image below.

St Paul's Walden footpath 7 bending right to the B651

4: Cross the B651 then take the footpath on the other side (location - https://w3w.co/looked.bars.pops), see image below.

Follow St Paul's Walden footpath 13 E across a livestock field

Follow St Paul's Walden footpath 13 E across a livestock field.

Livestock warning signs on St Paul's Walden footpath 13

When we tested this walk at the end of May 2024 there was a sign on this gate warning of cows with calves and bulls in the field. The cattle didn't seem interested in us.

Continue heading E across the livestock field for 290m

Continue heading E across the livestock field for 215m until you reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/melt.buck.meals), see image below.

Go through the gate then head ESE

5: Go through the gate then continue on St Paul's Walden footpath 13 but now heading ESE for 165m to a gate to the right of a barn (location - https://w3w.co/these.encounter.older), see image below.

Go through the gate then continue through the farmyard

6: Go through the gate. We struggled with the latch on this gate until we realised that there is a small piece of metal below the latch which needs to be moved aside to allow the bolt to be drawn and the gate to open.

Once through the gate continue through the farmyard, still on St Paul's Walden footpath 13, for 55m until you reach Little Easthall Lane (location - https://w3w.co/dwell.fast.chained), see image below.

Turn left on Little Easthall Lane

7: Turn left on Little Easthall Lane then head NE for 60m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/space.claps.staple), see image below.

Turn right on St Paul's Walden footpath 4

8: Turn right on St Paul's Walden footpath 4. This is another livestock field. Head SE for 220m until you reach a gate leading to a lane (location - https://w3w.co/candy.reach.dull), see image below.

Go through the gate then turn left on the lane

9: Go through the gate, turn left on the lane then take the right fork (location - https://w3w.co/hood.terms.singer), see image below.

Take the right fork then head NE then SE

Head NE then SE along the lane for 80m until you reach a left hand bend (location - https://w3w.co/note.today.urban).

Follow the lane as it bends left then heads NE for 515m until you reach a right-hand bend (location - https://w3w.co/tribune.skin.cargo) see image below.

Turn right on the bend then follow the lane SE

10: Turn right on the bend then follow the lane SE for 920m until you reach a bridleway on the right (location - https://w3w.co/young.sits.nation) see image below.

Turn right on Langley bridleway 7

11: Turn right on Langley bridleway 7 then head SW for 225m with the hedgerow on the right and field on the left until you reach gap in the hedgerow leading to an arable field (location - https://w3w.co/thinks.lined.card), see image below.

Head straight downhill and SW, still on Langley bridleway 7

12: Head straight downhill and SW, still on Langley bridleway 7, until you reach the bottom of the hill where the bridleway crosses a parish boundary where it becomes Knebworth bridleway 33 (location - https://w3w.co/spun.jumps.lungs), see image below.

Climb the hill, now on Knebworth bridleway 33

13: Climb the hill, now on Knebworth bridleway 33 and still heading SW, for 220m until you reach woodland (location - https://w3w.co/rang.broke.plant), see image below.

Enter the woodland, still on Knebworth bridleway 33

14: Enter the woodland, still on Knebworth bridleway 33, then head SSW for 410m until you reach a lane (location - https://w3w.co/voices.spared.either), see image below.

Turn right on the lane then head NW

15: Turn right on the lane then head NW for 565m until the lane bends right (location - https://w3w.co/fork.broad.meals), see image below.

Follow the lane round to the right

16: Follow the lane round to the right as it heads NNE for 165m then bends left to head NW for 60m until you reach a footpath on the left just past a barn (location - https://w3w.co/ruled.lamp.garage), see image below.

Turn left on St Paul's Walden footpath 6

17: Turn left on St Paul's Walden footpath 6 then head SW through a farmyard for 45m before reaching an arable field (location - https://w3w.co/awards.voters.pardon), see image below.

Continue heading SW, still on St Paul's Walden footpath 6

Continue heading SW, still on St Paul's Walden footpath 6, for 230m until the footpath cuts through the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/horns.hopes.bless), see image below.

Follow the footpath through the hedgerow then turn right

18: Follow the footpath through the hedgerow then turn right. Head NW for 50m until you reach woodland (location - https://w3w.co/online.flank.heap), see image below.

Head W through the woodland

19: Follow St Paul's Walden footpath 6 W through the woodland for 345m until you leave the woodland (location - https://w3w.co/loyal.deed.pulled), see image below.

Continue heading SW on St Paul's Walden footpath 6

20: Continue heading SW and still on St Paul's Walden footpath 6, with the hedgerow on the right and field on the left, for 385m until you reach the B651 (location - https://w3w.co/fame.silks.stay), see image below.

St Paul's Walden footpath 6 just before the B651

21: Cross the B651 diagonally to the left to reach a footpath on the other side (location - https://w3w.co/drop.island.impact), see image below.

Turn right on St Paul's Walden footpath 5

Turn right on St Paul's Walden footpath 5 then head diagonally SW across a livestock field, see image below.

Continue heading uphill and SW across the field

Continue heading uphill and SW across the field for 320m until you reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/ridge.input.being), see image below.

Go through the gate then turn right

22: Go through the gate then turn right on a track, which is also St Paul's Walden footpath 3, then head NE for 190m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/ropes.duck.slides). see image below.

Keep left at the junction then head NNE and uphill

23: Keep left at the junction then head NNE and uphill, still on St Paul's Walden footpath 3, for 545m until you return to the starting point.

If you need refreshments after the walk The Strathmore Arms (location - https://w3w.co/going.onion.lungs) is just 120m E along the lane from the start/finish point. Do check opening times to avoid disappointment.

If you enjoyed this walk please consider joining our Hertfordshire Walker members-only Facebook Group where you can share photos and comments on your walking experiences.

Interactive map

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