Walk 299: Thorley West Loop

4.9 miles (7.9 km) with 43m of total ascent

Looking back along Thorley footpath 13 before point 23

This is an excellent walk for those fascinated by WWII archeology. You will cross what was once RAF Sawbridgeworth. You will walk along parts of the airfield's perimeter track, pass some aircraft parking bays, as well as a few wartime buildings on the Woodside Trading Estate and Shingle Hall Farm. You will also pass a WWII pillbox.

Getting there

The parish office manager at the church of St James the Great in Thorley - a Grade 1 listed building - has kindly said that anyone following this walk is welcome to use the church's large car park off Church Lane (location - https://w3w.co/excuse.look.tribal). The only issue might be if you plan your walk at the same time as a funeral when the car park is likely to be full, although it's a big car park. 

The nearest bus stops are on Moore Lane, 1km from the start of the walk. The bus stops are on the NW side of Southern Country Park (location - https://w3w.co/piano.crisis.clash). They are served by the number 20, 27, and 386 buses. You can check bus times at Intalink.

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 299: Thorley West 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.

The church of St James the Great in Thorley

From the car park (location - https://w3w.co/most.talked.zebra) head E towards the entrance to the car park and the church lychgate where you will see a footpath signpost (location - https://w3w.co/bells.making.vibrates), see image below.

Go through the lynchgate then turn right

1: Go through the lynchgate then turn right on Thorley footpath 13. Head W with the church on your left. Continue for 90m until you reach a metal gate leading out of the churchyard (location - https://w3w.co/chain.jumped.fame), see image below.

Go through the gate then continue heading W

2: Go through the gate then continue heading W, still on Thorley footpath 13. Follow the footpath across an arable field. Continue heading W for 260m until you reach the other side of the field (location - https://w3w.co/hush.turns.found), see image below.

Thorley footpath leaving the arable field

Thorley footpath 13 drops down some steps then crosses a wooden footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/angel.placed.rise), see image below.

Cross the footbridge then turn left

3: Cross the footbridge then turn left on Thorley footpath 29. Head SW for 80m until you reach a track (location - https://w3w.co/inform.pulse.mining), see image below.

Cross the track then head S

Cross the track then head S, still on Thorley footpath 29. Continue, with the hedgerow on the left and field on the right for 160m until you reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/ledge.drums.larger), see image below.

Go through the gate then head SE

4: Go through the gate then continue on Thorley footpath 29 now heading SE. Continue for 450m until you reach junction and a footbridge on the left (location - https://w3w.co/upper.logo.bags), see image below.

Ignore the footbridge on the left

Ignore the footbridge on the left. Keep heading SE with the hedgerow on the left but now on High Wych footpath 29. Continue for 90m until the footpath bend to the right (location - https://w3w.co/dine.rises.upgrading), see image below.

Turn right on High Wych footpath 29

5: Follow High Wych footpath 29 as it heads uphill and SSW across an arable field for 605m. When you reach the other side follow the footpath through the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/sung.could.apron), see image below.

Approaching the hedgerow on High Wych footpath 29

Cross a footbridge on High Wych footpath 29

6: Cross a track then a footbridge, still on High Wych footpath 29, then head SW for 50m where the footpath crosses another arable field (location - https://w3w.co/spend.diner.movies), see image below.

Continue heading SE across an arable field

Head SW across an arable field, still on High Wych footpath 29. Continue for 180m until you reach a fence (location - https://w3w.co/minute.fine.spend), see image below.

Look to the right when you reach the fence

7: When you reach the fence look to the right (see image above) to find a gap where the footpath goes through (location - https://w3w.co/gums.admire.dull), see image below.

Go through the gap then continue on High Wych footpath 29

Go through the gap then head SW for 25m to another gap where High Wych footpath 29 goes between two properties (location - https://w3w.co/level.alien.blame), see image below.

Go through the gap then continue to a lane

Go through the gap then continue heading SW for 40m until you reach Parsonage Lane (location - https://w3w.co/wooden.toxic.takes). Turn right on Parsonage Lane then head W for 80m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/stable.limes.spite), see image below.

Turn left at the junction on Trimms Green

8: Turn left at the junction on Trimms Green then head S for 200m until you reach a WWII memorial on the right (location - https://w3w.co/hello.drives.skin).

The RAF Sawbridgeworth memorial
Click on the image for a larger version

The memorial is on the site of what was Mathams Wood ALG (Advanced Landing Ground) at RAF Sawbridgeworth.

The site was first used during WWI as a night landing ground for No. 39 (Home Defence) Squadron, based at nearby RAF North Weald in Essex. This rudimentary airfield operated from April 1916 to November 1918. For a decade after WWI, the land returned to agriculture. In 1928, a short-lived civilian gliding club operated from the Shingle Hall site. 1937 saw a return to military use when the RAF established an Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) north of the Much Hadham road, near Mathams Wood. Initially known as Mathams Wood ALG, it served as a training facility. With the outbreak of WWII, Mathams Wood ALG was expanded and upgraded for full-time operations. It was during this period that the name RAF Sawbridgeworth became official, largely due to the Wing Commander stationed there using it in correspondence. The airfield was developed with three runways made of Sommerfeld tracking (metal mesh) and linked by a concrete perimeter track. Dispersal pens (individual or shared bays designed to shield parked planes from enemy air raids), hardstandings, and various buildings were constructed. RAF Sawbridgeworth hosted a variety of squadrons, most notably No. 2 (Army Co-operation) Squadron. This squadron operated aircraft such as the Westland Lysander, Curtiss Tomahawk, and North American Mustang I, primarily for photographic reconnaissance, artillery spotting, and message dropping in support of the army. The airfield played a secret role in the training of pilots for the Special Operations Executive (SOE), who flew clandestine missions into occupied Europe. Several other squadrons, including fighter and Fleet Air Arm units, were briefly stationed at Sawbridgeworth. By mid-1944, with the invasion of the continent, the airfield's use decreased, and flying ceased in November 1944. RAF Sawbridgeworth officially closed in March 1947, with the remaining RAF personnel departing. The land largely returned to agriculture.

After passing the memorial you will reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/deeply.meal.taxi) see image below.

Go through a gate then turn diagonally to the right

9: Go through a gate then turn diagonally to the right on High Wych footpath 28.

Unfortunately, this public right of way had not been reinstated by the landowner when we tested this route at the end of April 2025 so we had to walk through knee-high grass, but it was manageable. We reported the fact to Hertfordshire County Council's Rights of Way team.

Head SW across this arable field for 210m until you reach an industrial estate (location - https://w3w.co/float.broke.sands), see the line of the orange arrow on the image below.

Head for the spot indicated by the orange arrow

10: When you reach the industrial estate you will have to weave your way through the buildings.

Turn right then first left

Turn right when you reach the industrial estate then take the first left, still on High Wych footpath 28. Head W through the industrial estate for 90m before turning left then right (location - https://w3w.co/relate.solar.sketch), see image below.

Follow High Wych footpath 28 through the industrial estate

We couldn't find any right of way signs as we walked through the industrial estate so I have created a map of the route, see below.

High Wych footpath 28 weaving through the buildings

Leave the industrial estate, still on High Wych footpath 28 (location - https://w3w.co/digits.works.images), see image below.

Continue on High Wych footpath 28

11: Continue on High Wych footpath 28 until you reach a junction where you have the choice of taking a permissive path or walking through the crop (location - https://w3w.co/ready.topic.with), see image below.

The permissive path on the left

We took the permissive path along what was one of the airfield's concrete perimeter roads. Continue along the permissive path as it bends in a westerly direction for 340m before being crossed by High Wych footpath 28. You turn left to rejoin the footpath (location - https://w3w.co/method.lime.tried), see image below.

Turn left, now back on High Wych footpath 28

12: Turn left, now back on High Wych footpath 28. Head WNW across an arable field for 270m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/nearly.small.invent), see image below.

Head SW now on High Wych footpath 20

13: Cross the junction then head SW, now on High Wych footpath 20. Continue for 350m until you reach Sweet Dew Lane (location - https://w3w.co/onions.round.herb), see image below.

Turn right on Sweet Dew Lane

14: Turn right on Sweet Dew Lane then head NW for 235m to a crossroads (location - https://w3w.co/fired.wisdom.tennis). Cross Blounts Lane then continue heading NW, now on Sacombs Ash Lane.

Continue along Sacombs Ash Lane

Continue along Sacombs Ash Lane for 500m until the lane bends right (location - https://w3w.co/chose.falls.below) then heads NNE for 170m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/button.fled.relax), see image below.

Head straight on High Wych restricted byway 19

16: Keep heading straight at the junction, now on High Wych restricted byway 19. Continue heading NNE for 600m to Parsonage Lane (location - https://w3w.co/note.below.full), see image below.

Turn right on Parsonage Lane

17: Turn right on Parsonage Lane then head SE for 75m until you reach a bridleway on the left (location - https://w3w.co/sang.visa.move), see image below.

Turn left on High Wych bridleway 31

Turn left on High Wych bridleway 31 then head NNE for 460m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/lace.shield.skills). see image below.

Keep left at the junction, still on High Wych bridleway 31

18: Keep left at the junction, still on High Wych bridleway 31. Head N through Mathams Wood for 205m until you reach a clearing and a WWII pillbox on the left (location - https://w3w.co/space.stem.verse), see images below.

A WWII pillbox in Mathams Wood

A WWII pillbox in Mathams Wood

This particular pillbox is one of two hexagonal pillboxes along the northern edge of Mathams Wood. Two infantry firing trenches were dug alongside. Pillboxes were small, fortified structures designed to provide sheltered firing positions for defending troops. They would have been strategically placed to cover key approaches to the airfield, such as roads and open ground, offering interlocking fields of fire. These pillboxes were typically made of reinforced concrete, providing protection against small arms fire and shrapnel. Their design usually incorporated small openings or "embrasures" through which defenders could fire machine guns or rifles. A total of nine pillboxes still remain in the northern and western sectors of the former airfield.

19: Continue heading N, still on High Wych bridleway 31, for 140m to a junction and a footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/keen.breed.deeply), see image below.

Cross the footbridge

20: Cross the footbridge then follow High Wych bridleway 41 E for 155m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/notion.elaborate.scared).

Head straight and E on Thorley bridleway 12

Ignore the footpath on the left and continue heading straight and E, now on Thorley bridleway 12. Continue for 540m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/limes.hero.page), see image below.

Turn left on Thorley footpath 13

21: Turn left on Thorley footpath 13 then head NE passing Moor Hall Farmhouse on the right (location - https://w3w.co/giant.slang.levels). Moor Hall farmhouse is a Grade II listed building.

Pass Moor Hall Farmhouse on the right

Moor Hall Farmhouse, Thorley

Continue for 200m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/pines.taps.chips), see image below.

Turn left then head N on Moor Hall Lane

22: Turn left on Moor Hall Lane. Head N for 20m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/snaps.define.sling), see image below.

Turn right, still on Thorley footpath 13

Turn right, still on Thorley footpath 13, then head E for 390m to a footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/probe.beam.dices), see image below.

Cross the footbridge then head SE across an arable field

23: Cross the footbridge then head SE across an arable field, still on Thorley footpath 13. Continue for 150m until you reach the footbridge you crossed at point 3 in the walk (location - https://w3w.co/angel.placed.rise), see image below.

Cross the footbridge still on Thorley footpath 13

24: Cross the footbridge then cross another arable field, still on Thorley footpath 13.

Continue on Thorley footpath 13 back to the start of the walk

Continue for 350m back to the churchyard and the start of the walk.

Interactive map

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