Walk 112: Sarratt West Loop

5.2 miles (8.3 km) with 114m total ascent

The River Chess along the Chess Valley Walk

A lovely walk from the village of Sarratt down to the River Chess then following the river NW and up through woodland taking in parts of The Chiltern Way and The Chess Valley Walk. There is a lot of up and down, so this walk is not for those unable to negotiate steep hills. There are two pubs in Sarratt close to the start/finish point, The Boot and The Cricketers, both serving food, and there is another pub along the way, The Cock Inn, which also serves food.

Directions

Map for Walk 112: Sarratt West Loop
Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
Elements © Thunderforest © OpenStreetMap contributors
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.

Park in the village of Sarratt. There are places around The Green (location - https://w3w.co/ledge.cars.editor). Once parked, walk to the SE corner of The Green looking out for a footpath on your right 30m beyond the village post office (location - https://w3w.co/jungle.feast.demand). This is Sarratt footpath 30.

1: Turn right and take this path heading SW for 30m until you reach the last cottage on the right. Just beyond the cottage is a gate into a field (location - https://w3w.co/script.noise.hooks). Go through the gate and continue heading SW, still on Sarratt footpath 30, for 530m until you enter woodland (location - https://w3w.co/punks.chop.boring). Continue along Sarratt footpath 30 through the woodland for 170m until you reach a gate leading to a track (location - https://w3w.co/issue.punks.shield).

2: Cross the track, go through another gate opposite, and take Sarratt footpath 24 heading SSE for 440m until you reach a gate leading into a churchyard (location - https://w3w.co/limp.spider.singer).

3: Go through the gate, now on Sarratt footpath 53, and head SE through the churchyard for 70m until you reach a lane and a row of cottages (location - https://w3w.co/sorry.major.future).

* At this point you could turn left if you want to visit The Cock Inn (location - https://w3w.co/fault.played.tasty).

Turn right, go through a gate, and head SW on Sarratt footpath 40. You will cross a track (location - https://w3w.co/builds.riches.latter), go through another gate, and continue heading SW and downhill for 410m until you reach a gate and, beyond that, a footpath junction (location - https://w3w.co/lanes.veal.zealous).

4: Turn left on the Chess Valley Walk, also Sarratt footpath 41, and head SE for 220m until you reach New Road (location - https://w3w.co/zebra.tins.trend). Cross New Road and continue heading SE, still on Sarratt footpath 41, for another 160m until the path bends to the right (location - https://w3w.co/lion.leaves.start). Turn right here and head SSW and downhill for 170m until you reach a boardwalk leading to a footbridge across the River Chess (location - https://w3w.co/zeal.ticket.arena) beyond which you will reach another footpath junction (location - https://w3w.co/fever.brains.yoga).

A paddling spot along the River Chess between points 5 & 6

5: Turn right and follow Chorleywood footpath 2 NW for 300m until you reach North Hill at Bridge Cottage (location - https://w3w.co/crowd.keen.edit). Cross the road and continue heading NW, now on Chorleywood footpath 1 for 650m until you reach The Chiltern Way (location - https://w3w.co/claim.loved.wooden).

6: Ignore the footpaths to your left and right and instead continue heading NW along the W side of the River Chess and through woodland for 990m. Your path will bend to the left and head E until it reaches the end of the woodland (location - https://w3w.co/drums.could.fried). At this point ignore a path on your left and instead continue straight heading NW for 20m until you reach Holloways Lane (location - https://w3w.co/lives.skill.loved).

The footbridge over the River Chess mentioned in point 7

7: Turn right on Holloways Lane and head NE for 110m until you cross the River Chess on a wooden footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/paint.neck.ledge). Immediately after the footbridge continue heading NE first along a concrete track and then taking the footpath on your right just before the farm buildings (location - https://w3w.co/papers.ranch.owners). This is Sarratt footpath 36 which you follow N for 1.6km, mostly through woodland, until you reach a junction with The Chiltern Way at RoseHall Farm (location - https://w3w.co/boxing.souk.breed).

8: Here you turn right on Sarratt footpath 25 and head E then SE for 410m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/behind.rents.bounty). Take this path, Sarratt footpath 24, and head SE for 650m until you reach Moor Lane (location - https://w3w.co/toys.fleet.values). Cross Moor Lane and continue heading SSE still on Sarratt footpath 24 for another 370m until you reach a footpath crossing (location - https://w3w.co/button.strong.mount).

9: Turn left and take Sarratt footpath 52 and head ENE for 40m to another junction (location - https://w3w.co/fish.novel.wonderfully) where you turn left on Sarratt footpath 27 and head NE for 470m until you reach The Green in Sarratt (location - https://w3w.co/lush.space.suffer). Turn right and retrace your steps to your car.

The Boot (location - https://w3w.co/paint.trap.ruby) and The Cricketers (location - https://w3w.co/dress.manual.escape) are both off the Green if you need refreshments at the end of your walk.

Thanks to Sophie and Mike for recommending this walk. The walk they took us on was a 3.2 miles loop with the same start and finishing point, but returned along The Chiltern Way from point 6. We extended the walk by two miles to include three woods, Mount Wood, Hanging Lane Wood, and Rosehall Wood.

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Interactive map

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