Walk 123: Aspenden South-West Loop

5.5 miles (8.8km) with 87m of total ascent

The Roman road Stane Street between points 5 and 6

This walk is rich in history. It includes a 1.5km stretch along Stane Street, a Roman road which is now a tree-lined byway. The route also passes the site of the former medieval village of Wakeley. It starts and finishes in the village of Aspenden where refreshments can be taken at The Fox when open.

Directions

Map for Walk 123: Aspenden South-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. 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.

Aspenden bridleway 6 at the start of the walk

1: From the The Fox pub in Aspenden (grid ref: TL 36057 28238) head W along Aspenden Road for 380m looking out for a bridleway on your left (location - https://w3w.co/drifting.guess.cavalier). Turn left here on Aspenden bridleway 6 and follow the bridleway uphill, cross a footpath junction, and continue S for 400m until the track swings to the right and becomes Westmill bridleway 7.

Wakeley bridleway 7 approaching Wakeley Spring

Follow this bridleway as it heads WSW for 1.5km until you pass woodland called Wakeley Spring on your right.

The junction of Wakeley bridleway 7 and Wakeley restricted byway 5
Mentioned in point 2 below

2: Just beyond Wakeley Spring on your right is the site of the medieval village of Wakeley. At this point the bridleway swings left and heads SSW for 100m to a junction (see image above). Turn left here along a concrete track which is Wakeley restricted byway 5 and head SSE for 440m at which point the concrete track becomes a metalled lane. Continue SE along this lane for another 170m until you reach a bridleway on the right.

The right turn for Wakeley bridleway 10
Mentioned in point 3 below

3: Turn right here on Wakeley bridleway 10 and head WSW for 440m until you reach a t-junction.

The junction of Wakeley bridleway 10 and Great Munden BOAT 59
Mentioned in point 4 below

4: Turn right on Great Munden BOAT 59 (byway open to all traffic). This is Stane Street the Roman road that runs for 39 miles (63 km) between Ermine Street at Braughing in Hertfordshire and Colchester in Essex. Head NW along this byway for 1.5km, ignoring all paths to your right and left, until you reach a path on your right just before a wooden footbridge over a ford. See image below.

Where Great Munden BOAT 59 meets Cottered BOAT 47
Mentioned in point 5 below

5: Turn right here on Cottered BOAT 47. This byway looks like it could be muddy after rain. It was fine when we did it, but there was a lot of excavation work going to clear the drainage ditches and hedges and trees have been uprooted or cut back.

Excavation work along Cottered BOAT 47
Mentioned in point 5 above

Continue heading NNE, N, NNW, then NNE again for 790m until you reach a junction on the left.

Take Cottered footpath 29 with the drainage ditch on the right

Ignore this path to your left and instead take Cottered footpath 29 and continue heading NNE for 610m until you reach another junction.

Turn right on Aspenden footpath 7
Mentioned in point 6 below

6: Turn right here on Aspenden footpath 7 and follow the path NE for 50m then E for 370m with the hedgerow on your left and the field on your right until you reach an open field. The signpost points directly over the crops and your way is to continue ESE across the field for 150m to the hedgerow beyond (follow the direction of the yellow arrow in the image below).

Head ESE across the field to the hedgerow on the other side - see yellow arrow
Mentioned in point 6 above

The tunnel of hawthorn on the opposite side of the field
Mentioned in point 7 below

7: Once across the field you go through a tunnel of hawthorn (see image above) before reaching a wooden footbridge which you cross, turn right and continue along the edge of the field heading E for 190m until your footpath drops to the right to join a track where you turn left (see image below).

Aspenden footpath 7 drops to the right then you turn left
Mentioned in point 7 above

Continue heading E, still on Aspenden footpath 7, for another 960m until you reach the junction with Aspenden restricted byway 10.

The junction of Aspenden footpath 7 and Aspenden restricted byway 10
Mentioned in point 7 above

8: Turn right and head S for 160m to the point where the track bends to the left and becomes Aspenden bridleway 3. Follow this bridleway heading E towards the church on your left in the distance. Continue for 640m until you join Aspenden Road and the starting point.

Aspenden bridleway 3 heading back to Aspenden

Interactive map

---