Walk 132: Sandridge South-West Loop

8.1 miles (13km) with 138m of total ascent

 

A walk from Heartwood Forest in Sandridge heading south through the fruit farm at Hawkswick Lodge, on down to Batchwood, across the golf course, up through Childwickbury and back via the Magical Wood and Langley Wood. This walk offers a mix of walking through woodland, parkland, and across fields with wide open views on all sides. There is the option of refreshments at three pubs in Sandridge at the end of the walk.

Directions

Note: This walk crosses over a golf course

Map for Walk 132: Sandridge 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 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.

Park in the Heartwood Forest car park (location - https://w3w.co/flags.enable.offer) and head for the exit in the southern corner, see image below (location - https://w3w.co/oddly.goats.hits).

The exit from the car park to Sandridge bridleway 8

1: After leaving the Heartwood Forest car park turn right on Sandridge bridleway 8 and head WNW for 110m until you reach a track on your left (location - https://w3w.co/froze.help.rider).

Take this track and head SSW for 110m until the track meets Sandridgebury Lane (location - https://w3w.co/handed.ranked.parts). Turn right on Sandridgebury Lane and head SW for 200m looking for a bridleway on the right, see image below (location - https://w3w.co/wider.error.supper).

Sandridge bridleway 9 heading WNW off Sandridgebury Lane (point 2)

2: Turn right on this bridleway, Sandridge bridleway 9, and head WNW then W for 1km keeping the woodland on your right and the fields on your left until you cross the railway line (location - https://w3w.co/latter.hiking.school).

After crossing the railway continue heading W for 550m, still on Sandridge bridleway 9. Pass through Cheapside Farm, and continue until you reach a junction in the track (location - https://w3w.co/stays.hook.river).

Turn left then right and head SW, now on St Michael Rural bridleway 1A, for 380m until you reach Harpenden Road (location - https://w3w.co/studio.export.filed).

3: Cross Harpenden Road and take St Michael Rural bridleway 1 on the other side. Head SW through the Hawkswick Lodge Fruit Farm (see image below) for 350m and continue through the fruit fields until you reach woodland (location - https://w3w.co/snail.repair.sheets).

The bridleway through Hawkswick Fruit Farm (point 3)

Walk through woodland, still on St Michael Rural bridleway 1. This stretch was carpeted in bluebells when we tested this walk in late April 2021 (see image below).

Bluebells in the woodland S of Hawkswick Lodge Fruit Farm

Continue for 410m until you leave the woodland (location - https://w3w.co/ships.backed.remit). Here your path turns to the left and heads SE for 180m with the hedgerow on the left and the school playing fields on the right before reaching Townsend School (location - https://w3w.co/glad.storms.meal).

4: Head SSW, passing the school on the left before reaching a road. Continue heading SW along the road with housing on the left and fields on your right for 250m until you reach Batchwood on the right.

Just before you reach Batchwood, look out for a path (location - https://w3w.co/shades.chemistry.ozone) which runs through the woodland - which was also carpeted in bluebells in late April - and heads SSW parallel to the road you just left on your left.

Continue for 340m before exiting the woodland to your left just before reaching the golf course (location - https://w3w.co/neck.daring.translated), see image below.

Turn left and exit Batchwood and then head SE

Head SE with the hedgerow on your right and the field with a play area on your left and continue for 160m until you reach a gap in the hedge on your right (location - https://w3w.co/spray.boots.brief).

Turn right here and follow the bridleway across the golf course heading SSW for 940m until you reach a bridleway junction and a lane at the southern edge of the golf course (location - https://w3w.co/events.counts.moon).

5: Turn right on St Albans City bridleway 88, which is also a lane (although some people walk parallel to the lane either inside the golf course or on the other side of the lane).

Head NW for 300m until you reach St Michael Rural bridleway 2 on your left (location - https://w3w.co/island.chief.mess).

Bridleway 2 heading NW off bridleway 88 (point 5)

Take this bridleway then head NW. After 1.5km this bridleway becomes a metalled lane. Head NNE for another 1.3km, passing Childwickbury Manor on your right and continuing until you reach the hamlet of Childwickbury. Continue past the green on your left until you reach School Lane on your right (location - https://w3w.co/force.held.card).

6: Turn right on School Lane and follow it SE and then NE for 410m until you reach Harpenden Road (location - https://w3w.co/valve.dogs.last).

Turn right on Harpenden Road then head SE along a track on the S side of the road for 310m until you reach a bridleway on the left (location - https://w3w.co/slap.bring.grades). This is the track you walked along just before point 3 above.

7: Turn left on St Michael Rural bridleway 1A and follow it heading NE and then NNW for 380m until you reach the junction you passed earlier in the walk (location - https://w3w.co/bottle.daisy.tight), see image below.

Head straight ahead and NW at the junction referred to in point 7

Here you ignore the path on the right and follow the footpath straight ahead as it heads NW for 550m.

8: Continue along this track as it reaches a right-hand bend (location - https://w3w.co/inform.rent.pine) and, after another 45m, comes to a left-hand bend (see image below).

The gap in the hedgerow mentioned in point 8 below

Go through the gap in the hedgerow and continue heading NNW and then N for 560m until you reach Ayers End Lane (location - https://w3w.co/song.lake.lifts).

9: Turn right on Ayers End Lane and head NE for 290m until you cross the railway track. Continue heading NE on Ayers End Lane for another 210m looking out for a bridleway on the right (location - https://w3w.co/loans.matter.lime). This is Wheathampstead bridleway 9.

10: Take this bridleway and head SSE for 540m until you reach a crossing in the track (location - https://w3w.co/shovels.awards.list).

11: Here the track becomes Sandridge bridleway 8 which you follow SE for 1.8km back to the car park.

Along the way you will pass the entrance to the Magical Wood on your left (location - https://w3w.co/flags.liability.locker) and Langley Wood on the right (location - https://w3w.co/bench.relay.speaks).

You can cut through Langley Wood and follow a track parallel to your route in order to enjoy the bluebells in spring (see images below).

The bluebell track through Langley Wood

The bluebells in Langley Wood in late April

After your walk you can find refreshments at one of three pubs in Sandridge. The Green Man, The Queens Head, or the Rose and Crown.

The middle part of this walk around Batchwood, Childwickbury Manor and Hawkswick Lodge Fruit Farm was recommended by Nikki Walker of Brookmans Park Osteopaths.

Heartwood Forest brochure

Interactive map

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