Walk 158: Wigginton East Loop

5.1 miles (8.2 km) with 126m of total ascent

 

This is a lovely walk from the village of Wigginton that takes in parts of three long-distance paths, The Chiltern Way, The Ridgeway, and a section of The Grand Union Canal Walk. There is a fair amount of up and down, and you will be conscious of traffic noise from the A41, which you walk under via a tunnel at point 4 and walk over via a footbridge at point 9. There is a cafe at the Wigginton Village Shop at the start and finish point as well as a pub, The Greyhound. We have another walk from Wigginton, Walk 159: Wigginton South West Loop.

Directions

Map for Walk 158: Wigginton East 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 village of Wigginton checking first for any restrictions.

Wigginton footpath 8 heading E from Chesham Road - point 1

1: With your back to The Greyhound pub/restaurant in Wigginton (location - https://w3w.co/evaded.faces.wager), turn right and head SSW along Chesham Road for 20m looking out for a footpath on the left almost opposite the pub car park, see image above (location - https://w3w.co/confining.prepare.burden). This is Wigginton footpath 8, which you follow as it heads E.

The gate leading to Lower Wood - point 2

2: After 640m you reach Lower Wood (location - https://w3w.co/postings.downs.keys). Enter the wood through a gate (see image above) then ignore paths to the left and right immediately after the gate. Continue heading E and slightly downhill through Lower Wood on Wigginton footpath 8 for 260m until you reach a junction, see image below (location - https://w3w.co/heaven.lashed.form).

When the path splits, keep to the left on Wigginton footpath 8 - point 3

3: Take the left fork and continue heading E on Wigginton footpath 8 as the path leaves Lower Wood then crosses a field to reach a footpath T-junction (location - https://w3w.co/defensive.earpiece.cubes).

4: Turn right at the junction, then head SSE on Wigginton footpath 11 (which becomes a concrete track) for 130m until you reach Crawley's Lane (location - https://w3w.co/rural.imply.offshore). Turn left on Crawley's Lane, then follow it NE for 110m as it passes under the A41.

5: After walking under the A41, look out for a byway on the right, 50m after the underpass (location - https://w3w.co/reverted.drifting.conned).

Take the second path through the gate of Tinkers Lodge

* Important: There are two track on the right at this point. Ignore the first, which looks like a footpath, and, instead, take the second, which looks like a private drive. Go through a gate marked Tinkers Lodge to the right of a house. This is Wigginton BOAT 10 (byway open to all traffic). Follow it passing a house and a barn then continue heading E then NE for 650m until you reach Tring Road, the A4251 (location - https://w3w.co/likely.clotting.chitchat).

6: Turn right on Tring Road, then head SE for 40m looking out for Wharf Lane on the left (location - https://w3w.co/captive.diets.highlighted). Head ENE along Wharf Lane for 70m until you cross the Grand Union Canal (location - https://w3w.co/accompany.policy.irrigate).

Cowroast Lock on The Grand Union Canal

The sign at Cowroast Lock

Turn left immediately after the bridge over the canal to reach the towpath by Cowroast Lock. Follow the towpath NNW then NNE then NNW again for 2.4km until you reach Station Road, which crosses over the canal (location - https://w3w.co/foam.cobbles.withdraws).

7: Continue under the bridge then take the steps on your right immediately after the bridge and climb them to reach Station Road. Turn right on Station Road, then cross the bridge and head S for 20m until you reach Beggars Lane on the left (location - https://w3w.co/intervals.dwarf.dive). Head S on Beggars Lane for 160m looking out for a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/status.paradise.shook).

Aldbury footpath 66, which is also The Ridgeway leaving Beggars Lane

8: Turn right on Aldbury footpath 66, which is The Ridgeway, then head SW for 800m until you reach the A4251 (location - https://w3w.co/defrost.generally.daisy).

Cross the A4251 to reach Wigginton footpath 14

9: Turn right and head W alongside the A4251 for 30m to a point where The Ridgeway path crosses the road (location - https://w3w.co/filed.faced.mega) - see red arrow on image above. This is now Wigginton footpath 14, and still The Ridgeway. Follow it as it heads SW, crossing the A41 via a footbridge, then heads SW for 500m before reaching a lane called The Twist (location - https://w3w.co/lyricist.durations.quality).

10: Turn right on The Twist then head NW for 15m looking out for a footpath on your left (location - https://w3w.co/quality.caressed.lemons). Take this path, Wigginton footpath 20, then follow it SSW for 160m before it swings to the right then heads W for 320m before reaching Fox Road (location - https://w3w.co/opts.wooden.backed).

Turn left on Tring Town footpath 80 then head SSE

11: Take the footpath on the opposite side of Fox Road (location - https://w3w.co/muted.divider.inches). This is Wigginton footpath 18, which you follow W for 80m until you reach a junction by a gate (location - https://w3w.co/signified.clown.loafer). Turn left, on Tring Town footpath 80, then follow it SSE, with the houses on your left and the woodland on your right, for 310m until you reach a road called Upper Tring Park (location - https://w3w.co/masterpiece.hence.original).

12: Cross Upper Tring Park. then continue heading SSE for 110m, still on Tring Town footpath 80, until the path bends to the right, then to the left and continues for 400m until it reaches Wick Road (location - https://w3w.co/announced.infringe.storage).

13: Turn left on Wick Road, then follow it ENE for 250m looking out for a footpath on the right after Wigginton recreation ground.

14: Take this footpath, Wigginton footpath 9, then head S for 100m, passing The Wigginton Village Shop and cafe on the right, before reaching Chesham Road where you turn left and head back to The Greyhound.

Interactive map

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