Walk 207: Walkern East Loop

4.8 miles (7.7 km) with 95m of total ascent

The route between points 11 & 12

This walk explores the rolling hills between Walkern and Ardeley along well defined footpaths, bridleways, and byways. There are two pubs and two cafe's in Walkern at the start and finish point, and a pub and cafe in Ardeley close to the halfway point.

The route crosses a livestock field and there are a number of signs along the way urging dog owners to keep their pets on a lead. The starting point is 4.5 miles ENE from Stevenage station by road.

Hertfordshire County Council say that due to embankment work being carried out, Ardeley BOAT 10 / Cottered BOAT 34 (byway open to all traffic) heading S and E towards the junction with Cottered 21, for an approximate distance of 100m, will be closed for up to six months from 5 February 2024. They do suggest a diversion, please see map below.

Map courtesy of Hertfordshire County Council

Directions

Map for Walk 207: Walkern East Loop
Click here or on the map for a larger version
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 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 White Lion, Walkern

1: With your back to The White Lion on High Street Walkern (location - https://w3w.co/snowstorm.suitcase.editor) turn left then head S continuing until you reach a garage on your left (location - https://w3w.co/cropping.fuses.trusts).

2: Turn left immediately after the garage on Walkern footpath 12 then head E for 75m, SSE for 55m, then cross the River Beane on a bridge on your left (location - https://w3w.co/warms.slug.conforms), see image below.

Cross the bridge then head SE on Walkern footpath 12

Cross the bridge then head SE, still on Walkern footpath 12, for 144m, ignoring a path on the left and continuing until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/scales.stated.daytime), see image below.

Turn left at the junction on Walkern footpath 13

3: Turn left at the junction on Walkern footpath 13 then head ENE for 275m, with the hedgerow and ditch on your left and a field on your right until you reach woodland and a wooden footbridge on the left (location - https://w3w.co/schematic.sandbags.blizzard), see image below.

Cross the footbridge then head NNE, still on Walkern footpath 13

4: Cross the footbridge then head NNE, still on Walkern footpath 13, for 75m with the woodland on the right and field on the left until the path bends right at the top of the woodland (location - https://w3w.co/usage.handyman.chuckle).

Walkern footpath 13 then heads ESE with the woodland on the right and field on left for 260m until it reaches a junction (location - https://w3w.co/troll.jets.clerics), see image below.

Cross the next field to reach woodland on the other side

5: Keep heading straight and ESE at the junction crossing the next field, still on Walkern footpath 13, to reach woodland on the far side (location - https://w3w.co/nitrate.warnings.nags), see image below.

Enter the woodland on Walkern footpath 13

6: Enter the woodland via wooden steps then continue through the woodland for 70m emerging at a field (location - https://w3w.co/format.slicing.rolled), see image below.

Cross the field on Walkern footpath 13 heading for the lone tree

Cross the field on Walkern footpath 13 heading SE for 140m aiming for the right of a lone tree in the middle of the field (location - https://w3w.co/soulful.hobbit.slugs).

* When we tested this walk on 5 September 2022 the field had just been ploughed so we relied on our satellite navigation to find the right route (demonstrated by Ellie on the images above and below).

Head SE across a field towards a dead oak

7: When you reach the tree continue heading SE across a field for 240m towards a dead oak tree (location - https://w3w.co/cakes.organic.prospered), see image below.

Continue past the dead oak for 35m until you reach a track

Keep to the right of the dead oak then continue for 35m until you reach a track in front of woodland (location - https://w3w.co/houseboat.panics.removals), see image below.

Turn left on Walkern bridleway 36

8: Turn left on Walkern bridleway 36 then head NE for 60m until you reach a lane (location - https://w3w.co/surgical.ushering.stylist). Turn left on the lane then head NE for 210m to a crossroads at Bassus Green (location - https://w3w.co/charm.essential.gravest), see image below.

Turn left at the crossroads then head NW

9: Turn left at the crossroads then head NW for 280m. As you walk this lane take a look at the cute cottage on the right (location - https://w3w.co/bystander.scanty.paddle), see image below.

Cottage at Bassus Green

10: Continue along the lane until you reach a byway on the right (location - https://w3w.co/scrap.bandstand.trickles), see image below.

Turn right on Walkern BOAT 29 then head NE

Turn right on Walkern BOAT 29 (byway open to all traffic) then head NE for 280m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/workshops.breakaway.discussed), see image below.

Turn left on Walkern UCR 3 then head N

11: Turn left on Walkern UCR 3 (unmettled unclassed county road) then head N for 440m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/composes.pram.wasp), see images below.

Turn right on the junction, still on Walkern UCR 3

Head E, still on Walkern UCR 3 for 120m to a junction

12: Turn right on the junction, still on Walkern UCR 3, then head E for 120m to junction (location - https://w3w.co/texted.century.surpassed), see image below.

At the junction head ESE, now on Ardeley bridleway 9

At the junction ignore the turn on the left and turn slightly to your right, now on Ardeley bridleway 9. This is a particularly attractive bridleway which passes an information board for Church Farm Ardeley on the left (location - https://w3w.co/races.carriage.joked), see image below. According to its website Church Farm is:

"... a not-for-profit farming, food, care and education farm. Our aim is to enhance the countryside, provide people with special needs the opportunity to learn and grow, conserve wildlife and farm ecologically. "

The information board for Church Farm - click here for larger version

Ardeley bridleway 9

Continue heading E on Ardeley bridleway 9 for 740m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/draining.lofts.fuzz), see image below.

Turn left at the junction then head N on Ardeley BOAT 4

13: Turn left at the junction then head N on Ardeley BOAT 4 (byway open to all traffic) for 590m until the path splits (location - https://w3w.co/cabbages.salmon.clearcut), see image below.

Follow Ardeley BOAT 4 as it bends left

Continue on Ardeley BOAT 4, as it bends left, now heading NW for 170m until it meets School Lane  (location - https://w3w.co/freshen.lays.yachting). Head N on School Lane for 160m until you reach a T-junction (location - https://w3w.co/observer.noun.goods).

* When you reach Ardeley you have the option of turning right to visit The Jolly Waggoner (location - https://w3w.co/variety.dugouts.lamppost) or the Church Farm Shop & Cafe (location - https://w3w.co/tasks.ahead.polka). Both are 100m to the right when you reach the lane (location - https://w3w.co/hologram.guard.conducted). The pub was closed when we walked this route so we had a really good coffee and bacon roll at Church Farm.

The Jolly Waggoner, Ardeley

Church Farm shop and cafe, Ardeley

14: If you don't take the detour to the pub or the cafe, turn left then head W along the lane passing a terrace of thatched cottages on the right (location - https://w3w.co/masterpiece.beast.crashing), see image below.

Terraced thatched cottages in Ardeley

Continue heading W for 340m to junction (location - https://w3w.co/basher.bandaged.constants), see image below.

Take Ardeley bridleway 38 then head W

15: When you reach the junction take the track on the bend, Ardeley bridleway 38, see orange arrow on the image above. Keep heading W and straight ahead diagonally across a field, see image below.

Cross the field heading WNW (in the direction of the orange arrow)

Cross the field heading WNW (see direction of orange arrow on the image above) to reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/claim.doses.restored), see image below.

Go through the gate then continue heading W on Ardeley bridleway 38

Go through the gate then continue heading W on Ardeley bridleway 38 with the hedgerow on the left and field on the right for 650m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/hampers.disposing.gobbles), see image below.

Turn left at the junction then head S on Walkern restricted byway 16

16: Turn left at the junction then head S on Walkern restricted byway 16 for 510m, with the hedgerow on the left and field on the right, until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/princely.batches.frames), see image below.

Turn right at the junction on Walkern footpath 15

17: Turn right at the junction on Walkern footpath 15 then head SW for 240m until the path bends left as it passes the churchyard of the church of St Mary The Virgin (location - https://w3w.co/rips.soothing.barbarian), see image below.

The church of St Mary the Virgin, Ardeley

The path now bends left for 35m to reach a lane called Church End (location - https://w3w.co/makeovers.darker.almost).

18: Turn right on Church End then head W for 110m until you reach a footbridge crossing the River Beane (location - https://w3w.co/sprinkle.intruders.bounded), see image below.

The footbridge over the River Beane at Church End

Immediately after crossing the footbridge turn left on Walkern footpath 35 (location - https://w3w.co/giants.guideline.named). Immediately after the turn there is an information board with a potted history of Walkern. Click here or on the image below for a larger version.

The information board on the left after crossing the River Beane

Head S on Walkern footpath 35 for 80m until you reach a junction on the right (location - https://w3w.co/dive.agency.putty), see image below.

Turn right on Walkern footpath 18 then WSW to High Street

19: Turn right on Walkern footpath 18 then head WSW for 280m across a field until you reach High Street, Walkern. Turn left on High Street then head S for 30m to the starting point outside The White Lion.

There are two cafes, The Brewery Tearooms (location - https://w3w.co/grandest.situation.solar) and Sweet O'Clock (location - https://w3w.co/fairness.motoring.helper) in Walkern. Both were closed on the day we tested this walk so please make sure to check regarding opening times if you fancy a cuppa and a slice of cake.

Interactive map

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