Walk 208: Cottered North-East Loop

4.4 miles (7 km) with 71m of total ascent

Holy Trinity church Throcking towards the end of the walk

We really enjoyed this walk over the rolling countryside north-east of Cottered. It starts and finishes at The Bull on Baldock Road, Cottered, and passes the hamlet of Throcking where it's worth taking time to wander round the churchyard of Holy Trinity church, which has sections dating back to the 13th century.

The route crosses many arable fields which, after the crops have been harvested and the fields ploughed, can be difficult to walk. When we did this walk on 9 September 2022 our boots became clogged with mud.

If you don't want to battle with the mud it might be worth bookmarking this walk and doing it in dry weather when the paths have been reinstated after ploughing.

And because several fields have recently been ploughed it's difficult to work out the direction of the paths, so I have added orange arrows to many of the images below to show the direction of the right of way.

If you want to check the walk before you go try the flythrough below, created on the free Relive app.

Boots weighed down with mud

If you have a smartphone consider downloading our free GPS navigation files (links to the files below the map) which enable you to follow the correct route on a free app such as Komoot.

The starting point for the walk is 2.8 miles W from Buntingford town centre by road. We crossed one livestock field and spotted a couple of signs asking walkers to keep their dogs on a lead.

Directions

Map for Walk 208: Cottered North-East Loop
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Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
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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 Bull, Cottered at the start of the walk

1: As you face The Bull in Cottered (location - https://w3w.co/fellow.milky.named) head NE on Bull Lane (to the right of the pub as you look at it) for 60m until the lane becomes a track (location - https://w3w.co/vaccines.dried.oaks). Continue, now on Cottered restricted byway 1, for 370m until you a gap in the hedgerow leading to a field (location - https://w3w.co/bombard.ballpoint.custom), see image below.

Cottered restricted byway 1 at point 2

2: Cottered restricted byway 1 now crosses an arable field. Because the right of way is not clear I have added an orange arrow on the image below to show the direction.

Cottered restricted byway 1 heading NE across a field

Cottered restricted byway 1 continues heading NE for 500m before reaching a junction (location - https://w3w.co/producing.scariest.migrants), see image below.

Go through the gap in the hedge still on Cottered restricted byway 1

3: Take the path through the gap in the hedge and cross a footbridge, still Cottered restricted byway 1. Once through the gap turn left then head N with the hedgerow on the left and field on the right for 160m until the byway bends to the right (location - https://w3w.co/skimmers.guessing.decorate), see image below.

Head N with the hedgerow on the left and field on the right

4: Follow Cottered restricted byway 1 round the field to the right then head NE for 210m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/snares.scatter.requiring), see image below.

Turn left at the junction then cross a footbridge

5: Cross a footbridge then continue heading NE, now on Cottered bridleway 1, for 310m until you cross a farm lane (location - https://w3w.co/island.responses.blesses), see image below.

Cross the farm lane then head NE, still on Cottered bridleway 1

6: Cross the farm lane then continue heading NE, still on Cottered bridleway 1, crossing a livestock field for 110m until you reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/bloomers.cost.violinist), see image below.

Go through the gate then head NE across a field

Go through the gate then head NE across the next field for 130m heading to the right of a patch of woodland in the middle of the field (location - https://w3w.co/socket.tangent.already), see image above.

* When we tested this walk on 9 September 2022 the field had recently been ploughed. The right of way wasn't clear and our boots became heavy with mud. See direction of orange arrow on image above showing the right of way.

When you reach the patch of woodland in the middle of the field continue heading NE for 310m, still on Cottered bridleway 1, until you reach the edge of Great Wood (location - https://w3w.co/swooned.bill.doormat), see image below.

Cottered bridleway 1 approaching the edge of Great Wood

7: When you reach the edge of the woodland turn right on Sandon footpath 42 then head ENE for 440m across the next field, see image below.

Sandon footpath 42 heading ENE

The second section of this field after the brow of the hill (location - https://w3w.co/chase.movie.improvise) was particularly difficult having been recently ploughed, see image below.

Head to the right of the woodland on Sandon footpath 42

When you reach Park Wood you come to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/covertly.evoke.kingpin) , see image below.

Head NE at the junction on Sandon footpath 28

8: Head NE at the junction on Sandon footpath 28 with the woodland on the left and field on the right for 110m until the footpath turns right and crosses a field (location - https://w3w.co/sonic.paces.vest), see image below.

Keep heading ENE, still on Sandon footpath 28

9: Head ENE on Sandon footpath 28 for 240m to a junction in the middle of the field (location - https://w3w.co/articulated.sushi.attention). Unfortunately this junction had also been ploughed and there wasn't a marker post, so Ellie had to model as one, see image below.

Ellie acting as a marker post for the junction mentioned below

10: Turn right at the junction on Sandon footpath 30 then head S for 90m to a footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/museum.players.flop), see image below.

Cross the footbridge then keep heading S on Sandon footpath 30

Cross the footbridge then head SSE with a ditch on your right and a field on your left for 160m until you reach a footbridge on the right (location - https://w3w.co/regret.bridge.knees), see image below.

Sandon footpath 30 does not cross the footbridge

11: Do not cross the bridge. Instead keep heading SSE, still on Sandon footpath 30, with the ditch on the right, see orange arrow on the image above.

* When we tested this walk in September 2022 irrigation work on the ditch had recently been completed and the path was unclear and hard to walk. However, if you keep the ditch on the right you will eventually reach a solid track.

Continue heading SSE, still on Sandon footpath 30, for 200m until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/bland.shifters.lessening), see image below.

Keep heading SSE, still on Sandon footpath 30

Ignore this path on the left and continue heading SSE, still on Sandon footpath 30, with the hedgerow on the right and field on the left, for 330m until you reach a stretch of woodland on your right and a footbridge in the corner of the field (location - https://w3w.co/systems.backswing.officials), see image below.

Cross the footbridge then turn right on Cottered footpath 42

12: Cross the footbridge, turn right on Cottered footpath 42, then head SW for 40m looking for a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/longingly.expectant.feelers). When we did this walk the path crossed a maize field. It was a testing stretch uphill and claggy underfoot, see image below.

Head S on Cottered footpath 42 until you reach Throcking Road

Head S on Cottered footpath 42 for 610m until you reach Throcking Road in Throcking (location - https://w3w.co/hence.conductor.wings), see image below.

Turn right on Throcking Road then take the lane on the left

13: Turn right on Throcking Road then head SW for 45m until you reach a lane on the left (location - https://w3w.co/fidget.daffodils.steeped), see image above.

Turn left on the lane then head SSE for 65m until you reach Holy Trinity church on the right (location - https://w3w.co/harshest.castle.fled), see image below. According to a local website:

"The church has structure from two distinct eras, the oldest is the western tower which has its origins in the 13th century albeit added to in the 17th. The remainder of the church dates from the Perpendicular period of late 14th or early 15th centuries".

Holy Trinity church Throcking

Continue heading S on the lane for 230m until the lane bends to the right to reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/coconut.sniff.enhances), see image below.

Keep right at the junction ignoring the lane on the left

Keep right at the junction then head WSW for 210m until the lane reaches a footpath on the left just before a cottage (location - https://w3w.co/acquaint.meanest.disband), see image below.

Take the footpath on the left just before a cottage

14: Take the footpath on the left just before the cottage then head W on Cottered footpath 31 for 550m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/udder.applauded.winded), see image below.

At the junction take the left fork after the tree

15: At the junction take the left fork after the tree then head SW for 210m across a fenced-off livestock field to reach the hedgerow and another arable field (location - https://w3w.co/intestine.risen.troubled), see image below. There are signs along this stretch asking dog owners to keep their pets on a lead.

Head SW across the next field until you reach the hedgerow

16: Head SW across the next field for 370m until you reach the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/deeply.strikers.sailing), see image below.

* When we walked this route the field had just been harvested and the right of way wasn't clear, so I have marked it with an orange arrow on the image above.

Cross a footbridge then head W with the hedgerow on the right

17: When you reach the hedgerow, cross a footbridge then head W, still on Cottered footpath 31, with the hedgerow on the right and field on the left for 150m until you reach a marker post then an oak tree on the right at which point Cottered footpath 31 bends left to cross the field (location - https://w3w.co/balloons.graceful.incorrect), see image below.

When you reach the oak tree on the right cross the field to the left

When you reach the oak tree on the right turn left then cross the field heading SW for 210m aiming to the left of the cottages in the distance and continuing until you reach the A507 Baldock Road (location - https://w3w.co/proves.parading.udder), see image below.

Cross Baldock Road then take the footpath beside the houses

18: Cross Baldock Road then take Cottered footpath 30 and head SW behind houses for 350m until you reach a lane (location - https://w3w.co/hillside.reception.trickles).

19: Cross the lane then take the footpath on the opposite side (location - https://w3w.co/sublime.striving.financial), see image below.

Cottered footpath 7

Head SW on Cottered footpath 7 with playing fields on the right and hedgerow on the left for 210m to a junction just beyond a play area (location - https://w3w.co/scoping.monopoly.employers), see image below.

Turn right at the junction on Cottered footpath 10

20: Turn right at the junction on Cottered footpath 10 then follow it N for 200m to the A507 (location - https://w3w.co/commenced.forgotten.react). Turn left on the A507 then head W for 45m back to The Bull and the starting point (location - https://w3w.co/trades.tungsten.butlers).

Interactive map

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