Walk 216: Puckeridge West Loop

4.7 miles (7.6 km) with 84m of total ascent

Standon footpath 27 between points 12 & 13

This walk explores the open countryside west of Puckeridge following well-defined rights of way offering great views. You will cross livestock fields, and there are signs along the way asking dog owners to keep their pets on leads. The starting point is from the car park in Puckeridge village which is seven miles NNE from Ware Station by road. The route involves crossing the A10 Puckeridge bypass twice.

Fly over the route before you set off

If you want to check what sort of landscape this walk covers before setting off you can view a short 3D video of the route below. It's created using the free version of Relive.

This walk crosses the A10 dual carriageway twice, once on the way out and once on the way back. Each crossing has a grass verge between the carriageways. When we tested this walk there was no problem crossing. However, those walking with small children or dogs, older walkers who might not walk that quickly, or walking groups might want to pick a different walk. You will also cross a livestock field where we saw a 'Bull in field' notice as we exited the field. We didn't see a bull although we did meet some inquisitive young cattle.

Directions

Walk 216: Puckeridge West 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.

Huntsman Close meeting High Street

1: Exit the public car park (which was free at time of writing 11 October 2022) off Huntsman Close (location - https://w3w.co/timed.mammoths.sweated) then turn right and head E for 45m until you reach High Street (location - https://w3w.co/solar.dripping.modem).

The Crown and Falcon, High Street, Puckeridge

Turn right on High Street then head SW for 75m passing The Crown and Falcon (location - https://w3w.co/clotting.cured.loft) on your left.

Continue heading SW along High Street for 360m until the road becomes Cambridge Road (location - https://w3w.co/force.snored.fishnet). Keep heading SW, now on Cambridge Road, for 320m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/recliner.shelters.detonated), see image below.

Turn right on Standon footpath 26

2: Turn right on Standon footpath 26 then head W for 130m until you reach the A10 Puckeridge bypass (location - https://w3w.co/remain.latest.heaven).

As you approach the A10 look right to check for traffic on the southbound lanes slowing down before reaching the roundabout on your left. Once you reach the grass verge halfway across look left to check for traffic speeding up on the northbound lanes after leaving the roundabout, then cross towards the footpath on the other side, see image below.

The footpath crossing the A10 via a grass verge between carriageways

3: Once across the A10 continue heading W on Standon footpath 26. This is a lovely stretch, see image below.

Standon footpath 26 heading W towards Hole Farm

Continue on Standon footpath 26 for 1km until you reach a gate leading to Hole Farm (location - https://w3w.co/vast.condensed.scrapping), see image below.

The gate leading to Hole Farm

Go through the gate then continue heading W, still on Standon footpath 26, first through the farmyard and then along the edge of a field with the hedgerow on the right and the field on the left for 550m until the path bends to the left (location - https://w3w.co/field.voter.fortnight) then heads SSW for 30m until it crosses a parish boundary at a footbridge on the right (location - https://w3w.co/removable.removable.objecting), see image below.

Turn right then head W on Great Munden footpath 45

5: Turn right, cross the footbridge, then head W across a field on Great Munden footpath 45, see orange arrow on the image below.

Cross the field following the line of the orange arrow

Continue across the field for 245m until you reach Stockalls Lane (location - https://w3w.co/unwound.giggle.rebel).

6: Turn right on Stockalls Lane then head NNW for 120m until you reach a byway on the left (location - https://w3w.co/stung.riches.safety), see image below.

Turn left on Great Munden BOAT 35

7: Turn left on Great Munden BOAT 35 (byway open to all traffic) then head SW for 560m until you reach Levens Green (location - https://w3w.co/excusing.onwards.petty), see image below.

Turn right on Levens Green then head NW

8: Turn right on Levens Green then head NW for 140m until you reach a track on the right (location - https://w3w.co/celebrate.doghouse.happy), see image below.

Turn right on a track then head NW

9: Turn right on a track then head NW for 55m to join a footpath (location - https://w3w.co/hands.scrubber.coolest), see image below.

Turn right on Great Munden footpath 34

Turn right on Great Munden footpath 34 then head NNW for 390m until you reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/joked.edits.kiosk). When we tested this route on Tuesday 11 October 2022 this gate, which is on a public right of way (ROW) had fallen down and was chained and padlocked to the metal farm gate. We have reported this to Hertfordshire County Council's rights of way (ROW) team using the online form. We were able to squeeze through a gap between the metal farm gate and the wooden right of way gate, see image below. (If you walk this route and find this gate has been repaired, please add a comment at the foot of this page and I will edit the directions. Thanks).

Squeeze through the gap between the gates

10: Squeeze through the gap between the metal farm gate and the broken right of way gate then continue heading NW, still on Great Munden footpath 34 for 160m with the hedgerow on the right and the field on the left until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/offshore.unspoiled.headless), see image below.

Turn right on Great Munden footpath 29

11: Turn right on Great Munden footpath 29 then cut through the hedgerow to reach a field, see image below.

Head E across the field

Head E across the next field for 170m until you reach a line of trees (location - https://w3w.co/walking.scanty.topping), see orange arrow on the image above.

Continue heading E, still on Great Munden footpath 29

Continue heading E, still on Great Munden footpath 29, with a ditch on your right and field on your left, for 340m until you reach a gap in the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/will.physics.winds), see image below.

Go through the gap, still on Great Munden footpath 29

12: Go through the gap, still on Great Munden footpath 29, then head ENE for 190m, with the hedgerow on the right and the field on your left, until you reach Stockalls Lane (location - https://w3w.co/reckons.item.swaps), see image below.

13: Turn right on Stockalls Lane then head SE for 60m until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/herring.vaulting.proven), see image below.

Turn left on Great Munden footpath 57

Turn left on Great Munden footpath 57 then head E for 80m until you reach a field (location - https://w3w.co/builds.spearing.koala), see image below.

Head E across the field to the distant hedgerow

Head E across the field for 510m (see orange arrow on the image above) to a line of hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/processor.shoelaces.additives), see image below.

Head E then ENE, now on Standon footpath 27

14: When you reach the hedgerow you will cross a parish boundary. Continue heading E then ENE, now on Standon footpath 27, with the hedgerow on the right and field on the left for 205m until you reach woodland and a junction (location - https://w3w.co/reverted.alleyway.surcharge), see image below.

Keep left at the junction then head NE with woodland on the right

15: Keep left at the junction then head NE then E, still on Standon footpath 27, with the woodland on your right and fields on your left, for 515m until you reach a gate leading to a livestock field (location - https://w3w.co/conveying.toast.tagging), see image below.

The gate leading to the livestock fields

16: You are about to cross the first of several livestock fields. A sign on the post reads: "Cattle with calves graze these fields at times from April to November. Please try not to get between cows and their calves"

Head E across the first field for 190m to reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/talkers.farmer.wheat). At this point curious cattle followed us to the gate, see image below.

Cattle on Standon footpath 27

17: Continue heading E, still on Standon footpath 27, for 390m across another livestock field to another gate (location - https://w3w.co/held.vivid.yummy).

Crossing the last livestock field on Standon footpath 27

18: After leaving the livestock fields keep heading E for 500m with hedgerow on the right and a field on the left, see image below.

Continue heading E for 500m with hedgerow on the right

Continue heading E on Standon footpath 27 until the footpath bends to the right and crosses a footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/mainframe.frocks.amuses), see image below.

Cross the footbridge then follow the footpath round to the A10

19: Cross the footbridge then follow Standon footpath 27 SE for 110m until you reach steps leading up to the A10 (location - https://w3w.co/snowmen.examine.helpless), see image below.

The steps leading to the A10

20: When you reach the A10 look to your right for traffic then when you reach the halfway point, look to your left for traffic, see image below.

Standon footpath 27 crossing the A10 dual carriageway

After crossing the A10 continue heading E, still on Standon footpath 27, for 110m until you reach Huntsman Close and the car park on your right where the walk started.

Huntsman Close car park

If you want to visit the White Hart pub/restaurant turn left on High Street then head N for 190m and the pub will be on your right (location - https://w3w.co/upon.tune.bounding). To visit the Something Lovely Tea Room or The Crown & Falcon, turn right on High Street then head S for 75m. For opening times please check the links above for all outlets.

High Street, Puckeridge

Interactive map

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