Walk 170: Standon East Loop

5.2 miles (8.2km) with 113m of total ascent

 

Another great walk from the picturesque village of Standon that includes sections of two long distance paths, The Hercamlow Way and The Greenwich Meridian Trail. You will see references to the routes on some of the direction posts along the way. The walk offers wide open views over the River Rib valley as the route climbs north, east and west. It starts and finishes on High Street, Standon where there are two pubs, The Star and The Bell. There is also Days Bakery on High Street that serves tea and coffee.

Directions

Map for Walk 170: Standon 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.

1: With your back to The Star pub (location - https://w3w.co/transcribes.remotes.trickles) turn left then head N along High Street for 240m to Stortford Road (location - https://w3w.co/currently.walks.locked). Turn left on Stortford Road then head W for 160m crossing the River Rib and continuing until you reach Station Road on your right (location - https://w3w.co/outbursts.jigsaw.winks). Turn right on Station Road then head NW for 370m until you reach Meadow Walk on the right (location - https://w3w.co/spenders.logic.stuffy).

Standon footpath 12 after it passes between the houses on Meadow Walk

2: Turn right on Meadow Walk then head ENE for 50m looking out for a footpath between the houses on the left (location - https://w3w.co/diverting.allowable.intent). This is Standon footpath 12 which you follow as it heads first NE, then turns left to head N between the River Rib on your right and what was the route of the old Buntingford Branch Line on your left.

The path comes closest to the River Rib at point 3

3: After 560m the path comes closest to the bank of The Rib, which is a nice spot for a pause (location - https://w3w.co/outdone.together.rucksack). Look out for herons and buzzards. Continue along Standon footpath 12 for 100m until you leave the wooded area at which point the path becomes Braughing footpath 35 (location - https://w3w.co/beaker.resolves.herds) which you follow for another 450m until you reach a footpath crossing (location - https://w3w.co/matchbox.truck.hired).

Braughing footpath 19 heading ESE across the River Rib

4: Turn right on Braughing footpath 19 then head ESE following a cobbled track crossing the River Rib (location - https://w3w.co/vaccines.spectacle.rescue).

Continue on Braughing footpath 19 for 200m until you reach a cottage on the left and another bridge (location - https://w3w.co/sticky.cattle.excellent).

Braughing footpath 19 after the second bridge

5: Cross the second bridge then turn immediately right, still on Braughing footpath 19, passing a gate (location - https://w3w.co/broadens.appoints.explores) then continuing for 780m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/exhales.remains.scatters).

Braughing footpath 19 crosses a field, but we took a detour

6: When you reach the junction, where a farm track crosses your way, the route should be straight on to the right of the hedgerow and then climb across the field heading NE, E then SE for 360m to point 7 (see image above). From point 7 (location - https://w3w.co/october.enforced.hothouse) you would turn right on Braughing bridleway 16 then head S and downhill for 200m to point 8 (location - https://w3w.co/rollover.smarting.trespass).

However, when we tested this walk at the end of March 2022 Braughing footpath 19 had not been reinstated across the field following planting. So, because there were no obvious indications as to where the path should be, and because we didn't want to trample the crop, we decided to take a detour using the farm track (see image below), heading S for 200m to a bend (location - https://w3w.co/idealist.vintages.pulp) then heading E for 290m to pick up the route at point 8. Interestingly, when we got to point 8 there was a sign showing that the second part of the detour is a permissive path.

Map showing the detour we took in red

We informed the Hertfordshire County Council Rights of Way (ROW) team about this and they have written to the farmer asking him to reinstate the path so that the detour is not needed.

Standon bridleway 3 heading SW from point 8

8: Head SW now on Standon bridleway 3 then S for 990m until you reach Stortford Road, the A120 (location - https://w3w.co/geologist.atomic.mule).

9: Turn right on Stortford Road then, walking along the pavement, head WSW for 120m looking out for an access lane called Half Acres on your left between cottages (location - https://w3w.co/awards.reclaim.purifier). Follow this lane S for 100m until it becomes Standon footpath 4 (location - https://w3w.co/campsites.smoker.cross), which you follow SSE and S for 460m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/policy.comply.digitally).

10: Turn right at the junction, now on Standon footpath 5, and head W for 40m until you reach Hadham Road (location - https://w3w.co/proves.camps.nails). Keep to your right on Hadham Road then head straight and W for 220m until you reach a footpath on your left between cottages (location - https://w3w.co/flickers.dart.cardinal).

11: Turn left on Standon footpath 24 then head S for 360m until you reach a gate leading into woodland (location - https://w3w.co/writers.attic.niece). There will be a track to the local sewage works on your left. Keep heading S through the woodland for 130m, still on Standon footpath 24, until you reach a lefthand bend (location - https://w3w.co/panting.chest.enclosing) at the edge of the woodland.

12: Turn left then head ESE for 270m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/stables.sharpens.pipeline).

13: Turn right, still on Standon footpath 24, and head S for 380m until you reach a junction  (location - https://w3w.co/desks.blows.under).

Turn right on Standon bridleway 19 then head W

14: Turn right on Standon bridleway 19 then head W for 530m ignoring a path on your left (location - https://w3w.co/fund.pack.robot) and continuing until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/nails.slope.gone).

15: Turn right on Standon bridleway 30 then head N for 970m until you reach Paper Mill Lane (location - https://w3w.co/ballpoint.gates.cascaded).

High Street Standon at the end of the walk

16: Turn right on Paper Mill Lane then head E for 310m until you reach High Street Standon (location - https://w3w.co/freezers.mouse.blossom) where you turn left and head N back to the starting point.

We have another walk that starts and finishes in Standon. It is Walk 104: Standon S Loop.

Interactive map

---

Walk 104: Standon South Loop

5 miles (8.2 km) with 132m total ascent

Cows paddling in the River Rib between points 3 and 4 below

This is a lovely circular route along two sides of the River Rib valley, with wonderful wide-open views across the rolling Hertfordshire countryside. Along the walk you cross the river several times at footbridges adjacent to fords where there are opportunities for dogs, kids, and older folk to dip their feet in the water. It’s quite a hilly route with a total of 410ft of ascent over the course of the five miles. But the climbing is worth it for the views. There are several sympathetically placed benches along the way. The route includes parts of The Harcamlow Way and The Greenwich Meridian Trail.

Note: If you are planning to do this walk in July, please check the Standon Calling website first. Standon Calling is an annual music festival which occupies part of the route and could result in paths being closed.

Directions

Map for Walk 104: Standon S Loop
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 navigation system. If you print these walks you might want to use the green PrintFriendly icon at the bottom of these directions to delete elements you don't need.

1: With your back to The Star pub (location - https://w3w.co/transcribes.remotes.trickles) turn left then head N along High Street for 240m to Stortford Road (location - https://w3w.co/currently.walks.locked). Turn left on Stortford Road then head W for 160m crossing the River Rib looking out for a footpath on your left (location - https://w3w.co/marzipan.hoot.piled).

2: Turn left on this path, Standon footpath 15, and head SSW for 350m, crossing the River Rib along the way (location - https://w3w.co/converged.improvise.coats) and continuing until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/servers.drooling.camcorder).

3: Turn right on Paper Mill Lane then head SSW for 190m crossing a footbridge over the River Rib (location - https://w3w.co/exits.appointed.transit) then looking out for a footpath on your left (location - https://w3w.co/bounding.indirect.solutions).

Standon footpath 14, mentioned in point 4 below

4: Take this footpath, Standon footpath 14, which heads S with the River Rib meandering on your left. Continue for 670m. Towards the end of the path you climb slightly to a gate leading to a farm road that is also a bridleway (location - https://w3w.co/after.insect.steps).

5: Turn right and head W and slightly uphill for 240m along Standon bridleway 19 until you reach Barwick Road (location - https://w3w.co/dive.wallet.fairly). Cross the road and continue along the bridleway climbing uphill still heading W for another 670m until you reach Dowsetts Lane (location - https://w3w.co/goods.dark.cats). This bridleway has an amazing variety of wild flowers in the summer.

Standon bridleway 19, mentioned in point 5 above

Standon footpath 59 mentioned in point 6 below

6: Turn left on Dowsetts Lane then pass a perfectly placed bench with great views over the Rib valley. Continue heading SW along the road for 90m looking out for Standon footpath 59 on your left (location - https://w3w.co/menu.defeat.patrol). Take this path, cross a footbridge, and head SE for 190m until you reach woodland (location - https://w3w.co/hunter.view.behave). Here you turn left and keep following the path E, SE, S, and then E again with the woodland on your right and fields on your left for another 290m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/lime.rather.artist).

The junction mentioned in point 6 above

7: At this point Standon footpath 59 continues straight ahead but you need to veer to the right on Standon footpath 45, keeping the woodland on your right and the fields on your left (see image above). Head SSE then SSW with the woodland on your right and the field on your left for 720m until you come to another perfectly placed bench just before a junction in the track (location - https://w3w.co/copper.tides.tanks).

The bench and junction mentioned in point 7 above

8: Turn right here on Standon bridleway 41 and follow it W through the woodland for 200m before it turns diagonally to your left at the point where a private track goes off to the right (location - https://w3w.co/ends.nets.mile), see image below. Continue SW through the woodland for another 100m until you reach a clearing with a small pond on your right. Continue SW for another 230m until you reach a bridleway T-junction just before another pond and a farm on the right (location - https://w3w.co/tunes.global.libraries).

The footpath junction mentioned in point 8 above

Standon bridleway 44, mentioned in point 9 below

9: Turn left on Standon bridleway 44 and follow it SSE and ESE for 300m until you enter woodland (location - https://w3w.co/reject.insect.giving). This is Hanging Wood. Drop down through Hanging Wood for 230m until the field opens up on your left. Continue heading ESE for 230m until you reach the lane (location - https://w3w.co/rates.places.cats).

The path through Hanging Wood, mentioned in point 9 above

10: Turn left on the lane and head NE for 15m before taking the track on your right. This track drops down to a ford with a footbridge alongside (location - https://w3w.co/alive.serves.mirror). Cross the footbridge over the River Rib and continue heading SE for another 50m ignoring the first track on the right and continuing until you meet a junction (location - https://w3w.co/marble.trim.races).

The ford and footbridge mentioned in point 10 above

11: Here you turn left on the Hercamlow Way and head E and NE and N for 550m to Latchford Farm (location - https://w3w.co/square.hood.gosh). Ignore the road on the left that crosses a bridge (location - https://w3w.co/front.this.grades).

Standon bridleway 30 mentioned in point 12 below

12: After Latchford Farm continue along Standon bridleway 30 ignoring another ford on the left (location - https://w3w.co/taxi.trunk.became). Keep heading N and away from the River Rib on your left for 1.6km. As you walk along this path keep looking back for wonderful views to the S. Continue until you reach Paper Mill Lane (location - https://w3w.co/canoe.secondly.companies).

The view from the footbridge mentioned in point 12 below

13: Turn right on Paper Mill Lane, then head E for 310m until you reach High Street, Standon (location - https://w3w.co/freezers.mouse.blossom).

14: Turn left on High Street and head N back to the starting point.

* There are two pubs close to the start/finish point of this walk, The Star. and The Bell. There is also Days Bakery on High Street which serves tea and coffee.We have two more walks that starts and finishes in Standon village. They are Walk 170: Standon East Loop which is 5.2 miles with 370ft of ascent and explores the countryside to the north and east of Standon, and Walk 200: Standon South East Loop which is 4.7 miles with 246 ft of ascent.

Interactive map

---