Hertfordshire Way

Location: Hertfordshire

OS Maps: Explorer™ 174, 181, 182, 193, 194

The Hertfordshire Way, created and promoted by the 'Friends of Hertfordshire Way', was first opened in 1998. Linking many of the county's towns and villages this unique walk travels through much of the best of Hertfordshire's countryside, covering 166 miles in an anti-clockwise circular route. The route begins at Royston, although any convenient point on the circuit can be used as a starting point.The guidebook described below conveniently divides the walk into 14 stages of between 10 and 15 miles each. The starting locations of these 14 stages are as follows: Royston; Wallington; Willian (Letchlade); Codicote; St Albans; Markyate; Tring station; Kings Langley; Shenley; Cuffley; Hertford; Widford; Bishop's Stortford; Hare Street.
Hertfordshire is a small county, but does not lack variety in its landscape. In the north east there are wide open panoramas over low hills and rich farmlands as seen in the area around Barkway. From Therfield Heath near Royston, you can look down onto the flat plains of Cambridgeshire. In the west of the county you can enjoy the steep wooded escarpments of the Chilterns. The walk also passes through some beautiful parkland at Ashridge and Ayot St Lawrence, once belonging to grand country estates. Thee are also many picture postcard villages nestling in an intimate landscape of farmland and woods.

Guide Book: [Click for further information or to purchase]

The Hertfordshire Way edited by: Bert Richardson. In this guide the route is conveniently divided into 14 stages of between 10 and 15 miles, each with its individual map and notes on places of interest that you pass or can deviate to. The description for each leg has been written so that it is possible to follow the route without recourse to a map, though OS references are given. There are also included many small sketch maps as a further assistance to finding the way around difficult sections. Refreshment places along each leg are given as are the availability of local transport to enable ease of leaving and joining the route. Details of how the route was first envisaged are given in the preliminary pages, along with much useful guidance on long distance walking and a listing of local tourist offices.