Length: 5.8 km
Height
Gain: negligible
Take the 18.03 Metropolitan Line train from Baker Street to
Watford (calls Finchley Road 18.09, Wembley Park 18.16, H-o-t-H 18.23), arrives
18.44.
Return Overground trains from Watford
High Street to Euston leave every 15 minutes on xx.03 (48 minutes
journey time). For a much faster journey change at Bushey (Zone 8) or
Harrow & Wealdstone (Zone 5).
Watford is in Zone 8, Watford High Street in Zone 7 (i.e. free travel for 60+ Photocard and Freedom Pass Holders).
We’ll be walking just the park loop, not the wood, which will
still be dark and muddy and will be better in bluebell season anyway! Here is the blurb for the full route:
This route leads through some of the remaining parts of the historic
Cassiobury Estate, namely Cassiobury Park, considered to be one of the UK’s
favourite parks, and Whippendell Wood, an ancient woodland and Local Nature
Reserve enchanting at any time of the year. In-between the wooded Jacotts Hill,
now let out to West Herts Golf Course, is crossed and the Grand Union Canal is
also followed for a short stretch.
Most of the route through the park follows either the River Gade, a very good,
meandering chalk river with some adjacent wetlands, or the 1.4 km long lime
tree avenue that was the Carriage Drive of Cassiobury House. All in, the whole
area appears surprisingly unspoilt, given its vicinity to London.
The following route to the town centre minimises exposure to the A roads
criss-crossing the town. The paths through the park are either tarmac or mud-averse hardcore,
while the paths across Jacotts Hill and through Whippendell Wood are mud-prone.
There is 24/7 access to all parts of the route.
Finishes back at Watford Met Line Station or on to Watford Junction Mainline
Station are described.
Refreshments: Several restaurants, a taproom and The
One Crown pub close to Watford High Street station.
For detailed route maps, gpx/kml files, photos and walk
directions here. t=short.71.a
1 comment:
n=5 off the train (incl. one car driver) on a w=clear-night-with-some-moonlight
We hardly met any other walkers (but some cyclists), encountered no mud, and didn't have to use the headtorches (although one in the backmarker group did), as the faint moonlight provided enough illumination to not fall into river or canal. All the features of the park were taken in and we then followed the squiggly route through town to the street with four food outlets just before the High Street Station. On the walk author and poster's recommendation, we went for Humo, a tapas restaurant.
Everyone enjoyed that place, its hospitalty and the food, with extra thumbs up for the Burnt Basque Cheesecake. Possibly the best this side of the Basque Country.
We stayed there longer than the time needed for the walk!
22.18 Overground for 3, a local bus for 1, his own car for the other.
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