Saturday Walk - Through woods to The Woodman and back through more woods: Broxbourne Circular

Length: 24.3 km (15.1 mi) [for a shorter walk see below] 

Ascent/Descent: 325m

 Net Walking Time: ca. 5 ½ hours 

Toughness: 5 out of 10

Take the 09.28 Cambridge North train from Liverpool Street (09.40 Tottenham Hale, 09.48 Cheshunt), arriving Broxbourne at 09.53. 

From Stratford , take the 09.16 Meridian Water service (Lea Bridge 09.22) and change at Tottenham Hale. 

Return trains: xx.17, xx.24, xx.47 and xx.54.

After winding its way out of Broxbourne along a canal and through a park, this walk ascends through the Spital Brook valley into Broxbourne Woods National Nature Reserve, an assortment of varied, ancient and wild woods, serrated by a plethora of streams. A circuitous route linking up separate woods follows age old trails, paths and green lanes through a magnificent and diverse woodland setting. While broadly following a well signposted trail through the Nature Reserve, the walk often diverts from it to take more interesting directions. Most of the distance and the ascent are covered before lunch, but the lunch pub serves food all afternoon, so a leisurely pace is entirely possible. There are plenty of signed and unsigned paths in the woods, thus following the detailed written directions is essential, and a map and a compass are recommended.

A shorter walk (18.8 km/11.7 mi, 3/10), finishing in Bayford, is possible (trains to Moorgate). Note: Broxbourne and Bayford are within the Oyster Pay-As-You-Go area (but outside the numbered zones). A Hertford (All Stations) return ticket covers both stations and is the cheapest option if ending at Bayford.

Lunch: The Woodman & Olive in Wormley West End (14.5 km/9.0 mi, Greek food all afternoon). 

Tea: two pubs en-route, a few minutes from the station: The Bull and The White Bear. 

 

For walk directions, map, photos, height profile, and gpx/kml files click here.