25.7 km (16.0 mi), 14.5 or 13 miles
Difficulty, 7, 6 or 5 out of 10
The full walk, visiting the Pegsdon Hills, is a bit long, especially for Mr Tiger, but it can be trimmed to 14.5 or even 13 miles by following two shortcuts and lunching in either Great Offley or Pirton. Pirton has the remains of a motte-and-bailey castle and an abandoned medieval village. After Pirton,, a stretch through Oughtonhead Common nature reserve leads into Hitchin’s old town (unless you take Shortcut 2).
Trains
Get the 9:41 Thameslink train from St Pancras towards Cambridge, arriving Hitchin 10:13. This train can also be caught at East Croydon 9:10 and Finsbury Park 9:48
Trains return at xx:00 for St Pancras and beyond. There’s an xx:30 and a slower xx:34 to Kings Cross. Get a return to Hitchin.
Lunch: full walk
The View, Pegsdon (01582 882555) 13.7 km (8.5 mi) into the walk. As its name suggests, there are stunning views. Recently revamped. Booking advisable.
Lunch: Taking Shortcut 1
The recommended pub for the shorter walk is the Motte & Bailey in Pirton after 9 miles. If that’s a pub too far, there are earlier ones in Great Offley. Of these, the Red Lion may be reached too soon. The Green Man (01462 768 256), reached later, is a more likely candidate.
Tea: Oughtonhead Farm Garden Gate Tea Room (07969 621 223). A charming facility 3.8 km (2.4 mi) from the end of the main walk. In summer they generally seem to be open till 16.00.
No shortage of places in Hitchin – see notes - but your day isn’t complete without a visit to The Half Moon 57 Queen Street (01462 452 448), Camra’s Hertfordshire pub of the year several times over.
Walk Directions here
T=swc.234
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N=4 on a day that w=started-sunny-turned-cloudy-ended-sunny We progressed at a fair rate of knots. Lunch was taken at the Green Man (which I hadn’t realised was on a lengthy detour) It was fine and the others liked their meals.
On we sped. By now, yours truly was trailing. The others headed for the hills, I headed for Shortcut 1.
I waited for them at the Motte and Bailey with a half of Old Rosey. They turned up eventually and we were off again. Zooming past the motte and the abandoned village and through the big fields, where I lost sight of them.
Approaching Oughtonhead, I’m afraid, readers, I succumbed to the temptation of Shortcut 2. Never again. Should have gone on. A dreary disappointing end to an otherwise enjoyable walk.
The others caught me up at the station in time for the 1730
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