Difficulty 3/10
Out along ancient tracks and green lanes through the quiet, rolling East Herts countryside. Back along the Lea Navigation. The full walk is a bit long for this time of year, so the short walk, using Shortcut 1, is suggested. This reduces the length to 12.6 km (7.8mi). Our lunch stop is in Wareside 3.6 miles into the walk.
Trains
Get the 09:57 Cambridge train from Liverpool St and change at Tottenham Hale (arrive 10:10 platform 4, depart 10:26 same platform) onto the Hertford East train, arriving St Margarets at 10:52 (this second train starts from Stratford London at 10:15). Tottenham Hale is on the Victoria Line, if that’s easier.
Return trains xx:17 and xx:47 changing again at Tottenham Hale.
Lunch
Chequers Inn, Ware Road, Wareside (01920 467 010). Open 12-3.
Tea
There are several pubs on your approach to St Margarets.
The Jolly Fisherman Station Road, Stanstead St. Margarets, (01920 870 125). A McMullen’s pub.
The Oak 36 High Street, Stanstead Abbotts (01920 877 294).
The Red Lion 1 High Street, Stanstead Abbots, (01920 410 056). One of the oldest buildings in the area. Directions: here. We’ll be taking shortcut 1
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2 comments:
#5 walkers started the long version. Through constant #rain and wind we trudged. The lunch pub the Feathers was a,welcome break where we stayed for a while.. Three walkers continued on the top loop back and two went partly back the way we had come due to not wanting to cross a flood, though by this time the water we had come through was also higher..The two if us decided to detor to Ware as,it was getting dark and we didn't want a cancelled train . It was a very elemental day...
Wet Wet Wet... While Hertfordshire soil is quick draining and the route largely follows farm tracks and mud would therefore not be a big issue, the question was how much water we'd get, from above, standing on the tracks and rushing down streams, ditches and fields. Loads, was the answer. Usually dry ditches and mysteriously deep cut dry valleys in the woods were now ravines with waterfall like features. The "occasional stream" was only just clearing the plank bridge across it. You get the picture...
That was all taken in good spirit though. All others were up for doing the full walk that the walk author was keen on checking, all 24 km of it.
Before Wadesmill and the lunch pub, we had checked the pass-ibility of the bridge over The Rib and it looked ok, if traipsing through a watery field corner (the track itself was deep under). Despite a lull in the rain, this had changed after lunch so much so that there was no avoiding water in boots for the 3 of us without a longish diversion (as The Rib had broken its bank and flooded the field).
On we strode, conscious of the still to cross 6 bridges over The Ash.
Three Feet High And Rising...De La Soul came to mind as we re-crossed The Ash by Watersplace Farm, as the depth gauge by the ford had shown 70 cm earlier on the way out and it was certainly higher now. No more obstacles after that though, apart from the darkness. 17.47 train (after 105 minutes in the lunch pub, who had by all accounts forgotten about our food order at some point).
Most fun you can have with your clothes on or an 'orrible day out, take your pick! n=5 w=rain-and-wind-most-times
Kudos to the 2 others who have also walked yesterday in similar conditions!
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