Length: 19.6 km (12.2 miles) or 9.1 miles if concluding walk at Ashwell & Morden railway station
Toughness: 4 out of 10
Thameslink service from Brighton to Cambridge, with stops at:
East Croydon: 09-31 hrs
London Bridge: 09-46 hrs
City Thameslink: 09-54 hrs
London St Pancras: 10-01 hrs Platform B
Finsbury Park: 10-12 hrs with connection to LT Victoria Line
arriving Baldock: 10-47 hrs
Return
Baldock to London Kings Cross: 26 & 56 mins past the hour
Baldock to St Pancras: 17 & 48 mins past the hour
Ashwell & Morden station to Kings Cross: direct trains at 21 & 51 mins past the hour
to St Pancras: direct trains at 43 mins past the hour
Rail ticket: buy a day return to Baldock - or Ashwell & Morden if planning to do shorter walk
Covid-19 Compliance: please note the current guidance on this website and observe social distancing. You should all come prepared to exchange contact details for track and trace purpose. You can either pre-register for this walk (not essential ) by e-mailing me at swc-marcus@walkingclub.org.uk or, if you prefer, please write your name, e-mail address and contact 'phone number on a small piece of paper for handing to me on the train or when we assemble at walk start. Thank you.
SWC's resident archivist and historian will correct me if I say (in error) that this is the first time this walk has been giving an outing other than on a Sunday - for Ashwell at Home, in May - or August Bank Holiday Monday - for the Ashwell Show. As unfortunately the delightful Ashwell at Home open house day has been cancelled for the second year running, due to Covid, I thought why not impose this walk on unsuspecting Saturday walkers - so here it is.
Now - if you like challenging hills, water features, woodland trails and forests etc, this walk may not excite you or be to your liking. It is mostly flat, over vast fields, but with sweeping Hertfordshire views. But it has its own charms, in a different sort of way to our South Downs walks, so Saturday walkers, why not give it a go ?
The Village of Ashwell is worth exploring when you reach it after 9 km of walking for your lunchtime stop. The impressive church with its tall tower might not have reopened its doors yet to visitors - but the village's three pubs should have - for indoor and outdoor dining. I've dined in all three and all are good.
That's The Rose and Crown with its large pub garden, The Bushel and Strike , with large outdoor dining areas, and the quaint The Three Tuns Hotel. The best place for picnickers is probably the precincts of St Mary's Church.
After lunch and sightseeing, those on the short walk head east along the road to Ashwell and Morden. The main walk continues to the west with a long, steady hill after leaving the village, about the only incline today. You soon arrive at the hamlet of Caldecote with its small church recently restored by the splendidly named "Friends of Friendless Churches" organisation. Onwards then - and a bit of road walking - to the village of Newnham, with another interesting church. You next cross a sweeping field to soon link up with the Icknield Way, for your return to Baldock. When you reach the main road you can turn left for a direct route to the railway station, but the walk's directions take you through a local nature reserve and woodland on the Kingfisher Way and on into the town of Baldock. There are pubs and cafes in the town which should be open and eager for your custom.
Recommended !
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Walk Directions are here: L=swc.91
3 comments:
N=10 gleeful souls turned up, including two first-timers. The weather w=started-grey-and-got-sunnier No rain unless you count the 300 yard dash between the pub and the station.
The ground underfoot was largely firm but there were some claggy bits.
Cow Parsley provided a frothy fringe all the way round. There were also a few rapefields and a smattering of cowslips. Sadly, the cow parsley in Park Wood had been knocked back, diminishing the display there somewhat. In Ashwell, the usual favourite, the Rose and Crown, was barely open and not doing food, so it was off to the Bushel and Strike where four ate.The church was shut so no chance to view the famous graffiti.
After Newnham, the diagonal path across the ginormous field had not been reinstated after ploughing, so we had to plod our way round the perimeter.
Lovely walk. Interesting above - the big skies and varied cloudscape - and below:the rich rape fields and endless long views. Aside from the SWCers, I don't think we saw one other walker all day. Very good coffee at Days Bakery in Ashwell. Locals here very friendly. We got an impromptu speech, mid-street, promoting the famous St. Mary's(open at that point),from a church volunteer. Two of us dined at the cosy Delizia Trattoria, and got the 5.48 back.
Yes. An enjoyayable walk, as ever, despite my list of the (minor)disappointments.
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