Length: 20.8 km (13 miles)
Toughness: 3 out of 10
London Kings Cross: 10-22 hrs Thameslink service to Letchworth Garden City Finsbury Park (for links to LT Victoria and Piccadilly lines): 10-31 hrs
Arrive Knebworth: 11-04 hrs
Return
Welwyn Garden City to Kings Cross: direct trains at 22 and 52 mins past the hour
Rail ticket: buy a day return to Knebworth
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.
This is a companion walk to SWC 69 -Welwyn Circular walk and shares some sections with SWC 353- Knebworth Circular walk. Leaving Knebworth station we start with a bit of road walking before we cross fields to enter the grounds of Knebworth House. On then through this large estate to enter woodland - Graffidge Wood - whose paths might be a tad muddy today after May's rainfall. Exiting this wood the walk continue along field edges and over some vast agricultural fiends to the edge of the village of Codicote. From here the way heads over more fields then down along a woodland path before crossing the River Mimram then in and out of a woodland strip to the outskirts of the village of Ayot St Lawrence. Picnickers should stop by the 18th century Grecian style Palladian church. Those seeking a pub lunch should head for the Brocket Arms in this village, which has a good size pub garden if the inside is fully booked.
After lunch the walk continues along enclosed paths and farm tracks to Sparrowhall Bridge, then beside the River Lea to enter the extensive grounds of Brocket Park, to pass Brocket Hall on your right. From here we reverse the route of our Welwyn Circular walk, by heading up through the Melbourne golf course into the village of Ayot then down through Sherrardspark Wood into Welwyn Garden City via the Ayot Greenway, a disused railway line. The recommended tea stop in Welwyn is Simmonds, which serves delicious cakes. The railway station, entered through the Howard Shopping Centre, is nearby.
This walk might be slightly longer than our usual Wednesday outings but it is stile-free (a bonus for oldies like me) and there are no steep hills, so the walk is well within the capabilities of all our regular SWC mid-week walkers.
T=swc.340
Walk Directions are here. L=swc.340
2 comments:
Just n=4 of us on today's walk - but that did include the walk author - on her first SWC walk back after lockdown. The day was w=hot-with-hazy-sunshine, becoming a little humid later in the day as cloud cover increased. Lots of buttercups, speedwell and cow parsley were on display and the bluebells in Graffidge Wood, although well past their best, were still showing good colour. After this wood two hares were spotted, with the more inquisitive one coming up close to us to check us out.
On then through the lovely green countryside to the village of Ayot St Lawrence where a table indoors, out of the sun, had been booked for our luncheon. The fare on offer was more down market than in previous years, when I recall this pub was quite posh, but the staff were welcoming and the beer was excellent.
Fed and watered, we set out on the afternoon leg now in the heat of the day. We soon left a companion behind, not to be seen again, although we paused at times to let him catch us up: we hope he made it safely to Welwyn Garden City. My remaining two companions opted to take the direct, shaded route from Sparrowhall Bridge to Welwyn along the Ayot Greenway, leaving me to complete my book checking of the main route via Brocket Park.
On Welwyn G C railway station a few drops of rain fell, but much more was needed to clear the hot, muggy air. The 18-22 hrs service sped me back to Kings Cross.
The fourth walker got a bit lost (or as we say “went astray”) having missed a turn somewhere or other. On he wandered, across field, through woodland, wondering if he’d ever see his beloved London again. Then like a mirage, a bridge appeared out of the summer haze. Readers, it was the Greenway. The helicopter of fate had plucked him from the sea of lostness.
Having progressed some distance, I heard a commotion behind me. The two short-cutters had caught me up. (I guess I’ll never know how I came to be in front).
Our troubles were not quite over. At Ayot Green, the Greenway petered out leaving us without an obvious onward route (this stretch needs explaining if offered as a shortcut). Eventually, we turned right to cross a field and re-join the official walk’s end across the motorway bridge, along the remainder of the Greenway and into Welwyn. We didn’t stop for tea. We got the 17:52 Nice walk, nice day out.
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