Welwyn Circular
Length: 17.7km (11 miles) Toughness: 2 out of 10
10:02 Welwyn North train from Kings Cross arriving Welwyn Garden City at 10:30.
There is also a stopping service from Moorgate at 09:57, calling at numerous stations in north London and arriving at Welwyn Garden City at 10:48.
Return trains fast to Kings Cross are at xx:53, with additional stopping services to Morrgate at xx:28 and xx:58.
The route traverses some attractive Hertfordshire countryside, including the landscaped parkland of two large country houses. Just before or after lunch you could visit Shaw’s Corner, the former home of George Bernard Shaw, now owned by the National Trust, before it closes for the winter.
The recommended lunch pub for this walk is The Brocket Arms (01438 820250) in Ayot St Lawrence, 11km from the start. Ring ahead to reserve a table. For an earlier lunch stop you would need to divert to Wheathampstead (see directions).
You will need to download the Walk Directions.
T=swc.69
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n=11 on this walk and despite some early sun most of it was done in w=cool-and-cloudy weather. For one walker this was a long trip down memory lane as she was one of around 8000 babies born at Brocket Hall in the 10 years after WW2. Photographs were taken and memories shared.
Three of the group decided to do their own thing early on so 8 of us ambled along the easy trails and we all decided to go to Wheathamstead where 5 enjoyed a superb value variety of meat and vegetarian roasts in the "old-school" Swan pub. There are other meal options in the village which has 2 interesting looking cafes. (The Brocket Arms was fully booked.)
After lunch I and 5 others decided not to retrace our steps to the walk route but take a road-based shorter route and meet with the two others where the paths met up. Unfortunately the intrepid two went a bit off piste and enjoyed a little adventure of their own. The rest of us carried on to George Bernard Shaw's House where for the price of a couple of raffle tickets those of us not NT members were allowed in to view the gardens.
We got back to Welwyn just after 5pm for refreshments at cafe Nero and on the way to the station met the intrepid 2 who had reached GBS's house
at around 4.30 and then (ahem) cadged a lift back to Welwyn.
All 11 of us met up at the station to catch a standing-room only fast train back to London.
This is an ideal walk for autumn; it has no outstanding scenery but is just a pleasant and rewarding amble with places of interest and a quick service from and to London. A lovely day out in lively company.
One small additional point. The length of this walk looks to have been a bit underestimated, My gpx route for the main walk gives 18.32km (11.45m).
The GPX for the path to Wheathampsted gives 2.82km (1.76m) so if you do this extension there and back you will be doing around 13m or so.
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