Length: 25.6 km/15.9 mi or 19.5 km/12.1 mi
Ascent/Descent:
300 or 230m
Net
Walking Time: ca. 5 ½ hours or 4 ¼ hours
Toughness:
5 out of 10 or 3 out of 10
Take
the 09.43 Cambridge train from Liverpool Street (Hackney
Downs 09.50, Seven Sisters [Victoria Line] 09.57, Cheshunt 10.10), change at
Broxbourne onto the Hertford East train
(10.15/10.19), which arrives St. Margarets (Hertfortshire) 10.25.
Return
trains are
on xx.19 and xx.49 (change Broxbourne).
This
walk leads along ancient tracks and green lanes through some very quiet, rolling
East Hertfordshire countryside defined by wheat fields and woods,
in-between extensive stretches along the Ash, Rib and Lea rivers. Cold
Christmas hamlet and a haunted, ruined church are passed just before lunch.
Long parts of the afternoon route are spent in the scenic Ash valley, before
passing through Amwell Nature
Reserve, a bird watcher’s paradise. The final stretch leads along the Lea
Navigation back to St. Margarets.
Lunch:
[Long
Walk] The Anchor or The
Feathers Inn (Greene King) in Wadesmill (10.9 km/6.8 mi). The White
Horse in High Cross is now shut for conversion into dwellings.
[Short
Walk] The White Horse or The Chequers
Inn in Wareside (12.9 km/8.0 mi).
Tea: The Jolly Fisherman, The Oak, The Red Lion, all minutes
from the station.
For walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.165
2 comments:
Now I might do the Walk Tomorrow. But I am not sure yet. If I do. Then I will take the Bus as it's a bit more convenient.
Grey skies and drizzle on the train out, blue skies within 5 mins of walking, a further 30 mins along a short and sharp shower, then blue skies for the rest of the day. Fierce wind whenever exposed, so I'd call it w=sunny-and-windy. The overnight rain and strong wind made for far views from the 'tops': Canary Wharf and City of London towers were spotted. Mud was only a factor in a couple of places: one fenced path, one farm track. 7 lunched at The Feathers (Greene King) to mixed reviews. Some of the picnickers moved on meantime.
Plenty of birds at Amwell Reserve.
4 walked the short version.
Plenty of us frequented The Jolly Fisherman at the end.
Return trains: 16.49 to 17.49.
12 off the train, 1 had driven in from Welwyn, 1 must have been on a later train. She was encountered on the platform by one of the 16.49 finishers, and claimed to have walked 3/4 of the walk. N=14
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