Baldock Circular
Length: 19.6km (12.2 miles)
Toughness: 4 out of 10
Each year in mid-May, the pretty village of Ashwell in north Hertfordshire holds an Open Day, called Ashwell At Home , offering walks and talks, arts and crafts, music and performance, and the opportunity to visit numerous private gardens or climb to the top of the church tower. Programmes cost £6 in advance or £7 on the day. The event raises funds for the local school, church and museum.
It has become an SWC tradition to do the Baldock Circular walk on this day to enable walkers to enjoy the attractions in Ashwell, where the lunch pubs are located. The walk itself is not tremendously exciting, being mainly through large arable fields, but the countryside is pleasant, and the attractions of Ashwell At Home make for an enjoyable day out. The walk can be shortened by 5km by returning from Ashwell & Morden station, which is 3km from the village.
Trains:
Take the 09:41 Cambridge train from King’s Cross (09:47 Finsbury Park), to arrive atBaldock, at 10.21.
Return trains are at xx:25 (journey time 56 minutes) and at xx:50 (journey time 40 minutes). Return trains from Ashwell & Morden are at xx:20.
Buy a Super Off-Peak Day Return to Ashwell & Morden. This is the same fare as to Baldock, and gives you the option of returning from the local station if you decide to linger in Ashwell to enjoy the attractions there.
You will need to download thewalk directions.
T=SWC.91
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N=9 walkers did eventually get to Baldock after the first train was cancelled and the next left 20 mins late when a driver turned up. We were joined in Ashwell by a late riser who came by bicycle – not sure if that makes us 10.
It was a w=sunny day and the group proceeded to Ashwell pausing briefly to admire the famed Dunghill of Bygrave – a permanent feature probably visible from space – where the two new walkers were able to christen their embarrassingly clean boots in the puddles of effluent.
With lashings of cow parsley and a scattering of brimstones and peacocks, this walk is firmly on my list of favourites. It's NOT boring (well, most of it isn't) I quite like the long vistas across open fields and hills.
And then of course there’s Ashwell, with its open day. The Rose and Crown was busy so the group broke with tradition and decamped to the Three Tuns where 6 ate in the sunny garden. They seemed to enjoy it, if service was a little patchy. The beer was said to be good. And then a chance to explore the sights and sounds of the village, check out the plague graffiti (still there), and head back to Baldock.
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