Autumn walks in Hertfordshire

[bendmeoverbackwards]

Any good suggestions please? It's our anniversary tomorrow and not much we can do but dh and I thought we'd have a nice walk somewhere and takeaway coffee and cake.

I thought about the Ashridge Estate (been before) and I also saw something about a walk in Welwyn Garden City along a disused railway line.

Anyone done this walk? Or any other nice suggestions please?

Monken Hadley to Cockfosters. The cafe in Trent Park might be open.

Watford to Rickansworth along the Ebury Way. Start with coffee at the cafe in Oxhey Park, walk the walk and then lunch in Ricky. Back along the Grand Union canal to Cassiobury Park for a different route.

Indeed, Cassiobury Park is beautiful and you can walk through to Wippendell Woods, which are stunning.

Letchworth Greenway?

Thanks, great suggestions.

@YellowandGreenToBeSeen how far roughly would that route be?

Actually thinking about it, a circular route would probably be best so we can leave the car and come back to it afterwards.

@nosswith Trent Park cafe is open for takeaway - I was there last week.

Is the Trent Park Cafe nice?

When you went to ashridge did you do Ivinghoe Beacon?

@PrayingandHoping

When you went to ashridge did you do Ivinghoe Beacon?

No, what is it?

@bendmeoverbackwards It’s nice in summer, with tables out in the nicely landscaped garden. Not quite so nice at the moment, where they’ve just got some tables out back by the bins!

But the food’s fine and there are plenty of other places in the park to sit and eat it.

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ashridge-estate/features/ivinghoe-beacon-at-ashridge-estate

Its spectacular. Used constantly for films and tv!! Most recent massive films I know of is Fantastic Beasts and last Star Wars (when watching we sit there trying to find it 🤣)

You can park the car mid way between the Beacon and the monument end of Ashridge. We often do this, walk up the beacon, down the other side towards Ashridge & get scones from the cafe (if still open for takeaways) and walk back.
There are tons of paths crisscrossing the estate. Lots of public paths around the golf courses, Cassiobury woods, the old Nickey Line between Harpenden and WGC

Tring - walk along canals
Tring

Sr Albans - walk around lake at Verulam park
St Albans

Harpenden - walk along Nicky lane disused railway
Harpenden

www.facebook.com/groups/hertfordshire.walks/

Rickmansworth aquadrome - assume the lovely cafe is open for takeaway but double check.

Dunstable Downs (think technically it might be in Bedfordshire but it’s not that far from us in Herts), think there’s a National Trust cafe.

Some lovely lovely walks around the Chess Valley way - just west of Watford/near Rickmansworth. Can’t immediately think of a coffee option - could pop into Rickmansworth after.

Agree with parking at Cassiobury Park (Gade Ave car park, free for 2 hrs but you still need a ticket, or not that expensive if you stay longer), walk through the park to Whippendell or along the canal, or both. Two cafes in the park (Daisy’s and the Cha Cafe), and a barge has just moored up and also started doing takeaway drinks and snacks, just by the canal on the right as you walk from the park to the woods.

Since you mentioned WGC, Pangshanger Park is beautiful, it has free parking but no cafe. It has a c.500 year old oak tree, large lakes and bits of the old manor house still standing.

Cole Green Way is the disused railway line you mentioned. We like cycling along here with the children as it's flat, but i think there is better places to walk, especially as the Cowper Arms pub isn't open half way to Hertford.

Pangshanger Park last week as the clouds were clearing

I'm so interested in this too.

Sorry OP - think it’s about 15km or so. May be a little less.

@Wigeon

Rickmansworth aquadrome - assume the lovely cafe is open for takeaway but double check.

Dunstable Downs (think technically it might be in Bedfordshire but it’s not that far from us in Herts), think there’s a National Trust cafe.

Some lovely lovely walks around the Chess Valley way - just west of Watford/near Rickmansworth. Can’t immediately think of a coffee option - could pop into Rickmansworth after.

Yes, the cafe in the park is open for takeaway. (Ricky Aquadrome)

Also, walk along the canal from Watford to Hunton Bridge and stop off at the lovely Bean Here cafe.

Ashridge, Cassiobury Park and Dunstable Downs are also faves.

I fancy doing the Ebury Way walk sometime. I've heard it's a good cycle route too.

Ver Valley walks are circular. We did quite a few during lockdown 1.0. Very well sign posted.

Ash ridge very muddy when it’s rained lots, as is Whippendell. Beautiful, tho. Opposite Ashridge, there’s more walks plus a herd of black (?) deer. Brilliant field of snowdrops along there in February.

www.riverver.co.uk/walks/ Forgot to add link!

Ashridge is bloody rammed all the time at the moment around the monument (where the cafe is) but there are still quieter paths around. It's also a bit quieter if you walk down towards the management college and Little Gaddesden. Squidgy underfoot though.

Wendover Woods is just over the border into Bucks, has a massive car park (not free but reasonable) and some great walks.

Tring Park is very lovely and hilly but parking limited. No cafes there but plenty in Tring itself. There are lots of pay & displays in Tring but it's a bit of a walk to even get to the park (but worth it).

If you're local to the area there's a brilliant footpath map created by the Berkhamsted Citizens Association, I really recommend getting it. It saved my sanity in lockdown mark 1.