This group tackles some of the many waymarked trails in the UK, usually in day long walks of 10 to 12 miles on the second Tuesday of each month. A subset of the main group also tackle trails further afield by walking for a few days at a time, staying in hotels overnight
Group Articles
Since we started in 2013 we have walked all the trails which come within 10 miles of Letchworth (at least once!). Descriptions of most of the legs we have walked are detailed below, but this is an overview
Tonight we had a meal at the Green Man, Great Wymondley to mark the completion of the trail. A very enjoyable meal celebrating a very enjoyable trail
The last leg of our 70+ mile circular trail around North Bedfordshire started at Old Warden from where we headed north towards Moggerhanger. Before reaching Moggerhanger and after passing Sheerhatch Wood we turned left and headed gently downhill towards Willington. This stretch gave us outstanding views to the north and west which included the hangars at Cardington.
This walk started by us walking through the RSPB grounds to the southern boundary. We then turned west and followed the track, finally heading north parallel to the East Cost main line towards Sandy. From the centre of Sandy we passed St Swithun's Church and then headed out to the A1, by crossing the River Ivel. We crossed the A1 by the familiar footbridge and continued on to Northill and Ickwell Green where we had a plesant lunch alongside the cricket ground.
We headed east from Tempsford crossing two of the countries main transport arteries - the A1 and the East Coast Main Line before skirting around what had been RAF Tempsford during WWII where many of the SOE operatives started and hopefully ended their missions. We then had a very overgrown climb up the hill to Everton and on to Potton crossing the dismantled Sandy to Cambridge railway line on the way. We headed south to Sutton passing the John O'Gaunt pub and then north again round the edge of the golf club of the same name.
Leaving Keysoe Row behind us, we headed about a mile to the east and then south to Colmworth with its Church of St Denys, dedicated to the patron saint of France. We continued south to Wilden and then east again bringing us into the more familiar territory of Roxton, the A421 and the Black Cat Roundabout. From Roxton it was a rather overgrown path to the River Ouse and down to Roxton Lock where the Rivel Ivel joins the Ouse. We continued into Tempsford and finished the walk at the SOE memorial unveiled by Prince Charles
Not so much heritage on this leg, but plenty of views across the north Bedfordshire landscape from the undulating trail. This leg was only 8 miles, but that was just as well as the weather was still very warm the day after the record breaking May Bank Holiday Monday
The next leg of the North Beds Heritage Trail took us from Turvey to Sharnbrook, taking in the villages of Carlton, Harrold and Odell all of which had old stone buildings reminiscent of the Cotswolds.
Our 2018 season got off to a great start with the best weather we have seen over the recent weeks. We started at St Pauls Sq in Bedford and walked along the banks of the River Ouse alongside the very new restaurants and housing estates. After about a mile and a half we turned away from the river passing through the new housing estate of Great Denham and the golf course of the Bedford Golf Club to the outskirts of Biddenham. From here we walked north crossing the busy A428 to reach the old main road through Bromham.
We started our last leg of the Herts Chain Walk on the northern edge of Whitewebbs Park.
We parked in Maynard's Place car park Cuffley and head out of Cuffley along the B156 towards Northaw. After leaving Cuffley we turned north west alongside the stream and then north east up a long climb to the B157 up to The Ridgeway. Having crossed The Ridgeway we passed through an expensive private estate to the entrance to Cuffley Camp. Having passed through Cuffley Wood we headed up the main road to Newgate Street village. Having stopped for a coffee we then headed genrally north through Epping Green to the edge of Little Berkhamsted which we passed by to the south & east.
We started this leg at the old Cole Green railway station on the now defunct Hatfield to Hertford line. From here we headed south tnhrough Letty Green and How Green to the edge of Little Berkhamsted. We now headed east and north eventually reaching anf crossing the railway line again before reaching Birch Green. We continued north skirting round the western edge of what was Pansganger Park but now seems to be a huge gravel pit.
This leg was a figure of eight centred on Bramfield Woods taking in Watton to the north and near to Tewin in the south. We parked in Bramfield near the village hall and Grandison Pub and walked through the village to Bramfield Woods and on to Watton. We only skirted round the southern edge of Watton past the Comminity Hall and Playing Field plus the Church of St Andrew & St Mary before heading south again passing once more through Bramfield Wood and along the western edge of Bramfield Park when the heavens opened. We were pleased to soon head north again to re-reach Bramfield
To celebrate 30 years of the LALG, the various walking groups arranged walks to suit their objectives and followed these with a meal in Weston Village Hall.
Our walk was 10 miles long and took us north east from Weston Church and then south east to Luffenhall. From Luffenhall we headed south to Walkern where we had a belated lunch. Our return journey took us up the east side of Box Wood, Pryor's Wood to Great Ashby and then back to Weston via Hall's Green.
We parked on Benington Recreation Ground and headed south to the edge of Hebing End. Here we turned left and headed once more into the Hertfordshire Countryside. After a couple of miles we turned east and then south to reach the outskirts of Haultwick. Once again there was very little sign of life as we headed first west and then south through open countryside to reach Walkern after crossing the bypass. We turned sharp right before entering the village to re-cross the bypass before heading north to return to Hebing End where we had a refreshing drink outside The Lordship Arms. Cheers!!
Once again, there were very few hamlets and certainly no villages on this leg. We did however see more horses, cattle and sheep - perhaps the weather was getting warmer!
As on the last leg we headed south, this time from Cottered, walking for a little way along the Roman road which runs north-west to south-east and passing through Wood End after which we performed a big loop returning almost to Wood End before heading almost due north, crossing the Roman road again before arriving back in Cottered
This leg from Sandon to Cottered and back consisted almost entirely of a walk through the Hertfordshire countryside - no villages, no hamlets, no animals & almost no people. The silence was only disturbed by the regular drone of aircraft coming into Luton Airport. We saw a few houses in Mill End on the way south and that was it until the walk was rudely interrupted by the noise of the traffic on the A507 at Cottered. We stopped for lunch at the Cottered Village Hall away from the traffic & then headed north again, leaving Cottered by the path alongside The Bull.
Over 20 of us started our trail for 2017 - the Herts Chain Walk. We started this first leg at Sandon and headed off along the Buntingford road. After about a mile we turned off left and headed cross country to Therfield where we took a coffee break under the salubrious setting of the water tower. From here we headed downhill initially quite steeply with overgrown hedges on both sides. This soon opened up to give us splendid views of the Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire countryside as we headed down past the rifle range to the A505.
With this walk we completed the Harcamlow Way, finishing on the corner of Orchard Road, Melbourn where we started in February. We left Arkesden to the west passing a couple of farmhouses and a Roman barrow before reaching Langley village. We then headed north taking a coffee break at the highest point in Essex (483 ft). From here we continued north in the direction of Holy Trinity church in Chrishall.We stopped for lunch in a very convenient brick build bus shelter in Heydon which commemorated the Queen's accession and always flies the Union Flag.
From Manuden we headed east to Bollington Hall and then north to Rickling Hall where we passed an alpaca farm (or were they llamas?). We then took a big loop to the east to reach All Saints Church at Rickling before heading north east towards Newport. Just before passing under the M11 we came across St Helens Chapel which dates from the 11th and is one of the oldest buildings in eastern England.
This was one of the shorter legs of our trail which was very helpful since it turned out to be the hottest September day on record. We left Standon heading east at the southern end of the High Street, but soon turned north crossing the busy A120. Now walking in a more north easterly direction we passed Upp Hall to reached the strangely named Tin House. Our next landmark was a single Narnian lamppost in the middle of nowhere where we turned right and right again eventually reaching Patmore Heath where we had lunch as we had done the previous year when walking the Hertfordshire Way.
We rejoined the towpath of the River Stort near Eastwick and headed towards Roydon along a path well sheltered from the sun, passing Roydon Lock on the way. From Royson Station we headed north passing under the A414. The rest of the walk was in open Essex/Hertfordshire countryside passing to the east of Ware. We also passed Cold Christmas which was somewhat ironic since it was the hottest day of the year!. From Ware we followed the Greenwich Meridian Trail which runs from Peacehaven in Sussex to Spurn Head on the Humber estuary.
From the Shell House in the middle of Hatfield Forest, we headed north west through the Deer Park to one end of a broad woodland ride. Here we turned left and headed out of the forest, walking round a lake which is the home of Beggars Hall fishing club.From here we headed south through Woodside Green until we reached Little Haileybury. We passed under the M11 and continued in a southerly direction with the M11 up to a mile away on our left.
Leaving the centre of Thaxted, we walked passed the imposing church and the almshouses to the windmill. From here we followed the River Chelmer as far as Duton Hill, past a mill and onto the ruins of Tilty Abbey. We stopped to admire the Church of St John the Baptist which was once the gatehouse chapel to the Abbey and then continued across the fields and country lanes until we reached the A120 on the edge of Takeley. Having crossed the A120 we turned right to continue along the southern side of this main road.
We left Saffron Walden to the west passing the United Reform Church and it's almshouses and then onto Audley Park towards Audley End. We turned left just before Audley End towards the College of St Mark, passing between rows of whitewashed 18th Century cottages. It was then across undulating fields past Rosy Grove where we saw our first sign for the Harcamlow Way. As we dropped down towards Newport we came very close to the part of the path we would pick up later on in the year. However we turned away from tihs and headed towards Debden Water and the village of Debden.
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