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Join us for a walk in the beautiful Hertfordshire countryside!

The Hertfordshire & North London Walks Fest takes place this year in Welham Green on Saturday 3 October.

There will be several group walks of various distances to choose from, led by experienced walk leaders from the different Ramblers Groups across our Area.

Walks will start at different times throughout the morning and afternoon.

See ‘Associated Walks’ for further details of each walk as they are announced.

After the walks, there is the chance to meet other walkers for refreshments and conversation at North Mymms Youth & Community Centre, where we will enjoy a cream tea from 3pm onwards.

It’s a great opportunity to walk and chat with members from different Ramblers Groups and with new people.

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LOCATION:

North Mymms Youth & Community Centre, 
41 Station Road, 
Welham Green, 
Hatfield 
AL9 7PF

The Youth & Community Centre is accessed by the road beside St Thomas More Roman Catholic Church.

Welham Green is accessible by bus or train; buses from High Barnet, Potters Bar and Waltham Cross stop at Bulls Lane, 0.2 miles away from the Youth & Community Centre, and two trains an hour in each direction, southbound from Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield and northbound from Moorgate and intermediate stations, call at Welham Green railway station, 0.6 miles away.

If driving, on-street parking may be available nearby e.g. on Holloways Lane, Booths Close, Nash Close or Skimpans Close. Please check restrictions and park with consideration for local residents. The railway station car park has 35 spaces and costs £3.90.

Due to limited parking, we recommend car-sharing or travelling by public transport if possible.

All are welcome, though some walks may be unsuitable for young children due to distance - please check the individual listing for each walk to see if it is family-friendly. Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or person with equivalent responsibility for the entire walk.

Walks are graded Easy, Leisurely, Moderate or Strenuous in increasing order of difficulty. Please read the walk description to check it is within your abilities and contact us if you are unsure.

Free for everyone to attend; no booking required.

Toilets are available at the Youth & Community Centre from 3pm.

Bring a packed lunch / snacks and drinks and appropriate clothing for the conditions.

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION: 

The base for our fifth annual Walks Fest, the village of Welham Green sits just south of Hatfield between the A1(M) and the Great North Road. Its railway station on the Great Northern route (opened in 1986 after 100 years of campaigning by local residents) makes Welham Green a convenient location for walkers travelling from London or stations to the north.

The village is part of North Mymms parish, which also includes North Mymms Park, home to the 16th century manor house and 14th century St Mary’s church; the commuter village Brookmans Park; the hamlets of Bell Bar and Water End; and the Hawkshead Campus of the Royal Veterinary College. The area was described in 1931 travelogue A Pilgrimage in Hertfordshire as “one of the prettiest parts of the county, undulating and wooded” and author HM Alderman grants St Mary’s “pride of place as being the most charming village church in Hertfordshire”.

Among other local points of interest are Gobions, once a famous landscaped pleasure garden, now a nature reserve and open space; Folly Arch, a former gateway to the Gobions Estate; the curious “swallow holes” at Water End, where the Mimmshall Brook disappears underground; and a stone which commemorates the first balloon landing in Britain, when in 1784 Vincenzo Lunardi touched down and let out one of his passengers, a cat which had become ill with cold during the voyage.

Such rich history and varied landscapes give us plenty to see and explore on our walks today, before we finish with a chance to meet other walkers and enjoy a cream tea.

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For more details contact Al, Patricia & Roger at hertswalksfest@gmail.com

Organised by Ramblers Hertfordshire & North Middlesex Area