Hemrad two

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I walked this from Hemel Hempstead to Radlett on a varied weather day. In the past week, there had been significant rain.

When I left the station at Hemel Hempstead it was drizzling a lot. The route quickly started following the Grand Union Canal for the first 3 km. The towpath was a little muddy in places, but not too egregious (photo #1). The damp weather made for some nice photos though. The route leaves the canal at the south end of the down, and then follows a few residential streets — with paths alongside at first. There is then an uphill stretch on High Woodhall Lane, which had no traffic at all. The further along the lane, the more leaves there were on it (photo #2).

Then a muddy path down the hill followed, with view of the next hill to get over (photo #3). There, the route as created should go on the right-hand side of Hyde Farm. But I could not find the entrance to the path. Instead, I decided to walk around the farm on the west and south side to get to Hyde Lane sooner (photo #4). There was also no traffic here.

After leaving the farm, there is a long slog up a hill again, in fairly muddy conditions (photo #5). At the top end, I deviated from the route slightly, as the public highway wasn't easy to see, but the path around the boundary of the field was. I therefore also did not end up at Bedmond's church, but instead I followed Bluebell Drive and Toms Lane. Either solution works.

After a short section on the High Street, the route starts following another narrow lane (without traffic), East Lane (photo #6), which it follows underneath the M25. The lane continues, and turns very muddy (photo #7), but luckily the route bends to the east first, on a much nicer path along a field and past some woods (photo #8).

Just before getting to Chequers Lane, I noticed that a path wasn't mapped on OpenStreetMap. I followed this "new" path to East Lane, where I then picked up High Elms Lane a little earlier on the west side than this route. There is a very good cycling/footpath along it for nearly all the way through to the A405 (photo #9).

A short section along a main route (with safe separate footpath) gets you over the A1 on Bucknalls Lane. The path south from there was very muddy (photo #10, #11). I also don't understand why the route goes here, as just going straight east on that bridle path gets you to the same point on School Lane. The actual route goes towards Munden House on the Munden Estate. The paths are great here (photo #12).

After crossing the Colne the sun came out, making it a lot warmer. And Blackbirds lane still had great autumn colours (photo #13). Another path alongside a field (photo #14) then gets you to Watford Road on the outskirts of Radlett (photo #15), which you follow all the way to the station.

Great route, but could perhaps do with a few tweaks. But all needed deviations were straight forwards and easy to find, and not much more of a detour.

I walked from Radlett to Hemel Hempstead.
After a steady uphill suburban road out of Radlett there is a gap in a hedge and then lovely Hertfordshire countryside. A quiet road takes you to a farm yard then along an old holloway with glimpses of rolling farmland through the trees. There is a ford with a bridge over The Colne past Munden House. A concrete drive takes you to Brickets wood down School Lane. There is a path just past the Fox Pub (closed) through woodland to a quiet road that passes over the M1, then a subway to High Elms Lane along a cycle path. Cutting across farmland to another holloway then through woods and fields and under the M25. Through Bedmond village - shops, pub, turn left opposite a corrugated iron church. More woods, open fields, farm yards and passages to a housing estate with a bridge onto the canal. Canal walking past Apsley marina (cafes, pub and shops) until Boxmore common which you cross to get to the station.
A wonderful and very varied walk, lots of surprises, lots to see. Varied terrain from wide rocky holloways to flat concrete to narrow woodland dirt paths to field side tracks. I took so many pictures.
It was still damp in places in July, I imagine this is a wet walk in winter, and with little lighting not for after dark.
Stiles and narrow paths make it unsuitable for wheels.

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