Connect Hertford with Slow Ways

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Hertford

Hertfordshire


Slow Ways linking Hertford and Hatfield, Hoddesdon, Newgate Street, Oaklands, Ware, Watton at Stone, Welwyn Garden City

England / Hertfordshire / Hertford

Hertford’s seven Slow Ways are 79% checked

Drawn: 7/7
reviewed: 7/7
verified: 5/7
and surveyed: 3/7

Help connect Hertford

Many Slow Ways have several route options. Some will be better than others, or good for different reasons.

Our goal is for each Slow Way to have at least one route that is verified and surveyed. To be verified – and get its snail badge – a route needs at least three positive reviews.

Give a hike and help get a for every one of Hertford’s Slow Ways.

Walk to Hertford from further afield

Slow Way Route To do
Hatfield—Hertford
Hather one

Double check Distance 13km/8mi Ascent 99m Descent 134m
Hatfield—Hertford
Hather two

Double check Distance 13km/8mi Ascent - Descent -
Hatfield—Hertford
Hather three Survey me Distance 16km/10mi Ascent - Descent -
Hertford—Hoddesdon
Herhod two Enjoy me Distance 9km/5mi Ascent 118m Descent 113m
Hertford—Ware
Herwar two Enjoy me Distance 4km/2mi Ascent 7m Descent 14m
Hertford—Ware
Herwar three Survey me Distance 5km/3mi Ascent 31m Descent 25m
Newgate Street—Hertford
Newher one

Review me Distance 10km/6mi Ascent 153m Descent 85m
Oaklands—Hertford
Oakher one

Double check Distance 14km/8mi Ascent 167m Descent 131m
Watton at Stone—Hertford
Wather one Survey me Distance 9km/5mi Ascent 62m Descent 84m
Welwyn Garden City—Hertford
Welher one Enjoy me Distance 11km/7mi Ascent 58m Descent 103m
Welwyn Garden City—Hertford
Welher two Pioneer me Distance 11km/7mi Ascent - Descent -

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Collective progress

70% of Hertford’s seven route options are drawn, reviewed, surveyed and/or verified

11/11

drawn

10/11

reviewed

4/11

surveyed

6/11

verified

20 people have contributed to Hertford’s Slow Ways

8 people have pledged to walk and review a route

4 people have surveyed a route in Hertford

103km out of 114km have been walked and reviewed

245km of reviews have been shared in Hertford

Latest Updates

Pleasant country walk including stretch of riverside and water meadows. A few sections of roadside walking along A119, paved verges all the way. Dry at time of walking....

Ruth

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Not much to add to the other reviews, it was enjoyable, varied and fairly easy to navigate. Do watch out for all the new housing being built and whether it affects the route though....

Dan Barron

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Some pavement walking through quaint Little Amwell, with petanque in progress on the village green opposite The Goat. Some narrow paths, a little mud, rough grass, cycle barriers and non-wheel friendly kissing gates make this walk unsuitable for wheels....

Strider

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Watton at stone is a charming village (pick up some local baked goods from the Budgens) Hedgerows, views of a stately house, countryside, a chalk river, tons of wildlife, and plenty of park benches. As of January 2023 the river beane has been restored to natural banks which I'm sure makes this even more lovely. Easy to navigate, mud in winter still manageable...

Heather S.

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Unsurprisingly for the time of year there was mud but most was very easy to walk through outside of a few short deeper bits and puddles including large one just before you get to the candlestick pub where I ended up having to skip over stones and cling to the hedgerow to get across....

Heather S.

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This is an attractive varied walk between the towns of Hertford and Hoddesdon which would work well in either direction. Takes quiet streets from Hertford East station then uses the A414 underpass to get into open country. Some waymarking (to A414 underpass) and surfacing could be improved around stiles (London Road and Hailey Farm)....

Tim Hagyard

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A bit slippery in places (icy and wet) but still a beautiful, direct and enjoyable walk. Small temporary diversion around some works, easily navigated. Even better in sunny weather I would think....

Strider

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I walked this route from Ware to Hertord in December 2022, a few days after the big snowstorm....

mtormey

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Watton at Stone—Hertford

Stephanie Killingbeck-Turner pledged to walk Wather one

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The Cole Green Way, in the middle of the route, is a mix of tarmac and gravel sections. Suitable for walkers and average bicycles....

Nicholas Ruddick

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Once we had crossed over the duel carriageway the walk took us alongside fields and used public pathways for most of the way....

Lara

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This route is the same as Hather two at the beginning and end, but goes further south for the middle section in order to avoid the hairy B158 Lower Hatfield Road 500m section. This adds 3km, but it worth it - the north-south section either side of Essendon is really nice, with wooded bits and open fields, and it's a relief to be further from the A-road....

Hannah

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It was all along really lovely bits and pieces of river, crossing the River Beane, then the River Rib, then along the River Lea and then the River Lea Navigation....

Hannah

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In general the route is fine and more direct than Hather three, however I feel the road walking 500m stretch on the B158 is too dangerous. There is no pavement and blind corners (with no way of stepping off the road) on the B158 between Holwell Lane and the road to Letty Green....

Slow Ways Darren

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There's a 1km walk along the A414 early on, and although there's a wide pavement/cycle path so it's not dangerous, it's still walking alongside a fast, busy road....

Hannah

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This is a lovely route between Hertford and Ware, it's longer than the other routes but the river walk and views are lovely. It's car free (apart from the last bit along Ware high street) and quite fun to walk under the bridge with A414 roaring overhead. There are som styles and narrow gates though so it might not be the best route for everybody....

Slow Ways Darren

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Slow Ways Darren took this photo on Herwar three

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Hatfield—Hertford

danravenellison added Hather three, a new walk from Hatfield to Hertford

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A path alongside the grave yard takes you to a hedge corridor past a sports centre and diagonally over a busy road up some steps into the countryside. a narrow path with a narrow bridge takes you to steps over the rail line. Not for wheels, narrow, steep in parts, narrow bridges and steps....

Strider

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Hatfield—Hertford

Colin Rice added Hather two, a new walk from Hatfield to Hertford

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Slow Ways Darren surveyed Herhod two

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Hertford

Slow Ways Darren surveyed Hertford

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Hertford

Slow Ways Darren surveyed Hertford

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There are faster routes but this for most of the route avoids the NCN61 which runs down the south side of the river. Overall I prefer this walk when I have the time...

David Thomas

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Welwyn Garden City—Hertford

Colin Rice added Welher two, a new walk from Welwyn Garden City to Hertford

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Hertford—Hoddesdon

Colin Rice added Herhod two, a new walk from Hertford to Hoddesdon

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The natural route for walking from Hertford to Hatfield is unfortunately obstructed by the huge estate of Hatfield House. No one wants to walk along the verge of the busy A414, so walking routes have to go way to the south, or - as 'Hather One' does - to the north. Coming out of Hertford along West Street, I would recommend staying on West Street rather than following the path behind the back of the houses as the 'Hather One' route shows. The portion of the 'Hather One' route between the A414 and Howlands road in Welwyn Garden City is not clearly defined and was very muddy for most of the way. At the junction of the Cole Green Way with the A414, the route as currently shown follows the south side of the A414 for 400m, the asphalt footpath turning into a verge after 300m....

Colin Rice

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Just north of Home Farm the track is not well maintained, and when I walked it there was a puddle the whole width of the track, which it was impossible to pass without getting my feet wet....

dstansby

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Nice simple route between Ware and Hertford. Plenty of facilities at either end for food/drink. We’ll maintained footpaths mostly....

jimmyfatwing

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A mix of paved and hard packed surface so a little bumpy in places for strollers with small/hard wheels....

Cpwhitehead

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Nice flat walk as along an old railway line.Great for bikes too although it can be annoying for walkers constantly having to move aside! By the same token it can be annoying for cyclists having to avoid walkers!...

Gail Maisey

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Probably the fastest Slow Ways route between Hertford and Ware, but busy at time with cyclists and well as pedestrians...

John D Bevan

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Then immediately at the bridge over the canal take the ramp down on the left to the canal path Or there is an alternative end at Ware (see Hewar 2): You can follow the canal right to the centre, a main road over a bridge Leave the canal path turn right down the road for 20m then turn left up to Ware rail station....

iU3A

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To avoid this obstacle leave the station by the main exit, turn right and walk 100m up to the main road, turn right again following the road bridge (into Bridge Road). Follow into Bridge Road East and on into to Herchswood Road Then turn left to pick up Cycleway Route 61. If you’ve gone over the footbridge, turn right at the foot and proceed straight across the first crossing: Photo3. The alternative is to turn right at this mini roundabout following the cycleway (toward Route 61). The Cole Green line seems to run straight ahead but the line is broken so you need to turn off to the right (signs to Hertford) Turn left to walk out to Hertford North, cross straight over then turn left toward Hertford East....

iU3A

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This was an enjoyable route through lots of nice countryside, but the section along Tattle Hill/Bramfield Road had quite fast moving traffic with at times little space for walking. I would recommend that this part of the route is amended if an alternative route is possible. This was only a small section of a very nice walk though....

MB

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Hertford—Ware

Sue and Ian added Herwar two, a new walk from Hertford to Ware

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Hertford—Ware

Sue and Ian added Herwar three, a new walk from Hertford to Ware

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Hertford

Louise Dobson surveyed Hertford

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Hertford

engeeaitch surveyed Hertford

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Easy walking in beautiful countryside following the River Beane for much of the way. The river is a chalk stream, one of only 210 identified in the world (of which 160 are in England)....

engeeaitch

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Hatfield—Hertford

Slow Ways added Hather one, a new walk from Hatfield to Hertford

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Newgate Street—Hertford

Slow Ways added Newher one, a new walk from Newgate Street to Hertford

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Oaklands—Hertford

Slow Ways added Oakher one, a new walk from Oaklands to Hertford

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Watton at Stone—Hertford

Slow Ways added Wather one, a new walk from Watton at Stone to Hertford

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Welwyn Garden City—Hertford

Slow Ways added Welher one, a new walk from Welwyn Garden City to Hertford

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1

Hertford, Fri 29 March

13°

Cloudy

Hertford’s Slow Ways starting point

Grid ref

TL3297012917

Lat / Lon

51.79910° / -0.07306°

Easting / Northing

532,970E / 212,917N

Fancy stretching your legs a bit more?

If you’ve polished off all of the routes between Hertford and its neighbours, how about walking its whole web?

This includes the great ring of routes that join its neighbours to each other!

Facilities

Users have reported that the following facilities can be found within 1km of Hertford's meeting point

Public toilet

Wheelchair accessible toilet

Supermarket or convenience shop

Restaurant, cafe or pub

Accommodation

Accommodation for under £50 a night

Campsite

Bothy

Free wifi

Mobility scooter hire

Off-road wheelchair hire

Disabled Parking

Train station

Bus stop

Ferry

Official ‘Walkers are Welcome’ town

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