The Hertfordshire Way

Stage 8: Kings Langley to Shenley - Part 1

The Hertfordshire Way is a 166 mile long distance trail around the county divided into 14 legs, and beginning and ending at Royston. Bluetiger walked the eighth leg from King's Langley to Shenley, 12½ miles, in May 2004.

The guidebook points out that "the most powerful influence on the landscape of southern Hertfordshire is London. Since Roman times, London has been the stimulus for building traffic routes northwards through the county and for the concentration of centres of population within easy travelling distance of the capital." Hence this leg "threads its way, mostly along green belt, between the southern edges of Hemel Hempstead and St Albans (to the north) and Abbots Langley and the northern suburbs of Watford (to the south)."

The walk crosses three railway lines to London, the M25 and the M1. Bluetiger will spare you images of those! The section between the M25 and M1 is certainly the least scenic part of the Way to date. But, as the book says, "much of the way is through open farmland, parkland, and woods, and, on a stunning May day, it proved to be a worthwhile walk.

Leaving Kings Langley, the old Ovaltine farm is passed. A single wind turbine has recently appeared, and in the distance the M25 climbs the hill towards Rickmansworth.

The sun is very warm, and the fresh green leaves in the hedgerow and the rape flowers make a colourful picture.

After passing through Bedmond (the birthplace in 1154 of Nicholas Breakspear, the only English Pope), the walk enters several fields like this one, a carpet of buttercups, and the old oak trees in new leaf. It's hard to believe that this rural scene is a few hundred yards from the M25!

After crossing the M25 and the playing fields of Parmiters School, the Way takes to the roads through Bricket Wood, and eventually goes onto Bicket Wood Common, a wooded area where the rivers Ver and Colne meet. The track through the Common can be very boggy, and in the worst part a boardwalk has been laid.

The Way goes into the parkland at Munden House. This is the highlight of the walk, a magnificent un-mown meadow, full of flowers and a splendid collection of trees.

Horse chestnuts in full flower.

Now click this link for the second half of the walk.