Watton at Stone Walks

This Hertfordshire based village has some lovely trails through the River Beane Valley and a fine local country estate to explore.
This circular walk from the village visits some of the highlights of the area including the Woodhall Estate, The River Beane and Stapleford.
The walk starts in the village and follows footpaths south to Watton Green before heading south east past Hanginghill Wood to Woodhall Park. The house dates from the 18th century and is a Grade I listed building. There are some good public footpaths to follow around the estate where there's woodland and riverside trails to enjoy.
At Woodhall you can pick up the Hertfordshire Way and follow a riverside path south along the River Beane to Clusterbolt Wood and Stapleford. Here you head west towards Bramfield Wood where there are a series of woodland trails to try. The route then picks up a section of the Hertfordshire Chain Walk and heads north east along Perrywood Lane to return to Watton at Stone.

Watton at Stone Ordnance Survey Map - view and print off detailed OS map

Watton at Stone Open Street Map - view and print off detailed map

Watton at Stone OS Map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Watton at Stone Open Street Map - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Pubs/Cafes

Back in the village you could head to The Bull for some post walk refreshment. The pub dates back to the 15th century and has an interesting history. It is believed that Catholic priests hiding from Henry VIII's guards during the Dissolution of the Monasteries would take refuge up the chimney of the huge inglenook fireplace that sits at the heart of the building. There's a charming olde worlde interior and a patio/heated terrace outside. You can find them on the High Street at postcode SG14 3SB.

Dog Walking

The woodland and country trails make for a fine dog walk. The Bull mentioned above is also dog friendly.

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

Continue south along the Chain Walk and you could visit neighbouring Tewin near Welwyn Garden City. Just to the south of Tewin there's also Tewin Bury Farm. The hotel estate is well worth a visit with trails along the River Mimram, picturesque gardens, the Tewin Nature Reserve and the Grade I listed St Peter's Church to see. You can also enjoy a delicious afternoon tea here.
To the north is Buntingford where there are number of historic timber framed buildings and the impressive, 19th century Aspenden Hall to see.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Hertfordshire Walks page.

GPX File

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Memory Map Route

Watton at Stone.mmo (On Desktop:Right Click>'Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold >Share>Save to Files)