Brookmans Park Newsletter

Walk Three - 5 km (3.2 miles)

A great walk for those who want to enjoy an attractive ramble with a choice of two pubs and without having to rely on the car (if you live in Brookmans Park that is). If you like animals, there is the added bonus of going along a path that skirts the grounds of the Royal Veterinary College where you might meet frisky, but friendly, horses. You pass the North Mymms swallow holes, which are the nearest Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) to Brookmans Park.

Follow the red dots on the map above. The map above is only a sketch and not to scale. A key has been added to help people follow the maps. There is an alternative route with green dots if you want to visit a small dell with a footbridge over a stream and a rope for the young at heart to swing on. To help you with this walk you might want to buy an Ordnance Survey Explorer E182 map for St Albans & Hatfield or click on www.streetmap.co.uk, or www.multimap.com and print the resulting pages. If you would like to comment on any of the walks for the benefit of others, please use the forum discussion thread on the walks.

1. Begin the walk at Brookmans Park Station and head along Station Road towards Welham Green. Just before you get to Bradmore Lane, there is a path on the left which doubles back on the way you have just travelled to take you south, parallel to the railway track.
2. Continue along this route for almost 1km until you reach a bridge crossing a small brook, which is often dry. This is a continuation of Ray Brook which flows through Gobions. Immediately after the bridge turn right, cross a step stile and enter a field owned by the Royal Veterinary College.
3. There is an alternative to this beginning (shown with the green dots on the map above) which you might want to take if it is particularly muddy. For this route, walk past the station booking office, continue down the path parallel to the railway line, and when you reach a footpath signpost on the right, walk down the steps to the path below and, with the stream on your right, continue straight ahead until rejoining the red dots marked on the map above.
   Keep walking due west with the hedge and the stream on your right. Look out for horses who can sometimes appear frisky, but friendly.
4. After 500m you come to the corner of the field and find a step stile and a bridge crossing the same brook.
5. Your way is now left through Brick Kiln Wood with the brook running on your left and the wood on your right.
6. After 300m the path opens out and fields stretch ahead on your right. Keep the hedge and brook to your left and continue for another 400m, until the path swings right.
7. At this point look out for a gap in the hedge to the left and a path leading to a larger footbridge across Mimmshall Brook.
8. Cross the bridge. When you reach the lane, Warrengate Road, turn right and walk north into the village of Water End.
   You have a choice of two pubs here. The first is the Old Maypole and the second the Woodman. Both have real ale and both serve food.
9. On leaving the pub (or pubs) continue heading through the village until it meets Swanland Road.
10. Turn right and walk along the cycle path and footpath past the bus garage.
11. A few metres further you will see a broken step stile in the hedge on your right.
12. Here you have a choice of routes or you can wander round and do them all.
• Option One:
• If you cross this step stile you walk through a path which weaves its way through Hawthorn bushes before coming out in a small clearing where it crosses a small stream. On your right are the swallow holes which are classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
• Keep walking straight on this path until it reaches a field. Turn right and, keeping the hedge on your right, sweep round this field until you reach Bradmore Lane.
• Rejoin the lane, and turn left walking up Bradmore Lane as it veers first right then left until it meets Station Road. Turn right into Brookmans Park.
• Option Two:
• Instead of crossing the first step stile continue along the cycle path parallel to Swanland Road for a few more steps and you will see a footpath sign to the right. Walk down this path keeping the hedge on your right and the field on your left.
• You soon reach a footpath crossroads where a signpost points left to Dixons Hill Road. (If you were to turn right here you would join the route on option one and come out in the path, lined by Hawthorn, which leads to the swallow holes.)
• Ignore both paths and continue straight on, still keeping the hedge on your right. The path veers left and you will soon spot a gap in the hedge on the right with a broken step stile.
• This path leads down into a small dell twisting to the left before reaching a charming footbridge across a small stream. Here there is usually a rope swing for the young at heart to enjoy.
• Cross the bridge and continue up the bank to the right until you reach the open field. Turn right and keeping the hedge on your left following the path round as it rejoins Bradmore Lane.

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