This area is that part of the region within the AL and WD postcode areas.
Neighbouring regions and areas are
Note also some of the most convenient hubs for multi-day walking on different routes.
Routes
Use the alphastrip below to jump to the appropriate initial letter for a selected route within the list. If there are no routes with a particular initial letter, the jump will have no effect.
0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Abbey Line Trail
Length <20km
Max transport gap <10km
A 15km walking route which runs roughly parallel to the railway line between St Albans Abbey station and Watford Junction station.
Image: Beside the River Ver in St Albans
Alban Way
Length <20km
Max transport gap <10km
This 10.5km stile-free route takes the railbed of the former line between Hatfield and St Albans Abbey stations.
Image: Nast Hyde Halt
Chess Valley Walk
Length <20km
Max transport gap <10km
A 16km walk following the River Chess between Chesham and Rickmansworth.
Image: south from Chesham
Chiltern Way
Length >60km
Max transport gap >20km
The core walk loops its way through the varied landscapes of the Chiltern Hills in a 221km circuit. The route has spawned three extensions — in Berkshire (via Cookham and Henley: 45km), in the south (via Goring and Woodcote: 51km), and in the north (via Great Offley and Chapelfoot: 44km).
Image: Sarratt
Coal Tax Circuit
Length >60km
Max transport gap <20km
A 315km walk which links up the markers which delineate the 1860s boundary, within which imports of coal and wine were taxed by the City of London Corporation.
Image: Coal Tax marker on the Slough arm of the Grand Union Canal
Colne Valley Trail
Length <60km
Max transport gap <10km
A walk of 25km between Rickmansworth and Colnbrook.
Image: Heron on the route between Rickmansworth and Harefield.
Ebury Way
Length <20km
Max transport gap <10km
A 6km railbed walk between Watford and Rickmansworth, named after Lord Ebury (1801-93), the chairman of the railway company.
Image: Robert Grosvenor, Baron Ebury, by Carlo Pellegrini for “Vanity Fair” (public domain).
Get out of London:
North to Hatfield
Length <60km
Max transport gap <20km
A 47km walk from Trafalgar Square to Hatfield via Finsbury Park and Barnet.
Image: The Cavell Memorial, Trafalgar Square
Get out of London:
North-west to Hemel Hempstead
Length >60km
Max transport gap <10km
A 51km walk from Trafalgar Square to Hemel Hempstead via Barn Hill and Cassiobury Park.
Image: Headstone Manor, Harrow
Grand Union Canal Walk
Length >60km
Max transport gap <20km
A 227km walk along the towpath of the canal between the River Thames at Brentford and Birmingham’s famous Gas Street Basin.
Image: Norwood Green
Hertfordshire Way
Length >60km
Max transport gap >20km
A 264km circuit round the county, taking in Royston, St Albans, Tring station, Chipperfield Common, Aldenham, Hertford, Perry Green and Bishop’s Stortford.
Image: Ayot St Lawrence
Lea Valley Walk
Length >60km
Max transport gap <10km
A 93km walk following the River Lea between its source at Leagrave and its outflow into the River Thames at Trinity Buoy Wharf.
Image: Three Mills, Bow
London Loop
Length >60km
Max transport gap <20km
A 277km circuit of the capital which follows close to the outer boundaries of the London boroughs, sometimes extending into neighbouring areas.
Image: Ingrebourne Valley Country Park
London Summits Walk
Length >60km
Max transport gap <20km
A 320km circuit taking in the highest point in each London borough (plus the summit of the City of London).
Image: Trent Park
Ring around the Underground
Length >60km
Max transport gap <20km
This 302km route takes you in a grand circular multiple-stage walking tour connecting all the outer termini of the London Underground, the Tube.
Image: Uxbridge High Street
Ver Valley Trail
Length <60km
Max transport gap <20km
A 28km walk from Kensworth Lynch to Bricket Wood.
Image: Shafford Mill.
Ver-Colne Valley Walk
Length <60km
Max transport gap <20km
A walk of 24km from Redbourn to Watford.
Image: Redbournbury
Watling Chase Timberland Way
Length <20km
Max transport gap <10km
A 16km route between Smallford and Borehamwood.
Image: the route near Colney Heath
Hubs
Some places lend themselves to being hubs, where you may pitch up for a few days’ car-free walking, fanning out on a different route (or part of a route) each day. The hub becomes a walking-place for recreation at walking pace. Hubs in this area include
| Hatfield | As well as serving the area, Hatfield has public transport links to the east and to north London. |
| St Albans | As well as being the principal hub for the area, St Albans has public transport links to the north-west and to north London. |
| Watford | As well as serving the area, Watford has public transport links to the west, and to north and west London. |
Guided and group walks
Saturday Walking Club
This online-driven group has been well established in the London area for some years, but the reach of their walks goes far beyond the M25. Their walks are all free (the word “club” may be a bit misleading) and there are walks on other days of the week. You may download a route from their extensive catalogue to enable you to walk on your own — you are expected to carry your own copy of the route-map if you join a group walk.
Image: Sheffield Park
Disclaimer and advisory notices
Note that the greenwalks.uk team can accept no responsibility for content on an external site or in an external publication, nor for any action by an external site which renders our content or link outdated or unworkable. Furthermore, the team retains the liberty to unlink external content if, in its opinion, there have been changes which mean that a route may no longer be able to be considered a Green Walk (e.g., following changes to public transport services).
The responsibility for safety and security is vested in the walker alone: greenwalks.uk can take no responsibility for any inconvenience, damage, loss or injury sustained while using a route or other information from this site — many things can change without warning.
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