Country Walking: Albury & Patmore Heath, Hertfordshire Walk

 

Off message but a post on a walk in Hertfordshire near Ware earlier this month. 45 minutes drive from East London (and possible by public transport). Check out description via OS maps app (paid) provided by Country Walking magazine.  Very quiet, some nice views and some ups and downs but not a lot of contrast but enough to do again. 

It was sad to read about the (short) lives and deaths of village soldiers in Little Hadham church. Also,  it was interesting to see the expensive memorials on the sides of the church, remembering rich parishioners who left money for the "deserving" (in their eyes) poor in their wills. The money was invested in Government gilts or annuities (loans) and the income (3 or 4% pa) used to pay for this relief. Leaving aside the morality of this, I wonder what happened to the capital they had left? This practice of leaving money for the "poor" was relatively common. Will try and find out. 

Description

The tiny area of acid grass heathland that survives at Patmore Heath is a now-rare example in south east England of this kind of terrain, with a big variety of plants packed into its nine hectares and newts in the rushy ponds. This circular walk through the nearby countryside also packs in gentle rolling paths with lovely views, picturesque churches, thatched cottages, Tudor mansions and a classic country pub. By Phoebe Taplin ROUTE Start/parking: Patmore Heath; parking on the north side, grid ref TL442258 Is it for me? Mostly good paths and lanes. Can get quite muddy; a couple of gentle climbs. Stiles: One PLANNING Nearest town: Bishop's Stortford Refreshments: The Catherine Wheel pub near start/end (www.thecatherinewheelalbury.co.uk, 01279 771191) Public toilets: None Public transport: Buses from Bishop's Stortford (not Sun). C G Myall runs a couple of buses (No.20) a week to Albury. The 386 (Richmonds) and 351 (Trustybus) run several times a day to Little Hadham (near point 4). Maps: OS Explorer 167; Landranger 194

Tonwell walk Hertfordshire (Ramblers route) - Big Skies, Slave Trade, Toll roads, Double VC, Harvest Festival

Off message this was a seriously good Sunday walk that Gill & I did late September which is only a short drive from London (apologies to my fellow Newham Cllr Daniel B for using the "D" word). It was the first walk that I had downloaded from the Ramblers website (members only). The site is a bit "hit and miss" to work out but once you master the search engine it comes up with some great walks. It is free to members.

This walk takes you across old rural England. While you start the walk next to the "Robin Hood and Little John" pub (which despite the silly name is a listed 300 year old pub currently closed on Sunday) the first farm you come across was once apparently owned by the medieval Knights Templar. Google "Bengeo Temple Farm" for improbable tales of hidden treasure and secret tunnels.

The 11th century St Catherine's Church is well worth a visit. There had been a harvest festival ceremony that day and two elderly church wardens were still washing up from the post service coffee and cake. They were very friendly and welcoming to their walking visitors. The church was well maintained (not always the case in small rural churches we have come across) and had lovely bright colourful pictures on its walls on loan from a local artist. Before the reformation nearly all churches were painted internally in similar bright colours.

The walk continues across glorious open countryside passing by prosperous looking new large "farm" buildings with clock towers and locked gates.

There was an amazing deep long dried out river bed which makes you wonder what on earth had happened to dry it out?

It was really quiet with hardly a soul to be seen with plenty of places to stop and enjoy a picnic. It was still warm enough to enjoy a short snooze.

In High Cross you can visit the grave of Arthur Martin-Leake, who earned two Victoria Crosses in his lifetime. Our highest award for bravery. He was a medic and earned both awards for saving lives on the battlefields in the Boer War and the First World War.

At the village of Wadesmill there were two further historical moments of national significance. Firstly, the first ever "Turnpike" (or toll road) was apparently here and also there is a monument to the anti-slavery campaigner, Thomas Clarkson, who spent his life fighting against slavery in the 18th Century. Apparently the memorial is the actual spot where while passing through the village on coach he suddenly decided as a young man to devote his life to the cause.

On the last leg of the walk there was some wonderful big skies and a mixture of sunshine, cloud and impending dusk. See photos in the collage above. In our wonderful British countryside at this time of year, with good weather (not guaranteed but does happen) you can experience beautiful big Sky vistas as great as anywhere in the world.

This circular walk is 7.3 miles and has only a maximum of 133m of ascent. Afterwards we had a drink in the Feathers pub in Wadesmill. No sign of Jim Royle unfortunately. He was probably at home watching the footie on his own big Sky. 

Much Hadham and Henry Moore Foundation Walk

Off message but today I went for a superb 8 mile walk in Hertfordshire. Only 40 minutes from Newham by car. Check out map and description here. Lovely rolling countryside. 2/3rd of the way around you walk through the Henry Moore Foundation Park. I must admit that I don't totally "get" Henry Moore. The sculptures are visually impressive and expertly crafted but really not my cup of tea. The large reclining figure 1984 (see above - double click to bring up detail) I did get.