A circular walk of 10 miles in the rolling countryside of mid-Herts.

Features include lots of bluebells, plush countryside, the River Mimram in full flow (high water level, good examples of flow dynamics), quaint villages, posh houses, railway tunnels, noisy ventilation shafts, a hole in where a witch was said to live (and in which Dick Turpin occasionally hid) and lots of medium-distance views.  And more bluebells.  There is one opportunity to buy a coffee en route.

Bring packed lunch, water and something to sit on.  The lunch spot will be exposed.  We shall be sat on the ground.

Wear sturdy boots.  The route is generally muddy.

The route is mainly exposed, with only occasional woodland cover.  Windproofs/waterproofs recommended.

Altitude measured by GPS on test walks ranges from 347ft (106km) to 564ft (172m).  The steepest significant gradient is 134ft over 0.3 miles (41m over 0.5km), for a duration of 11 minutes.

The pace of the route is relatively quick.  Expect a moving average speed of 2.30 mph (3.7 kph).

Optional pub stop at the end of the route.

On the final test of the route on 06Apr2024:

• animals included skylarks, jackdaws, crows, sheep, horses, dogs, alpacas, great tits, blue tits, goldfinches, pigeons, magpies, pied wagtails, wren, swans, mallards, red kites, goats, cows, squirrels, house sparrows, ladybirds, bumble bees, brimstone butterflies, beeflies, crane flies, snails, spiders.
• flowers included bluebells, red dead nettle, white dead nettle, lesser celenendine, chickweed, mouse ear, ground ivy, stichtwort, wood anemones, dogs mercury, honesty, green alcanets, herb roberts, cowslips, daisies, speedwells, forget me nots, garlic mustards, yellow archangels, comfrey, violets, blackthorns, periwinlkes, pendulous sedges, cherries, daffodils, gorse, brooms, cranesbills.
• growth before flowers included stinging nettle, yarrow, groundsel, pineapple mayweed, silverweed.