What we’re about
HIKE - "To walk a long way usually for pleasure, especially in the country"
Our hikes are typically 8 - 10 miles (12.8 - 16 km), sometimes shorter or longer.
- Local hikes in Hertfordshire and surrounding areas
- Day hikes elsewhere in South-East England
- Hiking weekends away in England and Wales
WELCOME!
If you would like to explore the countryside of England and Wales on foot, you are welcome to join us.
Bienvenue
Willkommen
Benvenuti/Benvenute
Bienvenido
Witamy
Dobrodošli
Καλώς Όρισες
ยินดีต้อนรับ
歡迎光臨
Plus many other languages, too numerous to list.
MEMBERSHIP
To join one of our events:
- Log in to Meetup if you already have a Meetup login. If not, please see below.
- Join the South Herts Hikers Meetup Group by clicking the 'Join Us' button above. This gives you immediate free trial membership of our group and you can attend our events.
- Select an event and click 'Attend'. You should receive an email confirming your place. If the event is already full you will be put onto a waiting list.
If you don't have a Meetup login yet, you can create one easily using the login details of an existing Facebook or Google login or you can create a separate Meetup login.
To cover the costs of running this Meetup Group and other associated costs, we suggest a voluntary annual membership donation of £1 (50p if you join July onwards) at your first event of each year plus a voluntary donation of £2 for each hike for every participant. Cash is preferred or you can use Paypal https://paypal.me/SouthHertsHikers
MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA
Membership is open to anyone aged 18 or more who has an interest in hiking, regardless of gender, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs, provided they fulfil the following criteria:
- Being friendly towards all other Group members, treating other members with respect and as equals.
- Avoiding any conduct likely to discourage any other member from participating in future Group events or from organising future group events. In particular, this group is a “Grump Free Zone” especially on Group weekends away!
ETIQUETTE
These aren't rules but advice for a friendly group
- The walk leader sets the pace suitable for the slowest member, as long as we can complete the walk in a reasonable time. It is not a race to finish first nor a training event nor a non-stop work-out. We stop from time to time to regroup (for example after going through a gate), to have a rest, a drink or a snack, admire the view or take photos, etc. You may need extra clothing to put on for stops in colder weather.
- We have members of different ages and genders and we like everyone to relate to each other on an equal basis.
- We have members from different nationalities and cultures. We like to make everyone welcome and we don't quiz anyone about their background or country of origin, they can tell us if they like but this is optional.
- Conversations on a group walk or other event can often be overheard by others so we avoid discussing anything that is out of place in a friendly social group. This would include avoiding heated debates or any discussions about controversial or unpleasant subjects that others may not wish to hear about, including religion, UK politics or politics of any other country.
WHAT TO TAKE
Most of our routes are on public footpaths in the countryside. Some of these may be slippery, muddy or stony in places. You need adequate footwear, preferably hiking boots, with thick soles and good grip. You need a waterproof jacket in case it rains and in cold weather, you also need a warm outdoor jacket and an extra layer to put on for outdoor stops.
We have some info pages on what to take for day hikes and weekends away. Please see the Hiking Info http://southhertshikers.uk/info/ page on our web site for further details.
PAST EVENTS
You can find a photo album for each past event on this Meetup Group.
AFFILIATION
We are affiliated to The Ramblers https://www.ramblers.org.uk/
Hertfordshire & North Middlesex Area https://www.hnmramblers.org.uk/
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
Please see the FAQ page http://southhertshikers.uk/faq/ on our web site or click the Organizers https://www.meetup.com/SouthHertsHikers/members/?op=leaders link on Meetup to contact the organizers via Meetup messaging.
Upcoming events (1)
See all- Sunday Hike, Elstree - Aldenham Country Park - Stanmore circular. 9.3 mlsElstree & Borehamwood Train Station - Thameslink Railway, Borehamwood
To see who has signed up so far, please see comment below.
Join us for a 9.3 mile circular Sunday hike in the Green Belt countryside in Hertfordshire. See the lake at Aldenham Country Park and get distant views over London from Old Redding viewpoint. The pace is moderate rather than brisk, so if you can manage 9.3 miles then this event is for you, whether you are a seasoned hiker or new to country walks. If you are not sure about doing the whole route or if the weather changes, you could finish the walk about half way and catch a 306 bus back to Borehamwood
Our hike leader will show some country footpaths that you may not have walked before, sharing information about the surroundings and history along the way. Expect good views, scenic paths, and a chance to connect with like-minded outdoor enthusiasts.
Details
Meet 10:30 for 10:45 Start. Hike starts and ends at Elstree & Borehamwood station, Allum Lane, Borehamwood, Herts WD6 1DP. Meet outside the Nisa Local shop near the main entrance to the station. Look for our Meetup sign with two boot prints.
Nearest post code: WD6 1DP
Lat/Long (WGS84): 51.6537058,-0.2808995
OSGB National Grid Ref. TQ191953
What3 Words: https://w3w.co/bound.claps.inchHIKE DESCRIPTION:
From the start we go along the Watling Chase Trail then on public rights of way to Aldenham Country Park. There is no admission charge for visitors arriving on foot. There is a refreshment kiosk and toilets and we take a lunch stop there. We then continue on footpaths around the lake that only became public rights of way in 2023. We take part of the London Loop to Stanmore Common and a viewpoint at Old Redding with distant views as far as the North Downs on a clear day. We then take permissive footpaths near Edgwarebury House Farm to another viewpoint, then we take a public footpath from Barnet Lane to Allum Lane and back to the start.
Most of the route is on roads with pavement, public footpaths and permissive paths. Total distance is 9.3 mls (15 km). We expect to finish by 16:45. Sunset 16:39,PLACES OF INTEREST:
Aldenham Country Park http://www.aldenhamcountrypark.co.uk/HIKING MAP:
Ordnance Survey 'Explorer' 1:25,000 scale, Sheet 173, North London.
ONLINE MAP:
This route was devised by South Herts Hikers. There is a static map in the photo album for this event. We have also uploaded the route to Wikiloc. See: https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/elstree-aldenham-country-park-stanmore-loop-v3-159562137 although we are doing a slightly shorter version, 9.3 mls (15.0 km)You can select map or aerial view (OpenStreetmap recommended) and you can zoom in. If you set up a free Wikiloc login, you can download a .GPX file to a desktop computer then use it on a mobile device with any GPS app such as OSMand, Komoot, All Trails, Outdoor Active, Organic Maps or a .KML file to use with Google Maps. Google Maps show few footpaths if any so we recommend the free GPS app Organic Maps with free offline maps of whichever area you need.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO MEETING LOCATION (CHECK TIMES):
Thameslink train service to Elstree & Borehamwood Station from Bedford, Luton, Harpenden, St Albans City, Radlett (via St Albans), London St Pancras International, Kentish Town, West Hampstead (Thameslink), Cricklewood, Hendon, Mill Hill Broadway.
Bus TfL 107 from Edgware or Barnet or TfL bus 292 from Edgware or Colindale (TfL Oyster Card or contactless card/device required).CAR PARKING NEAR MEETING LOCATION:
Station car park is for rail passengers only and costs £3.60 using Apcoa parking app (location code 3013) or scan QR code on sign. The best place to park is about 8 - 10 minutes walk from the station, Hertsmere Borough Council multi-storey car park, Furzehill Road WD6 2DG. This is free on Sundays but please check.WHAT TO BRING
About 4 km of the route is on pavements by roads but 11 km is on public footpaths in the countryside. Some of these may be slippery, muddy or stony in places. You need:
• Adequate footwear, preferably hiking boots, with good grip
• Warm outdoor jacket and a waterproof jacket in case it rains
• Drink
• Packed lunch.
There will be an outdoor stop 5.6 km from the start at Aldenham Country Park for late elevenses or early lunch. There is a refreshment kiosk where you can buy snacks and there are toilets. There will be an outdoor lunch stop 10.1 km from the start at Old Redding viewpoint but there are no facilities there. For further details, please see South Herts Hikers Information Page 'A' Day Hikes http://southhertshikers.uk/info/• Important to know
Although this event is shown on Meetup as free, from 1st Jan 2025, this group has introduced a monthly membership subscription of £4 per month. You only pay for months when you actually attend an event. Anyone who attends an event needs to be a member of South Herts Hikers, including guests and your membership subscription lasts for one calendar month from the date when you pay. During that time you can attend any other Group events with no extra charge. We typically organise at least one event per month, sometimes two or even three. This subscription contributes towards the costs of running this Meetup Group including the fees that organisers need to pay Meetup which increased by 80% from July 2024. You can use cash or Paypal https://paypal.me/SouthHertsHikers.Please note our Group membership criteria and guidelines for etiquette. From this Meetup Group's home page https://www.meetup.com/southhertshikers/ see What we're about > Read More
For our policy on dogs on our hikes, please see our FAQ page, http://southhertshikers.uk/faq/
