Hertfordshire Walks
If you're looking for an easy outdoor adventure with plenty to keep both children and adults entertained, these walks around Waterford Heath are an excellent choice. From peaceful woodland trails and open heathland to riverside paths and wide open views, there's plenty of variety packed into these routes.
Download the Hertfordshire Walks App to follow these routes with real-time GPS navigation.
Walk information
This first route is a short family-friendly stroll around the northern section of the wonderful Waterford Heath Nature Reserve.
It's a great one for the kids as you'll first go on a little adventure up into the woodlands surrounding the reserve, before then descending down into the open heathland where you'll visit a large sculpture of what they will believe is a 'real Dinosaur' egg.
Based on 2 user ratings
An outstanding walk
Real feedback from people who have completed this walk using the Hertfordshire Walks app.
First-hand experiences
Lovely very short walk with one short flight of steps.
Walk information
This second route is an extended version of the first 'dinosaur egg' adventure in the Waterford Heath nature reserve.
You will still enjoy the elevated pine woodland path and the visit to the large Millenium egg sculpture from the first route, but before that you'll stroll on a lovely loop around the beautiful scenery and heathlands that you'll find in the southern area of the nature reserve.
There is also a lovely elevated picnic table at the far southern point of the walk if you want to stop for a break and enjoy the views over the reserve.
Based on 5 user ratings
A well-liked walk
Real feedback from people who have completed this walk using the Hertfordshire Walks app.
First-hand experiences
As we were nearby we completed this walk. Very pleasant and perfect for dog walking. A climb up some steps into the hillside would make it awkward for buggies and wheelchairs but this could be bypassed. Interesting piece of sculpture that can be easily missed if you wasn’t following the route. This is one of the reasons why we enjoy using this App. We’ve seen so many great parts of Hertfordshire that we didn’t know existed.
Walk information
This third route option is a lovely alternative walk that, despite its short length, takes you on a wonderfully varied walk around the Waterford Heath Nature Reserve and the Waterford Marshes.
The walk takes you through the pretty landscapes of the reserve itself before looping around through the woodlands of the Great Mole Woods and then back up along a lovely section of riverside walking in the Waterford Marshes.
You will then nip through a short residential area before entering twisted woodlands again and then emerging out into the open heathland where you'll find the 'Dinosaur Egg' sculpture on the way back to the start point.
A great adventure for little legs who like their T-Rex's!
Based on 24 user ratings
An outstanding walk
Real feedback from people who have completed this walk using the Hertfordshire Walks app.
First-hand experiences
LOVE this short walk. It has everything - heathland, old woods and the beautiful river Beane. Drove short distance to The Woodman at Chapmore End for an after walk beer. Dont have a dog but im sure theyd love it. Very quiet. Easy parking even on a sunny saturday.
We did the walk in July. Wildflowers everywhere!!! Was stunning, highly recommended....Was a perfect mix of woods, farmland, river and meadows.
We did do it backwards but it was perfect for both our dogs, one loves swimming and one loves the woods! It also wouldnt be difficult to navigate a different path if you wanted to
Lovely walk along the river and lovely greenery
Lovely walk, woods, river
This was the best walk we have done. It had everything. Woodland, open pastures, riverside, many benches on route, and excellent parking. Thoroughly recommended.
Plenty of parking, mixture of scenery along the route, some parts slightly narrow
Very enjoyable for our first visit, certainly be coming back to try the other routes
Great if your dog loves water. Clean. Clear signage.
Lots of kissing gates in this route so not great for buggies or wheelchairs.
First time using the app and it was spot on, loved it and looking forward to using it again
Perfect walk for dogs. It has everything for them - lots of safe running/water/woods. Just a little bit of road to walk on a lead.
Walk information
This fourth route option is a bit of a bonus walk for those of you that want to visit the beautiful Waterford Heath Nature Reserve, but also want their walk to be a bit longer in terms of distance.
This route also enjoys everything in the Nature Reserve that you'll find in the other walks featured here, but it also then takes you out of the reserve and then enjoys the wonderful loop of walking around the Goldings estate.
You can get to this route by foot from the Hertford North train station with a walk up the footpath alongside the A119 as marked on the map.
Finally, the Goldings Estate part of this route is a beautiful area thats full of animals to enjoy looking at. However, please respect the animals in their environment, and we would advise you to keep your dogs on a lead throughout the Goldings section of the walk.
Train Station:
Hertford North
Based on 15 user ratings
An outstanding walk
Real feedback from people who have completed this walk using the Hertfordshire Walks app.
First-hand experiences
The Goldings Estate was the best part. The road to get to the carpark was single track over narrow bridge. Not for an unconfident driver!
Walked after a particularly wet week and the path under the train track was blocked by water deeper than my walking boots. Otherwise a really lovely walk.
Lovely walk.
Nature reserve not as beautiful as we had hoped. More like a desolate scrubland! Still enjoyable overall but not our favourite.
Lovely walk with plenty of shade and water for the dog. Peaceful and not too busy.
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3 miles
3-6 miles
2.25-6.5 miles
2.25 miles
1.75-4.5 miles
2.25-4 miles
1.25-3.5 miles
2.25-6.75 miles
1.25-5.75 miles
3.75 miles
1.25-4.25 miles
1.5-6.75 miles
2.25-8 miles
0.75 miles
1.75-4.5 miles
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