Walks from Berkhamsted

Canal towpath, ancient woodland, chalk commons, open grassy hillsides, beech and oak estate woodland and ridge paths with town views.

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Reverse direction: Walking Post (inc. GPX).

Canal towpath, wide bridleways, fields, woodland paths, school playing fields and town centre.

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Berkhamsted Common and the wooded Ashridge Estate, with the Grand Union Canal and the Norman motte-and-bailey ruins of Berkhamsted Castle.

Ashridge Estate: A large National Trust estate of woodland and commons rising above Berkhamsted.

Walk details: Walk by Rail (tips and local insights).

Really quite stunning; a lot more scenic than I expected; bluebell woods. A beautiful but poorly plotted route through fields, lanes and bluebell woods, with steep hills, some muddy sections and a crossing of the River Chess with a small waterfall. Several busy fast roads must be crossed without clearly marked footpaths, one path is reached through a narrow, steep, muddy gap in a hedge. The plotting draws straight lines where turns exist and so it is longer than stated; allow extra time. Fairly demanding.

Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.

Time: 4h–7h30

Warnings: A couple of very busy, fast roads (including the A41 and B4505) must be crossed without clearly marked footpaths, with some verge walking; the path on the far side can be a hidden gap in the hedge. A neglected kissing gate has a big step down. Steep hills and muddy sections. The route is under-plotted, so allow more time than the stated distance suggests.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Canal towpath, wide bridleways, fields and town centre.

The Grand Union Canal: A secluded towpath stretch of the historic canal linking London and the Midlands.

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Source: A shorter variant of Berkhamsted Circular – the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).