Walks you can reach from Hitchin by train
Hertfordshire · South East England
MapA day hike is just a simple train journey away — plan your next day of green.
Alternatively, view walks directly from Hitchin.
Cambridge Circular via Grantchester (Cambridgeshire)
30 minutes direct from Hitchin.
Beginner-friendly: A straightforward walk along the River Cam with many lunch options in Granchester. Within Cambridge itself, feel free to wander about randomly rather than following the route — there’s plenty to appreciate.
King's College Chapel (2h45 in)
Fitzwilliam Museum (2h45 in)
Cambridge (2h45 in)
Time: 5h (3h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
4 lunch spots: Grantchester (1h30 in) — the Orchard Tea Garden, Grantchester, the Red Lion, the Rupert Brooke, or the Blue Ball Inn
1 end-of-walk reward: the Panton Arms
Warnings: A quarter urban.
Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.
Cambridge to Cambridge North (Cambridgeshire)
30 minutes direct from Hitchin.
A short city and riverside walk linking Cambridge's two stations, taking in some of the best-known views of the ancient colleges, punting on the upper river, and riverside paths across the commons where college and town crews race their traditional 'bumps'.
Time: 4h30 (3h walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Shared with cyclists along most of the route, so watch out for bikes.
Walk details: Mid Anglia Rail Passengers Association (PDF).
Shelford to Cambridge (Cambridgeshire)
30 minutes direct from Hitchin.
Flat walk through traditional villages and along the River Cam, finishing through Grantchester Meadows into Cambridge city centre.
Great Shelford: Traditional village with thatched cottages and a striking parish church.
Little Shelford: Village with period architecture.
Hauxton Mill: Historic watermill on the River Cam.
Trumpington Meadows: Open meadow nature reserve on the edge of Cambridge.
Byron's Pool: Wild-swimming spot on the Cam named after the poet Lord Byron.
The Old Vicarage (Rupert Brooke's House): Former home of poet Rupert Brooke, with sculptures in the grounds.
Grantchester Meadows: Open riverside meadows along the Cam between Cambridge and Grantchester.
King's College: World-famous University of Cambridge college with its renowned chapel.
The Orchard Tea Garden
Time: 5h (3h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
2 lunch spots: the Red Lion, or the Orchard Tea Garden
Warnings: Busy A10 road crossing; shared cyclist path before the M11 bridge.
Walk details: Walking Post (tips, photos and local insights).
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.
Baldock Circular via Wallington Church (Hertfordshire)
8 minutes direct from Hitchin.
Vast flat Hertfordshire arable farmland, open field edges, big skies, gentle hills, small historic villages and patches of woodland.
Time: 6h30 (5h walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Knebworth Circular via Graffidge Wood (Hertfordshire)
9 minutes direct from Hitchin.
Undulating Hertfordshire countryside, woodland, large open arable fields, quiet lanes, deer park and pretty villages.
Time: 6h30 (5h walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Welwyn Circular via Ayot St Lawrence (Hertfordshire)
15 minutes direct from Hitchin.
Rolling Hertfordshire countryside, landscaped parkland, arable fields, picturesque village and Gothic church ruin.
Time: 6h (4h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Huntingdon Circular via Portholme Meadow (Huntingdonshire)
30 minutes direct from Hitchin.
Flat riverside paths, water meadows, farmland tracks, tarmac lanes, nature reserve and market town streets.
Time: 5h30 (4h walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Prone to flooding.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Arlesey to Letchworth Garden City (Bedfordshire)
6 minutes direct from Hitchin.
Chalk stream meadows, field boundaries, hilltop village, open farmland with far views, green lanes, lavender farm and Garden City.
Time: 7h (5h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Knebworth to Welwyn (Hertfordshire)
9 minutes direct from Hitchin.
Gently undulating woodland, open fields, deer park, golf course, nature reserve and formal garden city streets.
Time: 7h (5h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Biggleswade to Sandy (Bedfordshire)
15 minutes direct from Hitchin.
Flat arable farmland, grassy tracks, woodland trails, thatched villages and low greensand ridge.
Time: 5h30 (4h walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Airshow closures apply.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Sandy to Arlesey (Bedfordshire)
15 minutes direct from Hitchin.
Flat river meadows, commons, heathland, acid grassland, woods and riverside paths along the River Ivel.
Time: 5h30 (4h walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Can be boggy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Meldreth to Royston (Cambridgeshire)
15 minutes direct from Hitchin.
A moderate walk from one village through another, then across open countryside and beneath the railway before heading into the town — on field paths, tracks and a stretch of road.
Time: 4h (2h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
Lunch: The Dolphin in Melbourn, and a café at the Royston Tesco near the finish.
Walk details: Cam Valley Community Rail Partnership (PDF).