Walks near Watford by train
Hertfordshire · South East England
Stations: Watford North · Watford Junction
MapA day hike in the countryside is just a simple train journey away — explore the most charmingly located railway stations near Watford and plan your next day of green.
Alternatively, view walks directly from Watford.
Aspley Guise Circular via the Woburn Estate (Bedfordshire)
45 minutes from Watford Junction, with one change.
Beginner-friendly: A shortish but satisfying walk. It’s hard to go wrong and, if you do, it’s easy to recover. Lunch is in the pleasant village of Woburn, where there are many choices, so no faffing with making reservations needed. Plus it goes through a safari park and you’ll likely spot some of the beasts.
Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.
Woburn Safari Park: a 300-acre wildlife park opened in 1970, home to over 80 species including critically endangered hoofed mammals (2h in).
3 lunch spots: Woburn (1h in) — the Black Horse, Lussmanns, or the Woburn Hotel
1 end-of-walk reward: the Anchor
Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).
Tring Circular via Ashridge Estate (Hertfordshire)
15 minutes direct from Watford Junction.
Beginner-friendly: It’s nearly all in a big National Trust estate that’s extremely well sign-posted. It’s completely fine to deviate from the route — explore and shorten as you like! The lunch options are simple cafés, so no messing around with booking a table in advance. The Ashridge Estate is very beautiful if you appreciate woodland, and covers more then enough ground to cover a day of hiking in itself. There are paths everywhere and you can wander freely. Ancient trees, rolling chalk downlands and lush meadows.
Woodland: half under tree cover.
Ashridge Estate (National Trust)
The Ashridge Estate Café (National Trust; 45 mins in)
Pitstone Common Woodland Walk (National Trust; 1h in)
Ashridge House: A grand former royal residence of Henry VIII, set in 190 acres of landscaped gardens (2h15 in).
2 lunch spots: the Ashridge Estate Café (45 mins in), or Ashridge House café (2h15 in)
1 end-of-walk reward: the Valiant Trooper
Warnings: Relatively busy. Take the minor paths to avoid the crowds. Can be muddy.
Source: Trains2Green.
St Albans Circular via Ruins of Gorhambury House (Hertfordshire)
15 minutes direct from Watford North.
Recommended
St Albans Cathedral (30 mins in)
Verulamium Roman City Walls (45 mins in)
Ruins of Gorhambury House (2h in)
St Albans (2h in)
1 lunch spot: Ye Olde Fighting Cocks (30 mins in)
6 end-of-walk rewards: the Six Bells, the Lower Red Lion, the Snug, the Boot, the Mad Squirrel Tap, or the Peahen
Warnings: A third urban.
Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).
Harpenden to St Albans (Hertfordshire)
15 minutes direct from Watford North.
Recommended: Mostly fields and country lanes. Some beautiful new bluebell woods, stunning historic city streeets, commons, golf courses and parkland.
Heartwood Forest (1h30 in)
St Albans Cathedral (4h in)
St Albans (3h30 in)
4 lunch spots: Sandridge (2h in) — the Green Man (excellent; reservations recommended), Heartwood Tea Rooms (busy!), the Rose & Crown, or the Queens Head (not great)
5 end-of-walk rewards: the Lower Red Lion, the Mad Squirrel Tap, the Peahen, the Snug, or the Boot
Best months: in April (bluebell season).
Warnings: A quarter urban.
Source: Trains2Green.
Similar walks: the Saturday Walkers Club and Slow Ways (inc. GPX).
Tring to Wendover (Hertfordshire)
15 minutes direct from Watford Junction.
Flat canal towpath, reservoir banks, open arable fields, wooded Chilterns hills and steep descents.
Woodland: a third under tree cover.
1 lunch spot: the Partridge (3h in)
1 end-of-walk reward: Wendover Woods Café
Warnings: Steep chalky descent.
Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.
Reverse direction: Walk by Rail.
Nuneaton Circular via Hartshill (Warwickshire)
1 hour from Watford Junction, with one change.
Parks, river, country park and canal.
Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.
1 lunch spot: the Stag and Pheasant (2h in)
5 end-of-walk rewards: the Lord Hop, the Felix Holt, the George Eliot Hotel, the Black Swan In Hand, or the Silk Mill
Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.
Garston to St Albans (Hertfordshire)
2 minutes direct from Watford North.
Common woodland, farmland tracks, river meadows, water meadows, quiet residential roads and historic city streets.
Woodland: a fifth under tree cover.
St Albans (3h15 in)
3 lunch spots: Moor Mill Watermill & Inn (1h45 in), the Overdraught (2h15 in), or Rumbles Fish Bar (2h15 in)
2 end-of-walk rewards: the Horn, or the Robin Hood
Warnings: Can be very muddy.
Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.
Bow Brickhill to Woburn Sands (Buckinghamshire)
30 minutes from Watford Junction, with one change.
Woods, golf course, gentle hills, landscaped deer park, village streets, playing fields and golf links.
Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.
Woburn Safari Park: a 300-acre wildlife park opened in 1970, home to over 80 species including critically endangered hoofed mammals (3h30 in).
5 lunch spots: Woburn (2h15 in) — the Black Horse, Lussmanns, Galloways, Woburn Thai, or the Woburn Hotel
1 end-of-walk reward: the Station Tavern
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.
Cheddington Circular via Ascott House (Buckinghamshire)
30 minutes from Watford Junction, with one change.
Ascott House (National Trust; 1h45 in; 2h30 to visit)
1 lunch spot: Ascott House tearoom (1h45 in)
Source: Trains2Green.
Tring to Berkhamsted (Hertfordshire)
15 minutes direct from Watford Junction.
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).
East Croydon to Oxted (Surrey)
1 hour from Watford Junction, with one change.
First stage of the Vanguard Way, from suburban East Croydon out through Selsdon Wood and the North Downs to Oxted.
Woodland: a third under tree cover.
Walk details: Walking Post (tips, photos and local insights).
Berkhamsted Circular via Hockeridge Woods (Hertfordshire)
15 minutes direct from Watford Junction.
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).