Hertfordshire Way Walk 23 Great to This walk covers the section of the Way from Great Hormead to Anstey, and Barkway. Start: Barkway. Nearest Post Code: SG8 8EA OS Map Ref: TL 384356 Distance: 11.5 miles (19 km) Ascent 470 feet (144 m) Parking: Street parking in Barkway High Street. The walk starts from Barkway following a short section of the Hertfordshire Way, which will be repeated in the opposite direction at the end of the walk. Starting from the junction with Church Lane and the sign for St Mary Magdalane church, head south down Barkway High Street. Pass the duck pond and opposite the large redbrick house named Ashgrove, take the gravel footpath on the left signed to Bury Farm. On reaching a field continue ahead to join the farm track along the edge of the field, with the hedge on your right. Ignore a path to the right through the hedge. Where the track bears right, continue ahead passed a wooden gate to a concrete track passing converted farm buildings on the right. Turn right with the track as it becomes tarmacked and then in 50 yards turn left on to a farm track. Follow the track heading towards the right-hand edge of the woods ahead. When the track turns left in front of the woods, continue straight ahead along the grassy track between hedges with the wood on your left. Just before the end of the wood the path we wish to follow leaves the Hertfordshire Way through a gap in the hedge on the right. However, you may find it easier to continue to the end of the hedge on the right and enter the field there. Follow the field edge to a white topped marker post and go though the gap in the hedge to cross a wooden bridge into the next field. Cross this field and at the far side bear right to follow the field edge to reach a narrow lane. Turn right onto the lane and follow it to a road junction. At the junction cross the Nuthampstead Road to take the lane signed to Anstey passing the golf course on your right. When the lane bears right take the sign posted bridleway on the left. Pass the driving range on the left, after which go through a gap in the trees to reach a partially tarmacked track on the left. Bear right onto this track with the field on your left and the hedge line on the right. Follow this track to reach a lane. Turn right onto the lane and follow it as it twists and turns to reach a road junction on the outskirts of Anstey. Bear right at the junction, sign posted to Hare Street. The walk briefly re-joins the Hertfordshire Way here. Pass Anstey Chapel on the left, and at the next road junction, with a well in the traffic island, take the signed footpath to Anstey on the left through a gate hidden in the hedge. Follow this path along a field edge underneath the power lines. When the fence on the left ends, continue along the field edge to the end of the field. Cross a wooden bridge in the hedge gap ahead, ignoring the path to left before the bridge. Turn left on reaching the next field and continue along the field edge, still under the power lines. At the top of the rise bear right to head out between fields, on a wide grass strip away from the power lines. At the end of the field go through the gap in the hedge line to cross a stream. Ignore the crossing path and head out across the field ahead, now slightly uphill. At the far side of this field cross another bridge and head out across another field arming for its far-left corner. Cross another wooden bridge, then a meadow and go through hedge gap to emerge onto a lane at a junction. Take the lane straight ahead signed to Brent Pelham to pass the house and out buildings of Anstey Bury. When the road bends sharp left, take the footpath on the right signed to Anstey and Great Hormead. In 100 yards, by a marker post turn left to follow the field edge, with a ditch on your left, heading towards power lines and the buildings of Brick House Farm. On reaching the hedge-line on the left, go through a gap, by a white topped marker post. Cross a bridge and turn right to continue along this field edge, with the hedge on now on your right. In 150 yards follow the path as it turns left to leave the field edge and head diagonally across the field. At the end of the field continue straight ahead to cross the concrete apron between farm buildings. At the end of the buildings turn right to leave the farm, passing a pond on the right and the farm house on the left. Follow the lane for 200 yards and take a footpath through a gap in the hedge on the left just before the house named Harvest Mead. Cross the meadow passing under the power lines to go through the hedge gap to cross a bridge. Continue along a field edge with the tree line and stream on your right. Follow the path as it bends right with the field edge, ignoring a concrete bridge on the right. The path crosses the stream by a marker post and continues between hedges now with the stream on your left, and the house and buildings of Hormead House now visible away to the right. The path emerges onto the B1035 at Great Hormead where the walk joins the Hertfordshire Way and will follow it all the way back to Barkway. Turn right onto this minor road and immediately right again to pass the house named Carters Field. When you reach the entrance to Great Hormead Hall, by a cattle grid, turn left towards a field and then take the footpath on the right to walk along the right- hand field edge. In 100 yards go through the kissing gate on the right to enter and cross a meadow. At the end of the meadow go through another kissing gate and turn left onto a wide gravel track. Ignore the track off to the right and follow the track along the field edge uphill towards the power lines. Pass under 2 sets of power lines to reach a lane and turn right onto the lane. The lanes bends left then right after which take the footpath off to the left, signed to Anstey, to reach a field. Head out diagonally right across the field. At the far side go through a gap in the hedge and cross a bridge into the next field. Turn right along the field edge and then in 50 yards at the end of the field turn left to follow the field edge. At the end of the field go through the wide gap to continue ahead along the edge of the next field. Follow the track as it enters trees, bears left then right as it re-emerges along the field edge. At the end of the field leave the track as it turns left and continue straight ahead passing a metal gate to reach a lane at Daws End. Turn right onto the lane and then immediately left on the footpath again signed to Anstey. Cross a small meadow to a kissing gate. Cross the next meadow, heading for a wooden kissing gate in the far- right corner. Go through the kissing gate, cross a wooden bridge and turn left onto a broad enclosed path. When you reach a crossing path in front of a wooden bridge the Hertfordshire Way is sign posted left on to the crossing path. However, the parallel path to the left 10 yards before the bridge, between rows of trees (fir trees on the left) is a much easier and safer path to follow. The path opens out just before reaching a lane. Cross a wooden bridge to reach the lane and turn right to Anstey. To the left of the Village Hall is a small recreation ground with seats which can be used for a lunch stop or there are more seats in the churchyard further along the lane. Follow the lane as it bends right passed the church and on through Anstey passing the Blind Fiddler and the road junction with the well in the traffic island passed earlier in the walk. Bear right at this junction, signed to Brent Pelham and right again at the next road junction, signed to . After passing a row of cottages on the left take the footpath on the left. On reaching a large barn bear left into the field and follow the grassy path to the wood. Bear left with the path along the wood edge and then right, ignoring a path on the right into the trees. When you reach the concrete track of what used to be the taxiway of RAF Nuthampstead turn left onto the track and follow it as it passes a strip of trees then bears right to run parallel to the trees. As the trees end, by the aerial of an air navigation beacon, turn left on the signed path, also a concrete track. When the concrete ends continue straight ahead into the trees to emerge with a field on the right to reach The Woodman and the memorial to the USAF airmen who flew from the airfield. Turn right on to the lane, right at the next road junction and then left passed Bulls Farm. At the end of the farm take the footpath on the left though a kissing gate. Bear diagonally right across the meadow heading for a metal gate in the field corner. Go through this gate, then a kissing gate into the next field and bear left to another kissing gate to the right-hand side of a barn. Follow the path diagonally left across the next field heading for a white topped marker post on the far side. At the post head for a second post 50 yards ahead at which bear left through a gap into the trees to reach the next field. Turn left then right at the end of the field to follow the path around the field heading towards a tall mast visible in the distance. In 350 yards the path crosses into the field on the left and heads diagonally across it towards Bury Farm. Ignore a crossing path in the field, and on reaching the far field corner cross a bridge, hidden in the trees. Follow the stream on your right passing the buildings of Bury Farm to reach a lane on a bend. Turn right into Bury Farm then immediately left to go through a kissing gate into a meadow. Head diagonally right across this meadow to go through a pair of kissing gates into the next meadow. Turn left roughly along the left-hand side of the meadow bearing right to skirt the trees on the left. Head towards a marker post at the left-hand end of the woods on your right. Go through a kissing gate and follow the path with the woods on your right and a hedge on the left. The remainder of the walk retraces the beginning of the walk back to Barkway. Follow the path to the end of the wood, join the farm track here and continue straight ahead with the houses and church tower of Barkway visible ahead. On reaching the track junction, in front of converted farm buildings, turn right on the track. In 50 yards follow the track as it turns sharp left and follow the gravel, then concrete track passing to the right of the buildings to reach a wooden gate. Continue ahead now on a partially tarmacked track. When the track turns right around the field edge take the gravel path ahead to pass between houses and gardens to reach Barkway High Street. Turn right on the High Street to return the start of the walk.