South Herts Hikers

4.8•569 ratings

Potters Bar, GB

2,114 members · Public group

What we’re about

HIKE - "To walk a long way usually for pleasure, especially in the country"
Our hikes are typically 8 - 10 miles (12.8 - 16 km), sometimes shorter or longer.

Local hikes in Hertfordshire and surrounding areas
Day hikes elsewhere in South-East England
Hiking weekends away in England and Wales

WELCOME!
If you would like to explore the countryside of England and Wales on foot, you are welcome to join us.
Bienvenue
Willkommen
Benvenuti/Benvenute
Bienvenido
Witamy
Dobrodošli
Καλώς Όρισες
ยินดีต้อนรับ
歡迎光臨
Plus many other languages, too numerous to list.

MEMBERSHIP
To join one of our events:

Log in to Meetup if you already have a Meetup login. If not, please see below.
Join the South Herts Hikers Meetup Group by clicking the 'Join Us' button above. This gives you immediate free trial membership of our group and you can attend our events.
Select an event and click 'Attend'. You should receive an email confirming your place. If the event is already full you will be put onto a waiting list.

If you don't have a Meetup login yet, you can create one easily using the login details of an existing Facebook or Google login or you can create a separate Meetup login.

To cover the costs of running this Meetup Group and other associated costs, from 1st Jan 2025, this group has introduced a monthly membership subscription of £4 per month. You only pay for months when you actually attend an event. Anyone who attends an event needs to be a member of South Herts Hikers, including guests and your membership subscription lasts for one calendar month from the date when you pay. We typically organise at least one event per month, sometimes two or three and during the month while your membership subscription is valid, you can attend other Group events (if any) with no extra charge. You can pay using cash (preferred) or Paypal (details on Meetup events)

MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA
Membership is open to anyone aged 18 or more who has an interest in hiking, regardless of gender, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs, provided they fulfil the following criteria:

Being friendly towards all other Group members, treating other members with respect and as equals.
Avoiding any conduct likely to discourage any other member from participating in future Group events or from organising future group events. In particular, this group is a “Grump Free Zone” especially on Group weekends away!

ETIQUETTE
These aren't rules but advice for a friendly group

The walk leader sets the pace suitable for the slowest member, as long as we can complete the walk in a reasonable time. It is not a race to finish first nor a training event nor a non-stop work-out. We stop from time to time to regroup (for example after going through a gate), to have a rest, a drink or a snack, admire the view or take photos, etc. You may need extra clothing to put on for stops in colder weather.
We have members of different ages and genders and we like everyone to relate to each other on an equal basis.
We have members from different nationalities and cultures. We like to make everyone welcome and we don't quiz anyone about their background or country of origin, they can tell us if they like but this is optional.
Conversations on a group walk or other event can often be overheard by others so we avoid discussing anything that is out of place in a friendly social group. This would include avoiding heated debates or any discussions about controversial or unpleasant subjects that others may not wish to hear about, including religion, UK politics or politics of any other country.

WHAT TO TAKE
Most of our routes are on public footpaths in the countryside. Some of these may be slippery, muddy or stony in places. You need adequate footwear, preferably hiking boots, with thick soles and good grip. You need a waterproof jacket in case it rains and in cold weather, you also need a warm outdoor jacket and an extra layer to put on for outdoor stops.

We have some info pages on what to take for day hikes and weekends away. Please see the Hiking Info http://southhertshikers.uk/info/ page on our web site for further details.

PAST EVENTS
You can find a photo album for each past event on this Meetup Group.

AFFILIATION
We are affiliated to The Ramblers https://www.ramblers.org.uk/
Hertfordshire & North Middlesex Area https://www.hnmramblers.org.uk/

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
Please see the FAQ page http://southhertshikers.uk/faq/ on our web site or click the Organizers https://www.meetup.com/SouthHertsHikers/members/?op=leaders link on Meetup to contact the organizers via Meetup messaging.

Upcoming events

See all

Sun, Nov 2 · 10:30 AM GMT
Sunday hike Hadley Wood - Pond Wood - Botany Bay circ 8.9 mls optional fireworks
Hadley Wood Railway Station - Great Northern Rail, Crescent West, Greater London, GB
This is a joint event with South Herts Footpath Society. To see who has signed up so far, you need to look at both events. There is the option to attend a firework display at Hadley Wood afterwards but you will need to buy a ticket online (£12.50) http://www.hadleywood.org.uk/
Join like-minded outdoor enthusiasts for a Sunday hike in the Green Belt countryside just outside London. Explore recently opened footpaths, green spaces and woodland on Enfield Chase between Hadley Wood, and Botany Bay.
Whether you're a seasoned hiker or a beginner looking to explore new trails, this 8.9 mile (14.4 km) hike is suitable for all skill levels. There is the option to finish at lunch time after 10 km and take a 313 bus to Potters Bar or Enfield if you like.
Meet 10:30 for a 10:45 start outside Hadley Wood Station, Crescent West, EN4 0EL Hike starts and finishes at Hadley Wood station.
Nearest post code: EN4 0EL
Lat/Long (WGS84): 51.668379,-0.176221
O.S. Grid Ref: TQ262981
What3Words https://w3w.co/little.case.hint
HIKE DESCRIPTION:
Hadley Wood Station - Fir and Pond Wood Nature Reserves - Botany Bay - Enfield Greenway - Hadley Wood Station. This route includes new footpaths at Potters Chase Wood, a new Public Bridleway beside Coopers Lane Road, Potters Bar and a new path at Botany Bay that opened on 22 Oct 2025.
Most of the route is on traffic-free footpaths with a stony or grassy surface. There is a rough section of path near Holly Hill Farm due to a temporary footpath diversion. There may be some muddy patches but there shouldn't be any deep mud. There are also some roads with a pavement.
Total distance 8.9 miles (14.4 km) and quite hilly with 168 metres (551 ft) of ascent and descent. We are likely to finish the hike by 16:45 - 17:00. Optional firework display starts 18:15.
PLACES OF INTEREST:
Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, Fir and Pond Woods
https://www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk/firandpondwoods
Enfield Council, Enfield Chase landscape restoration
https://www.enfield.gov.uk/services/leisure-and-culture/enfield-chase-landscape-restoration
O.S. 'Explorer' 1:25,000 scale, Sheet 182 St Albans & Hatfield and Sheet 173, London North.
ONLINE MAP:
This route was devised by South Herts Footpath Society. There is a map in the photo album for this event. We have also uploaded it to Wikiloc, see: https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/hadley-wood-station-pond-wood-botany-bay-loop-v1-237809547
You can select map or aerial view (OpenStreetmap recommended) and you can zoom in. Navigating the trail outdoors using the Wikiloc app needs the premium version but you can also set up a free Wikiloc login then use a web browser such as Chrome to download a .GPX or .kml file to a mobile device then open the .GPX file with a mobile phone GPS app (OSMand, Komoot, All Trails, Outdoor Active, Organic Maps or Google Maps).
HOW TO GET TO THE MEETING LOCATION:
Direct trains to Hadley Wood Station (HDW) from London Moorgate or all stations to Welwyn Garden City
From London Moorgate (MOG) dep. 09:57 a.m. Finsbury Park (FPK) dep. 10:12 arr. 10:30, check pay as you (Contactless or Oyster) for lowest fare. We will wait for the 10:30 train to arrive.
From Welwyn Garden City (WGC) dep. 10:00 arr. 10:17
Although there is a bus 399 from Barnet Mon - Sat, there is no Sunday service.
CAR PARKING NEAR MEETING LOCATION:
There is free on street parking on Sundays on Crescent East and Crescent West (please park considerately).
WHAT TO BRING
Most of this walk is away from roads on quiet countryside public footpaths but these do not usually have a tarmac surface so some paths may be slippery, muddy or stony in places. You need:
- Adequate footwear, preferably hiking boots, with good grip
- Outdoor jacket
- An extra layer to put on for outdoor stops
- Waterproof jacket in case it rains
- Drink
- Packed lunch recommended.
IMPORTANT TO KNOW
There will be a mid morning stop in Fir Wood 4.9 km from the start at about 12:15 and a 50 minute lunch stop 9.8 km from the start at about 1:45 p.m. at Botany Bay. You can go to the Robin Hood pub or eat your own packed lunch outdoors at picnic tables near Botany Bay Farm. If you like, you could finish the hike here and take a TfL bus 313 to Potters Bar or Enfield.
Although this event is shown on Meetup as free, so you don't need to pay when you sign up, Meetup group organisers have to pay a subscription to Meetup. This now costs us 429.58 US Dollars for 12 months.
We have an annual membership fee of £2 if you join in Jan, Feb or Mar. After that it’s £1.50 from April onwards, £1.00 July onwards, or 50p October onwards. You need to be an annual member to participate in our events but you can join at your first event. Annual members can also join our group email list and annual membership is also valid for our other group South Herts Footpath Society. We also suggest an additional voluntary donation of £3 for each hike for each participant including guests. That's £3.50 for your first hike after October 2025 or £3.00 per event after that. This contributes towards the running costs of this Meetup Group. Cash is preferred or you can use Paypal https://paypal.me/SouthHertsHikers
Please note our membership criteria and guidelines for etiquette. From this Meetup Group's home page https://www.meetup.com/southhertshikers/ see What we're about > Read More
For our policy on dogs on our hikes, please see our FAQ page, http://southhertshikers.uk/faq/
2 attendees