What we’re about
The aims and objectives of South Herts Footpath Society will be:
- To protect, preserve and enhance ways over which the public has a right of way or access including public footpaths, highway footways, highway verges, public bridleways, public byways, commons and open spaces and to secure their proper recording, maintenance and signposting for the benefit of the public.
- To campaign for improvements to infrastructure for active travel by any non-motorised means including walking, cycling and horse riding whether for leisure journeys or for utility journeys, including the prevention of obstruction of existing active travel ways provided for non-motorised users.
- To produce and publish printed or on-line maps and videos showing present-day active travel routes for non-motorised users.
- To produce and publish printed or on-line maps showing historic routes for non-motorised users.
- To assist with the Ramblers "Don't Lose Your Way" campaign and the British Horse Society "Project 2026" to save and record on definitive maps historic routes used by all non-motorised users so that these can be protected and enjoyed by generations to come.
- To organise leisure walks in South Hertfordshire, surrounding areas or further afield including weekends away.
- To organise awareness walks to raise awareness of specific issues in South Hertfordshire and surrounding areas.
- To support the Charitable Objectives of the Ramblers and the Open Spaces Society.
- To ensure a duty of care to all members of SHFS
- To provide all its services in a way that is fair to everyone
Upcoming events (1)
See all- Sunday Walk Bushey-Stanmore Common-Bentley Priory-Carpenders Pk circular 7.5 mlsThe Three Crowns, Bushey
A 7.5 mile (12.1 km) Sunday walk in the Hertfordshire Green Belt countryside and the outer fringes of London including part of the London Loop. It starts and ends at Bushey. This is a joint event with South Herts Hikers.
Meet 10:30 for a 10:45 start on the green triangle opposite the Three Crowns pub and St Peter's Church at the junction of Sparrows Herne and Elstree Road (A411) at Bushey. Finish by 16:45 or earlier.
Nearest post code: WD23 4LQ
Lat/Long (WGS84): 51.637260,-0.346624
O.S. Grid Ref: TQ145944
What3Words https://w3w.co/back.owner.levelsHIKE DESCRIPTION:
Bushey, Stanmore Common, London Loop passing Bentley Priory, Harrow Weald Common, Old Redding Viewpoint (break), Carpenders Park Garden Centre (lunch stop), Puddingstone Cairn, Merryhills Fruit Field.
Over 75% of the route is on traffic-free country paths (public footpaths and public bridleways). with 2 km on main roads with pavements and 100 m on a country lane with no pavement.
Total distance 7.5 miles (12.1 km) with some hills, 163 metres (535 ft) of ascent and descent.
PLACES OF INTEREST:
Bentley Priory Nature Reserve https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bentley_Priory_Nature_Reserve
Woodland Trust Merry Hill https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/woods/merry-hill/ONLINE MAP:
This route was devised by South Herts Hikers. There is a static map in the photo album and we have also uploaded a similar route to Wikiloc.
You can select map or aerial view (OpenStreetmap recommended) and you can zoom in and look at photos. If you set up a free Wikiloc login, you can download a .GPX file to use with any GPS app such as OSMand, Komoot, All Trails or Outdoor Active or a .KML file to use with Google Maps.
HOW TO GET TO THE MEETING LOCATION:
Hertfordshire bus times https://www.intalink.org.uk
Bus 107 from Barnet or Borehamwood to Canons Park then bus 142 to Bushey Sparrows Herne Three Crowns Public House.
London Underground to Stanmore then bus 142.
Bus 142 from Watford to Bushey High Rd St Peter's Close or bus 306 from Watford to Bushey Little Bushey Elstree Road opposite Titian Avenue.
Train from London Euston to Bushey Station (BSH) then bus 306 or 142.
CAR SHARING FROM BARNET OR POTTERS BAR
We may be able to offer car sharing from High Barnet Station (Northern Line) or Potters Bar Station. You can request this when you RSVP.
CAR PARKING NEAR MEETING LOCATION:
Public car park High Road, Bushey Heath, Bushey, WD23 1EA (Opposite St Peter's Church Hall), free on Sunday but please check.
• What to bring
Much of the route is on public footpaths in the countryside. Some of these may be slippery, muddy or stony in places. We recommend:
- adequate footwear, preferably hiking boots, with thick soles and good grip
- waterproof jacket or umbrella for rain
- sun hat if sunny
- drink (1 - 2 litres)
- packed lunch (optional).
• Important to know
There will be a 15 minute mid morning stop at Old Redding 6.2 km from the start at about 12:15 and a 50 minute lunch stop 8 km from the start at about 1:00 p.m. where you can eat your own packed lunch outdoors or go to the café/restaurant in Carpenders Park Garden Centre where you can buy snacks and hot drinks.
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. Annual members can also join our group email list and annual membership is also valid for our other group South Herts Hikers. We also suggest an additional voluntary donation of £3 for each hike for each participant including guests. That's £4.00 for your first hike after July 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/SouthHertsHikersPlease note our membership criteria and guidelines. 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/
