South Herts Hikers

To find out more about who has signed up so far, please see comment below.
Explore quiet traffic-free footpaths by rivers and lakes in the Lee Valley Regional Park in Hertfordshire. Visit the Lee Valley White Water Centre (free admission). Follow Longitude Zero for 1 km on a section of the Greenwich Meridian Trail. Visit a little known viewpoint at Holyfield Weir (see photo above). This is a South Herts Hikers/South Herts Footpath Society joint event.
Meet 10:30 for 10:45 Start. Hike starts and ends outside Waltham Cross Railway Station, Station Approach, Waltham Cross, Herts EN8 7LU. Meet outside the main entrance to the station near the zebra crossing. Look for our Meetup sign.
Nearest post code: EN8 7LU
Lat/Long (WGS84): 51.685134,-0.026743
OSGB National Grid Ref. TL365003
https://w3w.co/fields.soda.music
HIKE DESCRIPTION:
Waltham Cross railway station - Lee Valley White Water Rafting Centre - Waltham Abbey - Greenwich Meridian Trail - Fishers Green - Holyfield Weir - YHA Lee Valley - Waltham Cross railway station
Most of the route is on footpaths or roads with pavement. Some footpaths are shared with cyclists. Most footpaths have hard surfaces but some sections are on grass and may be muddy. We may change the route slightly if the weather has been very wet. Total distance is 8.5 mls, (13.74 km) and it is almost completely flat. Sunset 16:49.
PLACES OF INTEREST:
Lee Valley Regional Park
https://www.visitleevalley.org.uk/
HIKING MAP:
Ordnance Survey 'Explorer' 1:25,000 scale, Sheet 174, Epping Forest & Lee Valley.
ONLINE MAP:
This route was devised by South Herts Hikers. There is a route map in photo album for this event. We have also uploaded the route to Wikiloc. See: https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/waltham-cross-lee-valley-regional-park-v2-77960303
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 use a mobile phone GPS app (OSMand, Komoot, All Trails, Outdoor Active, Organic Maps or Google Maps).
PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO MEETING LOCATION (CHECK TIMES):
Train from London Liverpool Street, Tottenham Hale, Ponders End, etc or Hertford East, Ware, Broxbourne, Cheshunt etc.
Bus TfL route 217 from Turnpike Lane Station or TfL Route 279 from Manor House Station
CAR PARKING NEAR MEETING LOCATION:
Waltham Cross Station car park or other public car parks in Waltham Cross town centre.
CAR SHARING FROM POTTERS BAR:
Car sharing from Potters Bar Station. If you would like a lift, please answer the question about car sharing when you RSVP. Here are details of the meeting location:
http://southhertshikers.uk/event-details/2018/12/01/meeting-places.html
Driving distance from Potters Bar to Waltham Cross is 9 miles each way in about 25 minutes. Suggested contribution to driver for transport £1.35 return from Potters Bar.
WHAT TO BRING

• Adequate footwear, preferably hiking boots, with good grip
• Warm outdoor jacket for winter and a waterproof jacket or umbrella in case it rains
• Drink
• Packed lunch

There will be a mid morning stop on the Greenwich Meridian and an outdoor lunch stop in Lee Valley Regional Park near Fishers Green. There are toilets but there is nowhere to buy food or refreshments. Possible mid afternoon coffee stop at YHA Lee Valley if open.
• Important to know
Although our events are shown on Meetup as free, so you don't need to pay when you sign up, we have annual and weekly subscriptions to cover the running costs of this Meetup Group including Meetup Organisers’ subscription, affiliations and other costs. These subscriptions only apply if you actually attend an event and they apply to everyone including guests.
Annual membership subscription
Our annual membership subscription is £1 if you join 1st Jan - 30th June, 50p if you join from 1st July - 30th November and free if you join in December. You need to be an annual member to attend our events. Annual members can also join our group email list and annual membership is valid for both sections of our group, South Herts Hikers and South Herts Footpath Society.
Weekly subscription
We also have a weekly membership subscription of £3 but you only pay for a week when you attend an event. If you pay 10 weekly subscriptions in any calendar year then you don’t need to pay any more in the current calendar year. That's £5.00 for your first hike after 1st Jan 2026 or £3.00 per event after that. Cash is preferred or you can use Paypal https://paypal.me/SouthHertsHikers
Please 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
To summarise:

1. The walk leader sets the pace suitable for the slowest member. We stop from time to time to regroup. You may need extra clothing to put on for stops in colder weather.
2. We have members of different ages and genders and we like everyone to relate to each other on an equal basis.
3. We welcome members from different nationalities and cultures and we don't quiz anyone about their background or country of origin, they can tell us if they like but this is optional.
4. We avoid heated debates or any discussions about controversial or unpleasant subjects.

For our policy on dogs on our hikes, please see our FAQ page, http://southhertshikers.uk/faq/

For more information about who has signed up so far, please see the comment below.
Join us for a 9.3 mile circular Sunday hike in the Hertfordshire Green Belt countryside. See the lake at Aldenham Country Park and get distant views over London from Wood Farm viewpoint. The pace is moderate rather than brisk, so if you can manage 9.3 miles then this event is for you, whether you are a seasoned hiker or new to country walks. If the weather changes or if you don't feel like doing the whole route, you could finish the walk about half way and catch a 306 bus back to Borehamwood. Our hike leader will show some country footpaths that you may not have walked before, sharing information about the surroundings and history along the way. Expect good views, quiet scenic paths, and a chance to connect with like-minded outdoor enthusiasts.
This is a South Herts Hikers/South Herts Footpath Society joint event so you need to look at both groups to see the total number attending.
Meet 10:30 for 10:45 Start. Hike starts and ends at Elstree & Borehamwood station, Allum Lane, Borehamwood, Herts WD6 1DP. Meet outside the Nisa Local shop near the main entrance to the station. Look for our Meetup sign.
Nearest post code: WD6 1DP
Lat/Long (WGS84): 51.6537058,-0.2808995
OSGB National Grid Ref. TQ191953
What3 Words: https://w3w.co/bound.claps.inch
HIKE DESCRIPTION:
From the start we go along the Watling Chase Trail then on public rights of way to Aldenham Country Park. There is no admission charge for visitors arriving on foot. There is a refreshment kiosk and toilets and we take a lunch stop there. We then continue on footpaths around the lake that only became public rights of way in 2023. We take part of the London Loop to Stanmore Common and a viewpoint at Wood Farm with views over London and as far as the North Downs on a clear day. We then take permissive footpaths near Edgwarebury House Farm to another viewpoint, then we take a public footpath from Barnet Lane to Allum Lane and back to the start.
Most of the route is on roads with pavement, public footpaths and permissive paths. Total distance is 9.3 mls (15 km). We expect to finish by 16:45. Sunset 17:15,
PLACES OF INTEREST:
Aldenham Country Park http://www.aldenhamcountrypark.co.uk/
HIKING MAP:
Ordnance Survey 'Explorer' 1:25,000 scale, Sheet 173, North London.
ONLINE MAP:
This route was devised by South Herts Hikers. There is a static map in the photo album for this event. We have also uploaded the route to Wikiloc. See: https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/elstree-aldenham-country-park-stanmore-loop-v3-159562137 although we are doing a slightly shorter version, 9.3 mls (15.0 km)
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 use a mobile phone GPS app (OSMand, Komoot, All Trails, Outdoor Active, Organic Maps or Google Maps).
PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO MEETING LOCATION (CHECK TIMES):
Thameslink train service to Elstree & Borehamwood Station from Bedford, Luton, Harpenden, St Albans City, Radlett (via St Albans), London St Pancras International, Kentish Town, West Hampstead (Thameslink), Cricklewood, Hendon, Mill Hill Broadway.
Bus TfL 107 from Edgware or Barnet or TfL bus 292 from Edgware or Colindale (TfL Oyster Card or contactless card/device required).
CAR PARKING NEAR MEETING LOCATION:
Station car park is for rail passengers only and costs £3.70 at weekends using Apcoa parking app (location code 3013) or scan QR code on sign. The best place to park is about 8 - 10 minutes walk from the station, Hertsmere Borough Council multi-storey car park, Furzehill Road WD6 2DG. This is free on Sundays but please check.
WHAT TO BRING
About 4 km of the route is on pavements by roads but 11 km is 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 good grip
• Warm outdoor jacket and a waterproof jacket or umbrella in case it rains
• Drink
• Packed lunch.

There will be an outdoor stop 5.6 km from the start at Aldenham Country Park for late elevenses or early lunch. There is a refreshment kiosk where you can buy snacks and there are toilets. There will be an outdoor lunch stop 10.1 km from the start at Wood Farm viewpoint but there are no facilities there. For further details, please see South Herts Hikers Information Page 'A' Day Hikes http://southhertshikers.uk/info/
• Important to know
Although our events are shown on Meetup as free, so you don't need to pay when you sign up, we have annual and weekly subscriptions to cover the running costs of this Meetup Group including Meetup Organisers’ subscription, affiliations and other costs. These subscriptions only apply if you actually attend an event and they apply to everyone including guests.
Annual membership subscription
We have an nominal annual membership subscription of £1 if you join from 1st Jan - 30th June, 50p if you join from 1st July - 30th November and free if you join in December. You need to be an annual member to attend our events. Annual members can also join our group email list and receive details of our walks programme. Annual membership is valid for both sections of our group, South Herts Hikers and South Herts Footpath Society.
Weekly subscription
We also have a weekly membership subscription of £3 but you only pay for a week when you attend an event. If you pay 10 weekly subscriptions in any calendar year then you don’t need to pay any more in the current calendar year. That's £4.00 for your first hike after 1st Jan 2026 or £3.00 per event after that. Cash is preferred or you can use Paypal https://paypal.me/SouthHertsHikers
Please 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
To summarise:

1. The walk leader sets the pace suitable for the slowest member. We stop from time to time to regroup. You may need extra clothing to put on for stops in colder weather.
2. We have members of different ages and genders and we like everyone to relate to each other on an equal basis.
3. We welcome members from different nationalities and cultures and we don't quiz anyone about their background or country of origin, they can tell us if they like but this is optional.
4. We avoid heated debates or any discussions about controversial or unpleasant subjects.

For our policy on dogs on our hikes, please see our FAQ page, http://southhertshikers.uk/faq/