Sunday Hike Hadley Green - Arkley - Saffron Green - circular 7.3 miles

Join like-minded outdoor enthusiasts for a Sunday hike in the Hertfordshire Green Belt countryside just outside London. Discover some scenic footpaths and green spaces including Saffron Green. This is a South Herts Hikers/South Herts Footpath Society joint event.

Whether you're a seasoned hiker or a beginner, this 7.3 mile (11.7 km) hike is an ideal length for exploring new trails and embracing the great outdoors on a short winter day. It starts and ends at Hadley Green which is near a number of Transport for London Bus routes and 15 mins walk from High Barnet tube station (Northern Line).

Meet at 10:30 for 10:45 start at junction of Hadley Green Road and Hadley Green opposite CYMA Classic Car wash, 242 High St, Barnet EN5 5TD. Please see the Google Map on Meetup. Look for our Meetup sign.
Nearest post code: EN5 5TD
Lat/Long (WGS84): 51.658465,-0.200431
O.S. Grid Ref: TQ245970
What3Words https://w3w.co/expect.labels.field
HIKE DESCRIPTION:
From the start, we take public footpaths to Arkley then Saffron Green for an outdoor lunch stop where you can eat packed lunch. Continue via Dyrham Park to the Green Dragon pub for a drink and possibly a snack. Continue on public footpaths then along Kitts End Road which is currently closed to through traffic to Hadley Highstone. Take an optional detour to the historic Monken Hadley Church then go back to the start at Hadley Green.
Most of the route is on public footpaths in the countryside and these may be muddy in places if the weather has been wet. Total distance 7.3 miles (11.7 km) with some hills, 128 metres (419 ft) of ascent and descent.
We expect to finish the hike by 3:00 p.m. or earlier. Sunset 4:37 p.m.
Optional tea and cakes at a cafe in Barnet afterwards.
PLACES OF INTEREST:
Green Dragon pub https://www.thegreendragonbarnet.co.uk/
Saffron Green Meadows, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffron_Green_Meadows
HIKING MAP:
We use Ordnance Survey 'Explorer' 1:25,000 scale, Sheet 173, London North.
ONLINE MAP:
This route was devised by South Herts Hikers. There is a map in the photo album for this event.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO MEETING LOCATION:
By tube: Hadley Green is at the Northern end of Barnet High Street, about 15 mins walk from High Barnet Station (Northern Line)
By bus: TfL buses 34, 107, 184, 234, 263, 307, 326. The 243 bus service between Potters Bar and Barnet does not run on a Sunday.
By train: Great Northern trains from London King's Cross, Finsbury Park, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City etc. to Hadley Wood Station (HDW) then 2 km walk (30 mins) to Hadley Green.
CAR PARKING NEAR MEETING LOCATION:
Free parking on Sundays by the A1000 road at Hadley Green near the meeting place. Please see first photo in photo album.
• What to bring
Much of the route is on public footpaths in the countryside and some of it is on tarmac roads or pavements. Some country paths may be stony and there could be some muddy patches after wet weather. You need:

• Adequate footwear, preferably hiking boots, with good grip
• Warm outdoor jacket for winter and a waterproof jacket in case it rains
• Drink
• Packed lunch recommended as food may not be available at the pub this time of year without reservation.

• Important to know
We stop at Saffron Green 4.8 km from the start. There are seats there for an outdoor lunch stop, bring a packed lunch. Please see photos in the photo album for this event but the photos were taken in summer! There will be another stop for a drink at the Green Dragon pub 7.5 km from the start and it may be possible to order a bar snack but booking may be required for a full Sunday lunch.
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
This is £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 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/