Sunday Hike, Elstree-Aldenham Country Park-Stanmore circular 9.3 mls

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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/