Countryside Management Service

Watling Chase Timberland Trail

Watling Chase Timberland Trail: part 1 of 3

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Route description

Key

1. Parkfields open space includes a large area of neutral grassland. Look out for flowers such as common knapweed and sneezewort. To the west, on the skyline is Watling Street. This road lies on the line of the old Roman Road that connected Verulamium (St. Albans) to Londinium (London).
2. Cross Theobald Street, a medieval road, which used to link Elstree to the village of Aldenham and served several farmsteads and hamlets along the way.
3. Look out for Lyndhurst. It is easy to see why many artists and musicians visited this house over the last century. Built in the mid-nineteenth century, this imposing house displays an architectural style that was high fashion in Victorian England.
4. From Woodhall Lane on Shenley ridge admire one of the best views in southern Hertfordshire. Note the many old oak and ash trees in the hedgerows. The land here includes the site of the medieval manor of Titeberst that was recorded in the Domesday Book.
5. Shenley derived its name from the Saxon 'Schoenley' meaning a clearing in the forest. Woodhall Spinney is a remnant of the oak/hornbeam woods typical of the area.

Shorter route:

For a shorter route try walking from the Elstree Gateway to Shenley Park and return to Elstree via Radlett.

The Watling Chase Timberland Trail is one of twelve trails in each of the Community Forests that have been funded by a partnership between Timberland (UK) Ltd and the Countryside Agency.

This Trail has been realised through the joint efforts of the Countryside Management Service, Groundwork Hertfordshire and Hertsmere Borough Council.

Watling Chase Community Forest is a long-term initiative to improve the countryside around the towns of south Hertfordshire and north London. The initiative focuses on environmentally led activities for the benefit of all that live, work and play in the area.

*Timberland and the Timberland tree symbol are registered trademarks

Rights of Way symbols you might see

	Yellow arrows indicate footpaths for pedestrian use only
	Blue arrows indicate bridleways for horse riders, cyclists and pedestrian use only
	Red arrows indicate Byways Open to All Traffic (BOAT) for horse riders, cyclists and pedestrians and may be legally used by other wheeled vehicles
	Black arrows indicate Roads Used as Public Paths (RUPP) for horse riders, cyclists and pedestrians and may be legally used by other wheeled vehicles

More about Rights of Way

Maps

This map is based on Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Hertfordshire County Council 100019606 2004.

The Ordnance Survey mapping included within this web-site is provided by Hertfordshire County Council under licence from the Ordnance Survey in order to fulfill its public function to provide information relating to its activities, services and plans. Persons viewing this mapping should contact Ordnance Survey copyright for advice where they wish to license Ordnance survey mapping for their own use.

See the Ordnance Survey site for more information.

This is is one of a series of walks through the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) supported by the Chilterns Conference.

Please be considerate in the countryside - keep to footpaths, especially through crops, and leave farm gates as you find them.

introduction | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3