A Circular Ride from Welham Green
A Circular Ride from Welham Green, visiting Essendon, West End and Wildhill
| Distance: | 18.5km (11.5 miles) |
|---|---|
| Time: | around 2 hours |
| Rating: | Easy. On-road, one steeper climb |
| Starting point: | Welham Green (near Hatfield) show me on a map |
Route description
This ride starts in Welham Green where car parking may be found in the village. Leaving Welham Green (via Dellscombe Lane and Bulls Lane), the ride will take you towards the open countryside. Take particular care when crossing the Great North Road (A1000) at Bell Bar as this road is busy at times. Follow the route until you arrive at the junction between Grubbs Lane and Kentish Lane (B158). A footway has been constructed to allow you to dismount, walk along the side of the route and then cross the B158 by foot at the point of best visibility before rejoining the route on Woodfield Lane, Cycle along Woodfield Lane until you reach the junction for Cucumber Lane. Take care along this road as it is narrow with steep sides and car drivers may not see you coming. Continue along Cucumber Lane until you reach the junction with the Kentish Lane (B158) again taking care turning right. A short up hill stretch will bring you to the village of Essendon. Leaving Essendon you are greeted with a steep downhill stretch. Remember always test your brakes at the top of any hill. Continue on the route along West End Lane following the undulating road, at places a good view of the surrounding countryside may be achieved. At Wildhill take a right hand turn along Woodside Lane and follow the route back to the crossing of the Great North Road (A1000) taking care on crossing as before. Return to Welham Green using the same route as you used when you began your ride
Points of interest
Welham Green
The start of this route is in Welham Green. With its assortment of busy industries and shops it is truly a modern village. However, the scene that greeted balloonist Vincerzo Lunardi in 1784 would have been much more pastoral. Lunardi holds the distinction of completing the first balloon flight outside France. Whilst on his epic journey from Moorfields in London accompanied by a dog and a cat, Lunardi found it necessary to briefly 'touch down' and let off-the cat who had become airsick. Although Lunardi then continued with his journey, the cat was left in the capable hands of a local girl from the village. To commemorate Lunardi's ascent, a stone has been placed at the junction, known as 'balloon corner' between Dellsome Lane, Parsonage Lane and Huggins Lane where Lunardi is believed to have briefly settled
Hidden Landscape
There are a number of archeological features that are hidden in the landscape along the cycle route. Ancient moated earthworks are to be found on farmland and coins and shards of Roman tile have also been found in the past.
Little Berkhamsted
An attractive detour to the route is to visit the village of Little Berkhamsted. The village is pre Norman in origin and the name is derived from 'Beork' meaning birch tree and 'Hamstede' meaning a homestead.
Essendon
The Anglo Saxon chief Wulsin is said to have given the village to the monks of St Albans in the 10th Century. However, there is no mention of the village until its lands were reverted to the Crown in the 13th Century. This is probably as the village was included with the manor of Bayford during the . survey of the Doomesday Book.
Hedgerows and Coppice
As you travel along the cycle route you may notice coppiced woodland along the side of the road. Coppicing was once an important method of managing Hertfordshire's woodlands'and provided a sustainable source of timber that was vital to the rural economy of the county. A coppiced tree may be recognised by a tree stump that appears to have grown a number of trunks, this is caused by felling the tree and then allowing new shoots to regrow from the cut stump. The hedgerows along the route provide an important refuge for wildlife including birds and small mammals.
Hedgerows are often dubbed 'wildlife motorways' as they provide a route for animals to travel around the countryside to woodlands and meadows.
Refreshments
There are a selection of pubs to be found along the route. Alternatively why not take a picnic and enjoy a meal in the open air. For further information about the local area visit either the Campus West Information Centre in Welwyn Garden City or the library in Hatfield.
Waymarking
Signs like this are positioned to guide you round the route in anti-clockwise direction. This will make the majority of the turns left turns, thus your journey will be a little safer.
Safety
- This is not an off road route, you will meet cars and other vehicles on the roads during your trip.
- Wear a safety helmet.
- Ensure your bike is safe to ride.
- After dark you are required by law to display working lights.
- Wear brightly coloured clothes with reflective material.
- Treat pedestrians and horses with the respect you expect to get from car drivers.
- Get a bell and use it to warn others of your approach.
- Always ride in single file when roads are narrow or busy, and never more than two abreast
- Always follow the advice for cyclists given in the Highway Code.
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 |
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 cycle ride and leaflet has been produced with the support of Hertfordshire County Council's Environment Department and the Countryside Management Service.
This is one of a series of waymarked cycle rides throughout Herfordshire. Look out for others on this website, or for the leaflets in local libraries and cycle shops.
