Hertsmere Walks
The Three Hamlets Ramble
| Distance: | 3 miles/5km |
|---|---|
| Time: | An hour and a half |
| Rating: | A gentle walk |
| Starting point: | Letchmore Heathshow me on a map |
Route description
Illustration: Ley Holloway
Points of interest
'Muddy pond heath' is the not so flattering translation of the original Anglo Saxon name for Letchmore Heath. Since those bygone days the village has developed into a beautiful area boasting the quintessentially English features of the village pub, tree-lined green, and duck pond. Take your time to look around before leaving the village via Common Lane: an ancient trackway that was once the main route across the Great Common of Aldenham.
The next settlement en route is Battler's Green.
An unobtrusive series of lumps and bumps in the fields just beyond the farm
shop, hardly bear testament to the site's rich history of medieval
buildings, moats, and houses consumed by fire. The name of 'Battler's'
itself has caused speculation as to the area's history: was it once the
site of a minor skirmish during the War of the Roses, as has been suggested?
A short detour further along the route will take you into the centre of Round Bush, with a pub of the same name: the 'Round Bush' supposedly referring to an old (round!) holly bush which used to stand next to the Corner House.
And what did the Romans ever do for the area?. Pottery and tiles were big business around these parts during Roman times, and fragments of tile have been unearthed in nearby fields. So, you may well be treading in Roman footsteps as you head back to Letchmore Heath.
This is one of a series of short walks through the Hertsmere countryside sponsored by Hertsmere Borough Council and the Watling Chase Community Forest
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.
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threehamlet.pdf 152 kb
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