Bishop's Stortford Health Walks
Black Route
| Distance: | 1.58km or 1 mile Castle Walk |
|---|---|
| Time: | 45 minutes |
| Rating: | Easy - some surfaced paths, conditions may not suit wheelchairs throughout the year |
| Starting point: | Link Road car Park |
Route description
Lying in the Stort Valley, Bishop's Stortford is the largest town in East Hertfordshire. Once an important market town and a coaching stop, the town retains many features from the past. The Head of the River Stort Navigation opened in 1769, is situated in the town centre. The Stort remains to this day a major recreational waterway, an important link to the extensive national canal network.
Sworders Field offers a more formal approach to recreation. Here there are tennis courts, a very popular open air paddling pool and two children's play areas. The War Memorial and the formal gardens provide a peaceful haven, with seating for quiet contemplation and time to enjoy the splendor of the floral displays.
The wildlife along the river valley is extensive and surprising. Kingfishers flash along the river, a pair of tnute swans have bred successfully over a number of years and can usually be seen in the Summer escorting their young along the waterway. Coots, moorhens and little grebes are common waterside birds. Occasionally a water vole can be spotted in the early evening, a distinctive arrow shape in the water being the only indication of its presence. Larger mammals are also present, the most common being the rabbit and occasionally foxes can be seen on the outskirts of town. In the Winter when food is scarce, small muntjac deer, an introduced species from south east Asia, venture into the edge of town in search of grass and other suitable vegetation to feed on, areas along the river bank.
Starting point and getting there
You can join the walks from almost any point, the railway station is five minutes from the castle. There is plenty of parking in the town centre and at Grange Paddocks by the swimming pool. In addition, the Ordnance Survey Explorer map 194 can be used to create your own walks.
Some of the tracks and paths described in this leaflet are accessible to all users. At certain times of the year, particularly in the Winter months, the conditions mean that wheelchairs may have difficulty in negotiating the described routes. If you would like further information on access for all to any of the areas in this leaflet, then please contact the Eastern Area Office.
Toilets
There are toilets at The Causeway.
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.
