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Sawbridgeworth to Bishops Stortford via Henry Moore Foundation walk

Sawbridgeworth, gently rolling countryside, fields, woods and waterways, the Stort Navigation, and Bishop's Stortford

Hertfordshire

History

This is a list of previous times this walk has been done by the club (since Jan 2010). For more recent events (since April 2015), full details are shown.

Date Option Post # Weather
Sun, 29-Jan-23 Sunday Walk - Sawbridgeworth to Bishop's Stortford: gently rolling countryside, fields, woods and waterways, and the Stort Navigation 5
Sat, 06-Jul-19 Saturday Walk - Sawbridgeworth to Bishop’s Stortfort via Henry Moore Foundation 9 overcast almost all the time
Sun, 04-Sep-16 Sunday First Walk - Hertfordshire countryside, waterways and sculptures 9 cloudy breezy with pale sunshine
Sun, 03-May-15 Sunday Walk 1 – A sculpture garden in the Hertfordshire hills
Sat, 28-Jun-14 Sawbridgeworth to Bishop's Stortford 4
Sat, 15-Mar-14 Sawbridgeworth to Bishop's Stortford 5
Thomas G
Length: 23.7 km/14.7 mi
Ascent/Descent: 209/196m
Net Walking Time: 5 hours
Toughness: 4 out of 10
Take the 09.55 Bishop’s Stortford train from Liverpool Street (Hackney Downs 10.02, Tottenham Hale/Victoria Line 10.08), arrives Sawbridgeworth at 10.38.
Return trains: xx.00, xx.18, xx.27, xx.48. Buy a Bishop’s Stortford return.
After passing through the centre of Sawbridgeworth, much of which is a conservation area, this East Hertfordshire walk leads mainly through open countryside, either along tracks, green lanes or quiet country roads, providing extensive views across the gently rolling countryside of fields, woods and waterways. The most attractive parts are then a scenic stretch of the Ash Valley around lunch in Much Hadham, one of Britain’s longest villages, and the long peaceful ending along the Stort Navigation past a couple of Nature Reserves. The pretty town centre of Bishop’s Stortford with its many tea options can be explored on an optional extension.
The Henry Moore Foundation in Perry Green is passed in the morning, but it is closed for winter…
Walk Options:
It is possible to shorten the walk in four ways:
Shortcut I cuts 0.7 km (0.4 mi) at the start,
Shortcut II cuts 5.5 km (3.5 mi) and 84m ascent around lunch (and gives a rating of 2/10),
Shortcut III cuts 1.0 km (0.6 mi) after lunch,
Shortcut IV cuts 0.5 km (0.3 mi) near the end.
Taking all shortcuts reduces the length of the walk to 16.1 km (10.0 mi).
Lunch:
The Bull Inn in Much Hadham (10.8 km/6.7 mi into the walk, food served to 17.00);
The Prince of Wales in Green Tye (13.0 km/8.0 mi into the full walk (12.3 km if skipping the out-and-back to the recommended lunch pub), but unclear whether food is served!
Tea: Too numerous to list here. Please see the walk directions pdf for details.
For walk directions, photos, map, height profile and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.210
Thomas G
Length: 23.7 km (14.7 mi) [shorter walk possible]
Ascent/Descent: 209/196m
Net Walking Time: 5 hours
Toughness: 5 out of 10
Take the 09.48 Cambridge train from Liverpool Street (Tottenham Hale 10.10), arrives Sawbridgeworth 10.36.
Return trains: xx.09, xx.26, xx.32, xx.39, xx.54 and xx.58. Buy a Bishop’s Stortfort Return.
After passing through the centre of Sawbridgeworth, much of which is a conservation area, this East Hertfordshire walk leads mainly through open countryside, either along tracks, green lanes or quiet country roads, providing extensive views across the gently rolling countryside of fields, woods and waterways. The most attractive parts are then a scenic stretch of the Ash Valley around lunch in Much Hadham, one of Britain’s longest villages, and the long peaceful ending along the Stort Navigation past a couple of Nature Reserves. The pretty town centre of Bishop’s Stortford with its many tea options can be explored on an optional extension. The Henry Moore Foundation in Perry Green is passed in the morning. The walk features a substantially shorter version to enable an extended visit of the Henry Moore Sculpture Park, Studios and House. This version cuts out some of the most attractive parts of the walk, though.
Walk options:
You can cut the walk short by taking a bus (runs Mon-Sat about every two hours) from the recommended lunch pub to either Bishop’s Stortford or St. Margaret’s (Hertford East line to Liverpool Street, run by the same train operating company).
Shortcuts: It is possible to shorten the walk in four ways:
· Shortcut I cuts out 0.7 km (0.4 mi) at the start,
· Shortcut II cuts out 5.5 km (3.5 mi) and 84m ascent around lunch (and gives a rating of 3/10),
· Shortcut III cuts out 1.0 km (0.6 mi) after lunch,
· Shortcut IV cuts out 0.5 km (0.3 mi) near the end.
Taking all shortcuts reduces the length of the walk to 16.1 km (10.0 mi), with a rating of 2/10.
Lunch: The Hoops Inn at the Henry Moore Sculpture Park in Perry Green, (7.5 km/4.7 mi), The Bull Inn or Hopleys Café (open to 17.00) in Much Hadham (10.8 km/6.7 mi), or The Prince of Wales in Green Tye (13.0 km/8.0 mi, pub classics served to 14.00).
Tea: Plenty of options, check the pdf.
For walk directions, map, height profile and gpx/kml files click here. t=swc.210
Stargazer is away...

  • 06-Jul-19

    The train was diverted via Stratford anyway today due to trackworks, which adds about 5 mins to the journey time, but then there was a faulty train blocking a track near Lea Bridge station (we passed it later) so we picked up additional 15 mins or so, meaning the outbound journey took nearly an hour. 8 got off that train and - apart from the club's esteemed backmarker - stayed together to Perry Green and The Hoops Inn, where 2 stopped for lunch (1/3 into the walk only), one of them being me. I only ever saw three of the group again, in Much Hadham on the extra loop to the outlying church. My lunch companion really only had a drink and sauntered on to the Henry Moore House & Gardens. The Hoops has had another change of management last October, and the menu is now less gastro, but more pub classics, although well-executed. And anyhow, the terrace takes some beating...

    Walker number 9 then turned up as I was about to leave, having missed the train. But as she was intending to see the sculptures as well, I moved on after a brief chat.

    The weather was overcast almost all the time , and muggy as well.

    Plenty of green lanes and the Hertfordshire standard amount of large cereal fields swaying in the breeze, some waterways (a lot of them bone dry though) and some pretty thatched and non-thatched houses. And more than ever before: planes on the approach to Stansted (all you Ryanair customers, that's your fault).

    I hadn't walked this walk since I wrote it 5 years ago, and had forgotten how nice especially the post-lunch bit is (in my view anyway, others may find it boring): some woods, lots of green lanes, river side meadows, and the Stort Navigation bit especially enchanting, with loads of magnificent mature trees (Ash, Alder, Willow, Poplar) framing the navigation, some reedbeds, creeks and channels, a couple of wetlands nature reserves, butterflies aplenty, birdlife (I even saw a grey wagtail before one of the excellent info panels told me that that was what it is called). And hardly a soul in sight.

  • 07-Jul-19

    A nice walk.

    The back marker would like to point out that there are two footpaths leading out of the Square in Sawbridgeworth. There’s the one you’re meant to take (FP 32) at the right hand side and there’s the more obvious FP 21 at the left hand side. Guess which one the back marker took. (And he knows of another who made the same mistake). Perhaps the FP number could be given at the start of that stretch.

    Shortcuts 2 and 3 work fine. The back marker was tempted to ‘check’ shortcut 4 as well, but others were watching.

  • 07-Jul-19

    Indeed, Mr. M Tiger, two paths. I noticed that myself yesterday, much to my horror. Sorry for leading the master of the shortcut (official and otherwise) on an unwanted extension... And thanks for checking the shortcut texts! Am just in the process of uploading the amended text.

Chris L
Extra Walk 210 Sawbridgeworth to Bishops Stortford
Length: 23.7km (14.7 miles), or 16.1km (10 miles) Toughness: 5/10 or 2/10

09:57 Cambridge train from Liverpool Street (Tottenham Hale 10:10) arriving at Sawbridgeworth at 10:38.

Return trains from Bishops Stortford to Liverpool Street are at xx:09 and xx:39 (journey time 37 minutes) or at xx:00 and xx:28 (journey time 46 minutes). Buy a day return to Bishops Stortford.

This walk through the gently rolling countryside of fields, woods and waterways in East Hertfordshire visits the scenic Ash valley and finishes along the Stort navigation past a couple of nature reserves. A major attraction on the walk is the chance to visit the Henry Moore Sculpture Park, Studios and House at Perry Green, where the early lunch pub is situated, 4.7 miles into the walk.

A combination of four shortcuts (one of which cuts 3.5 miles off the walk length) allows the walk to be shortened to 10 miles, which may be useful if you want to spend time at the Sculpture Park. You’ll miss some attractive parts of the walk by doing this, though.

The recommended lunch pub is the Bull Inn (01279 842668) in Much Hadham, located 6.7 miles into the full walk, with a cafe nearby. There are lots of tea options in Bishops Stortford.

You will need to download the Walk Directions.

  • 30-Aug-16

    The Sculpture Park has a new Visitor Centre as of last month, incl. a splendid cafe, overlooking the lawn with several of his sculptures. Recommended.

  • 04-Sep-16

    Six walkers inc 2 newcomers (mother and son) off the train at Sawbridgeworth but we picked up 3 others (late and early starters) on the trail so 9 in all. Ideal weather for walking ; cloudy breezy with pale sunshine .

    The new Henry Moore minimalist designed visitor centre is quite splendid and definitely worth a visit. We all opted for the longer walk and good quality roasts were consumed at the Bull. On the return leg rather than do a right, left, left, circuitous route I suggested a more straightforward path which continued on the Hertfordshire Way only to find that at the 2nd field crossing we had to hack our way across a ploughed field to reach our onward route ; perhaps the reason the longer route was chosen anyway?

    Near the end of the walk I became detached from the others as I chose the slightly longer route back, thinking the others were following but they chose the shorter option so I don't know if they found a decent tea place. An excellent day out in stimulating company with the tarmac count just on the right side of acceptable. Hope the newcomers enjoyed their day out and are inspired to come on other walks.

Sean
Extra Walk 210 – Sawbridgeworth to Bishop's Stortford
Length: 23.7km (14.7 miles), with shorter options. Toughness: 5/10

09:55 Stansted Airport train from Liverpool Street (Tottenham Hale 10:07), changing at Harlow Town (arr 10:23, dep 10:28) for the Cambridge train and arriving Sawbridgeworth at 10:34. From east London you could take this Cambridge train from Stratford at 09:45 and not need to change. Buy a day return to Bishop's Stortford.

From Bishop's Stortford there are trains back to Liverpool Street at 00, 09 & 39 minutes past the hour, and to Stratford at 28 minutes past.

This walk is through the gently rolling countryside of east Hertfordshire, with particularly scenic stretches in the Ash valley around lunchtime and the Stort Navigation near the end. In the morning you have the opportunity to visit the Henry Moore Sculpture Garden at Perry Green; if you spend time here you can reduce the walk to around 10-11 miles by cutting out the middle section around Much Hadham.

There is a pub at Perry Green if you are taking the short cut (or simply want an early lunch) but the main options are in the village of Much Hadham, just under halfway through the full walk. You'll find plenty of tea places in Bishop's Stortford's historic town centre.

You'll need to print the directions from this pdf document.