Note the Boot is closed - plan food carefully!

It's possible the George and Dragon's is still running but their website is not responding and Greene King who own the pub are advertising for a new landlord. There are some recent trip advisor reviews but they are complaining about a parking scam so be wary about using their car park if driving to Watton.

In years gone by, Whitehill Golf Course happily served walk-ins in their restaurant. I remember at least twice having eaten there with a group. Might be worth calling them to check. Comes after 9.5 km: https://whitehillgolf.co.uk/restaurant-bar/

Train disruption. Advised to take train to Stevenage (expected Finsbury Park 10.54) and a train back from there to Watton

I was told nothing will be running beyond Alexanda Palace foe a few hours. I have given up.

I quit too, and went on a North London short walk instead.

8

After arriving at Moorgate and going up various lifts to find way out, met with another walker to find all trains delayed indefinitely. We proceeded to Old street, then King's Cross, got on packed train to Stevenage LNER train to Lincoln only to be cancelled. Proceeded to Finsbury park where we met four other swc members and one other who had been waiting at Highbury and Islington for an hour. One had had enough and went home whilst six proceeded to Tottenham Hale as it was decided to do Ware circular around 8 miles off the map.

Train was running on time and we arrived at Ware before midday.

Walk was excellent with good views. We walked on clearly marked tracks and paths also part of Harcamlow way. All 7 of us found a pleasant log to picnic for lunch. Afternoon was through Stansted Abbots and St Margaret's where one walker branched off to Rye house. We were now down to six so had a pleasant walk along the new river with plenty of ducks, coots, swans and other wildlife, then joined the Lee navigation canal along the Hertfordshire way back to Ware. All six then proceeded to a micro pub, very noisy inside, so we found a quieter table outside. We sampled various beers of different strengths. One left on the 1615 train whilst the other five spent another half hour before catching the 1645 to Tottenham Hale. Tickets were valid to Hereford east due to the overrunning engineering works and electrical supply failures.

A very good day out once we finally got out of London. Nice weather, no rain just cloudy and very good company as is always the case!!!

8 cloudy

Four off the train which soon turned to three as one decided to follow her own route not long after we set off. In spite of waiting/checking for her at various stages in the early part of the walk, she did not reappear. Whilst this is not a challenging walk it is surprisingly rural given its proximity to several large towns. The farmers in the area are very considerate making wide paths through their fields for walkers. Perhaps the walk can be updated to note that the pub does not offer food and is quite soulless. There are benches in the church for picnics. As described, the section along the River Beane (a chalk stream) was delightful and with the sun shining on the silver birches, it was picturesque. There was also an abundance of wild flowers and many raptors soaring in search of food. We alighted in drizzly rain and had a few light showers during the walk but it was mostly sunshine with strong wind at times. A lovely walk in great company.

4 Windy sun with a bit of rain

You can also get a Thameslink train to Finsbury Park

The best interchange is Highbury and Islington across from the Victoria line platform

Platform 8 Finsbury Park

12 arrived by train at Watton-at-Stone and set off in sunshine which lasted for the duration of the walk apart from a some light rain which caught the late finishers near the end. This is a very pleasant walk with lots of refreshment options along the way and a lunch pub with vegan cakes. The landscape of gently rolling hills and big skies made a nice escape from London. We passed a hazelnut tree full of nuts not yet ripe enough to pick. We stopped to browse through books in a disused bus shelter near the first pub which we didn't visit, holding out until reaching the Boot for lunch. Most had a drink there, four had lunch, two had cake. The service was slow due to another walking group arriving before us. Eight set off ahead of four who were late being served and who tackled the afternoon stretch at a leisurely pace. We stopped to admire fields of wild flowers, full of bees and butterflies. We sampled broad beans, fields of which were blighted with a brown spot disease. We took the shortcut which went through Woodhall park where there are lots of unusual trees dotted in pleasing arrangements around the extensive grounds and used an app to identify some of them. Close attention was needed to stay on the correct path and we lapsed at times and had to retrace our steps. There is an interesting project in progress in the park, managing the rare chalkland river that runs through it and the habitats associated with it. We eventually reached Watton,lingered in its allotments and just missed the 18.05 train. It was raining heavily by the time we caught the 18.37 back to London. A most enjoyable day.

Lunch at the Boot was disappointing as it only serves sandwiches and cakes. It’s only a licensed tea room with no hot food and the coffee was seriously underwhelming. We were offered a pasta dish which arrived after 45 mins with no sauce- just a few veggies on dry penne. Had to ask for mayonnaise and cheese. The mother and daughter owner were really helpful but they can’t cope with walk ins that haven’t booked. Our fault for not phoning ahead to check on food availability so best to just call in for drinks.

It turns out that this is a 13.3 mile walk but very pleasant. 10 with some light rain at the start, but otherwise fine. The Boot Inn has just got a new landlord & was doing a sandwich & hot drink for £5. Also a fine array of homemade cakes.

Ticket £6.75 return with Network Card. Apparently. Trainline.

W - largely sunny

About 10

Anonymous, Sun 30 May 21, 07:41

Thoroughly recommend the Bull Inn at Watton-at-Stone. Food very good, fish and chips, and especially Napoli Pizza. Beers good, although only had two pints of very good Landlord. Ghost Ship and Dread Bar on tap also. Good coffee.

Lovely garden very busy yesterday, 29 May 2021. Excellent staff.

Lovely village, cricket pitch were Watton beat a St Albans team. Londis shop selling usual foods etc. Bakers open til 2,Mon to Saturday

Summer landed with aplomb today. Glorious hot sunshine with Simpsons looking clouds in the sky to give occasional shade and, off and on, a cool breeze, just right. Let's hope the rest of summer is like this

Thank's for posting this walk DAC, an ideal ramble through mostly flatlands with occasional long shallow rises but always wonderful views of the classic gentle rolling English countryside to the left and right.

The first pub, after say 4k, The lordship Arms, and the second The Boot were both open but neither were doing food so some of us stopped at both to get liquid refreshment and use the facilities. We were los welcomed to consume our lunches which was nice of the bar staff.

In the afternoon, taking the shortcut that would give us the 11 odd mile walk, at least two of us ignored a road-closed sign. A kilometre down this road it was definitely closed allowing absolutely no access at all. My walking companion and I, with masses of fortitude, managed it but I wouldn't want to do it again.

Speaking of facilities, as I was earlier, the train journeys were uneventful except that they don't have toilet facilities and the seats are like ironing boards.

When I think back 50 years to the opulent seating and facilities, look down the bowl and you could see the track and please don’t use it in the station, of the trains in those days it makes my heart weep.

10 of us on the walk hot sunshine clouds light breeze

Thank you walking companions for a lovely day

6 on this enjoyable walk. 4 off the train, 1 by car, and 1 on an earlier train. The Boot had good beer & were very friendly, but not busy. No report on food as we just had 1 baguette, 1 roast potatoes & 1 chips between us. A late divergence meant we ended up in different pubs, but regrouped on the return train.

Good morning,

Is there any one else to join me on this one?

Can do with someone familiar with maps and directions :-)

Mike

It's a fully written up walk with very detailed directions, so there is no need for map or compassing skills (although - of course - they are always useful to have). But, yes, there will be other people.

I am planning to go.

is anyone up for meeting at moorgate station and getting a group saver?

I am happy to meet for the group saver ticket next to the ticket office

According to nationalrail.co.uk just now, this train WILL depart from Moorgate. Being of the non-trusting kind, I will check again in the morning though.

cool i'll be there at 10

10 on the walk, incl. 1 first-timer, sucked in by our meet-up posting, in weather that was hot and humid with just an occasional breeze . As promised by the bombastic walk post, this was a varied walk with plenty of rolling hillocks and fields, some shady green lanes, quiet country lanes, some rivers, occasional far views and several attractive houses, with the last and largest of them - Woodhall near Watton, the most impressive. All this for a mere £6.20 rtn (with a Railcard)!

8 went to the pub in Dane End, which had just lost its front-of-house manager, so the owners filled in, struggling a little with the till and with sequencing the meals, but it was still a pleasant stay there. A very friendly couple and one hopes they find another manager soon to keep it going. The 2 sandwichers had taken the route around the village but we 'caught' them just before the last stretch along the Beane River into Watton. As we had just missed the 17.06, we all went into The Bull for refreshments, where there was a beer festival in the garden and a nice shady corner free for us.

7 walkers in mostly dry weather , with a handful of short drizzle periods and one long hard shower. Nicely undulating landscape, lots of fields of course, this being Hertfordshire, but mostly navigated along grassy paths between them or along grassy boundaries. The field crossings that there were, were quite bearable, along well-trampled paths. A surprising amount of far views on this walk, as it's got quite a few hills and hummocks to cross.

Pre-lunch the drizzle never really got going until we reached the first pub The Boot Inn in Dane End. Slack research by the walk poster meant though that we were surprised to find it shut at weekday lunch times (it's under new mgmt, and looks prim and proper, so should be a good stop on a weekend). We called the second pub, more than hour down the route, and got a non-committal response to the question whether they'd still be open when we'd get there. So the golf club 20 minutes further along came as a huge reprieve as they were happy to accomodate us in their restaurant.

That's when the rain got heavy so we stayed for an hour and a half.

The afternoon then was dry and the landscape more varied, with the stretch along The Beane and the parkland around Woodhall Park the highlights.

3 for the train, 4 for The Bull in Watton. Those 4 took the 18.58, shamefully having gotten distracted by some NZ Sauvignon Blanc supplies...

Very pleasant, possibly one of the most underrated walks on the website.

Intend going.

lucky seniores with 60+ oystercard should buy return Crews Hill, the boundary zone station, to Watton at Stone. cost £3.65 equivalent to a v large latte. can't do Sat but will check walking instructions on Friday and let DAC know if I make any unintended detours.

No need to work out the boundary zone station. You can just buy a ticket to or from "boundary zone x" from ticket machines. Just start typing "Bou" and it should come up.

about tickets bought from boundary zones: not every ticket machine has that facility (I have never seen one). And to be honest, thanks for the advise of typing 'bou' I never knew you could do that. If you buy online (Trainline.com does not charge a fee if bought on the day of travel and I think the website of the train company does not charge you anytime then you have to find out which of the 10+ lines out of London you are travelling on, so trainline wins it here) then you have to know your boundary zone to buy your return ticket. I find it also quicker to buy tickets beforehand and just pick them up.

However I was caught out yesterday because my train went from Highbury & Islington to Watton-at-Stone and there is no rail ticket machine at all at H&I. Advise was to get off at Finsbury Park, get the ticket, and hop on to next train to WaS, losing an hour, which I could not afford with the sun setting at 4pm. So I risked it, was lucky and picked up my return tickets at WoS. However the SWC rarely if ever goes from small stations but it might be useful for the midweek walkers.

The walk itself was absolutely glorious, as was the weather with bright sun in the afternoon and light cloud in the morning; wide views over Hertfordshire agriculture land, meadows with only some horses and some beautiful deer running across a field for company. Quite muddy and wet underfoot but that was to be expected. Pub at Dane End (The Boot) was closed but the clubhouse at a nearby golf club was not. People know my fondness for gatecrashing clubs of all sorts (a certain yacht club in Essex springs to mind) and I had a simple but delicious lunch. I lingered so long, answering emails from work, that I took the shortcut again and trying to avoid a nasty chunk of busy road took a patch west of Sacombebury Farm thinking it would link up with a track leading back to the road. Well it does not; so after some tresspassing (not recommended) got back on track. Finally at WaS there was a very cosy pub The Bull with an open fire who were happy to serve tea unlike the local tea shop which closed at 4pm.

So far as I know, only Southern ticket machines (e.g. Victoria, East Croydon) allow you to purchase tickets from 'Boundary Zone x'.

9 cold and windy but sunny

A really charming walk, not too far from London, with a very reasonable train fare (£5.90 with network railcard from Kings Cross). The countryside is quite lovely with gentle hills and little wooded areas. Not too muddy considering the weather during the past week. Very cold, but dry and sunny from when we arrived at Watton until the end of the day.

The first couple of kilometers were very cold as we walked headfirst into the wind across some open fields. 6 dined at the Boot, Dane End. There was a long wait for food, but it was fine when it came. The picnickers carried on ahead as the rest were quite some time at the pub. Anyone planning to do this walk should phone ahead to check whether food will be served.

After lunch, the six became five as one walker raced ahead. Arrived back at Watton-at-Stone in time for the 16:37, which one walker chose to take, the remaining four deciding to check out the beer offerings at The George and Dragon. A very cozy pub with a big open fire. Took the 17:37 back to London, where three continued their studies in beer at the aptly named The Perseverance in Bloomsbury.