Walks
To print out the walks click on the links at the bottom of the page. To download the maps, click on the links at the bottom of the page or click on the related links.
| WALTHAM FOREST | | | WANSTEAD/WOODFORD | | | EPPING FOREST |  | | | FEATURES | | | LEYTON ORIENT | | |
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So what’s new at Old Knebworth?
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| Knebworth House |
Len Banister tiptoes through the bluebells to reach a gothic fantasy house with some famous friends
This is a bluebell walk with a difference it has a magical castle at the end.
Well, Knebworth House isn't really a castle but its appearance is certainly magical. There has been a house on the site for nearly a thousand years.
In the 19th century a lot of the original building was pulled down and the present gothic fantasy was built.
The owners of Knebworth, the Lytton family, had many famous friends through the centuries and a list of visitors to the house reads like a Who's Who the more recent including Charles Dickens and Winston Churchill.
Nowadays Knebworth is better known by many for the rock concerts which have been held there for the last 25 years these have included appearances by the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and Paul McCartney. If you decide to spend the day there you can visit gardens, amusements and various festivals. The walk takes you near the house but also across beautiful parkland and, at this time of year, through glorious bluebell woods.
Click here for map.
1. Start
Walk up passing the Green and the Lytton Arms pub on your left and keep to the pavement on the right hand side of the road until it ends opposite Slip Lane. Continue forward for a further eight m and turn right between white fences, up a gravel path to squeeze past a gate. Walk along the right side of the field to reach a kissing gate and cross a bridge then through the first of several tall deer-gates which you will encounter.
2. 0.4 miles/0.6km
Now walk forward across the parkland to the left of the cenotaph (over to your right you can see Knebworth House at the end of an avenue of trees you may also see deer here). At the end of this beautiful stretch you go through another deer-gate. Continue forward to pass a small pond on the left and through a third gate to reach a road.
3. 0.9miles/1.5km
Cross over and join a dirt track via a bridge. At first you are just inside the edge of woodland but a little later the track swings left. Here you might like to walk on a fainter, parallel path to the right of the rutted track. (This attractive route has ancient woodland on the right and statuesque pine trees on the left). Take a yellow waymarked footpath to the right, cross a track and continue following yellow waymarkers to arrive at a lane.
4. 1.4miles/2.3km
Turn right. Walk past Keeper's Cottage and, just past a second house, turn right with a footpath sign. Go forward across a field to a gap with a waymarker. Join the right-hand edge of the next field eventually to cross a stile. Go diagonally left across the next small field. Once through a gap go to the left of a pond and turn right along a track towards a gate and a road. Cross a stile and go up some steps to the road.
5. 2.2miles/3.5km
Cross and go down the other side with a wood on your left. (You can follow a path just inside this wood but join the official path when the former peters out.) After the wood keep forward with a hedge on your left until you come to a waymarker. Here turn right to walk up to the brow of the field on a wide track.
Turn right in front of a gate and after 15m take a stile on the left. Go diagonally right to pass farm buildings and then cross a stile. Go forward through the farmyard to a field to cross to a gate. Now go forward on a cross-field track to more woodland.
The path through Wintergreen Wood soon crosses a wide track and, with waymarkers, swings to the right to reach another deer-gate. Go through this and walk forward along a concrete edged path with a small lake on the right (through the trees you may glimpse a Chinese style bridge on the larger lake to your left). Keep the fence on your left and walk up the rise. At the top turn left with the fence and continue to reach a sprung gate on the left. (If you wish you can go through this gate and follow the path down to get a good view of the larger lake. You must return the way you came to continue the walk.)
6. 3.2 miles/5.1km
Turn right to walk up a concrete path along an avenue of trees towards Knebworth House. Where your path and a drive intersect go diagonally left over grass toward the church where you will find a gate. Enter the churchyard and go right to leave by its main gate and walk up the drive in front. Where this swings right keep forward towards a white gate and go to the right of this to join a road.
7. 3.7 miles/5.9km
Turn right passing the magnificent Old Rectory on the left. Where the road forks with a green in its centre, go right and continue to reach your parking place.
Walker's notebook
Starting Point/Parking: There is no car park in Old Knebworth. It is best to park along the wider section of the road just before the Lytton Arms and the Green.
Distance: 4.3 miles/6.8km
Time: 2 hours
Terrain: Field-side and woodland paths which can be muddy. Some gentle inclines.
Stiles: 8 but three of these are of the ladder type which means that they will be impossible for dogs
Near: Stevenage
Refreshments: The Lytton Arms near the start serves excellent beer and reasonable food. There is a restaurant on the site of Knebworth House.
Public Toilets: None
Public Transport: Stevenage station is 2 miles away from the start
Map and Grid Reference: Explorer 193, 230 203
More Information: Before doing this walk it would be best to contact Knebworth House to check to see if any events are being held so that you can join them or avoid them! (01438 812 661)
West Essex Ramblers: memberships and free programme of walks with leaders: 020 8524 2737 (Redbridge Group: 01708 456 771 and Lea Valley Friends who specialise in walks of 3 to 4 miles: 020 8529 7328).
9:21am Friday 15th April 2005
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CommentPosted by: suzanne corgan, stevenage on 2:19pm Sat 17 Feb 07
Hi there I have tried to access the map for this walk but it doesnt seem to be here! Please can you either send me a copy of the map or tell me where I can find it? Thank you in advance
Hi there I have tried to access the map for this walk but it doesnt seem to be here! Please can you either send me a copy of the map or tell me where I can find it? Thank you in advance
Posted by: SueUsher, stevenage on 9:54am Sat 13 Oct 07
[quote][bold]suzanne corgan[/bold] wrote:
Hi there I have tried to access the map for this walk but it doesnt seem to be here! Please can you either send me a copy of the map or tell me where I can find it? Thank you in advance[/quote] Same here!
suzanne corgan wrote:
Hi there I have tried to access the map for this walk but it doesnt seem to be here! Please can you either send me a copy of the map or tell me where I can find it? Thank you in advance
Same here!
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