Hertfordshire Way Day 1 - 1 March - Tring Station to Munden Estate

Walking 7.30am to 5pm
Walked 19 miles
Distance left 159 miles

Amanda dropped me off near Tring Station. I was last here in 2017 when I walked the Hertfordshire Way clockwise up to Royston and finishing at Bishops Stortford. This time I shall walk the entire circuit and should be back at Tring Station on Monday or Tuesday week. It was raining as I set off, such a change from just a few days ago - the warmest February since records began.

I knew I had to find a pitch for the night somewhere on Berkhamsted Common so didn't have too far to go. In fact, I only walked about three miles and found a really secluded spot on the edge of the woodland. A lot of rain in the night.

Last night's pitch

 This morning, I continued on the HW. Quite a few dog walkers up early. At Frithsden Beeches there was a diversion to a new route. This took me by some WW1 trenches, thus having been a training area for the Inns of Court Corps. They practiced digging trenches here before departing for France.

The remains of WW1 practice trenches

I walked into Berkhamsted with a chap on his way to work at a school. It passed the time very pleasantly. As I left him, I passed by the ruins of Berkhamsted Castle, which was allowed to fall into disrepair in the 15th century. I dropped down to the Grand Union Canal and followed the towpath for about three miles and then took a path to Bovingdon. Here, I was able to replenish my water from an outside tap at a tots' nursery.

An interesting modification to a canal boat

Chipperfield Common was nice enough but then the walk became rather urban skirting Kings Langley. The original route appeared to be diverted just after I crossed the railway and no longer going by Numbers Farm and then to Bedmond. Instead, it went up to cross the M25 and followed a path along the edge of Abbots Langley and various field paths to a bridge over the M1 and then the peace and quiet of Bricket Wood Common.

Entering the Munden Estate, I found a lovely pitch in woodland. A good first day.

Sent from my iPhone