Heartwood Forest

Start: Heartwood Forest Car Park, Wheathampstead Road, Sandridge. (Nearest postcode AL4 9DG). Grid ref: TL 172110.

(S/E) Leave through a gate at the far (south) end of the car park onto a bridleway. Turn right (North-West) along it for 500m and turn left up a set of steps into Langley Wood (A), (B).

(1) Continue straight ahead on the laid out all-weather trail, fork right and stay on the main path as it circles the wood. Just before you come to a bench, fork left and go through a kissing gate to leave the wood onto a wide track.

(2) Turn left along the track past the entrance to Magical Wood and, after 450m, turn right through a gate on a track signposted for the Wildlife Wander.

(3) Turn immediately left past a barrier into a wood (Well Wood). Follow the clear path near the edge of the wood for 230m to a wide crossing track and turn left on it out into a field. Turn right and follow the edge of the wood along, then round and up to the right, joining a broad track back into trees.

(4) At a crossing path, turn left down the middle of a broad, grassy glade. Pass the memorial stone and, at the far end, turn left. Follow the path round to the right and stay with it as it curves back left and drops down to a wide track at the bottom. Turn right along it, go through a gate, down the steps and turn immediately right. Shortly leave the wood onto open grassland – Nomansland Common. Don’t head for the road, instead, bear right and follow any of the paths across the common for nearly 1 Km to reach the Ferrers Lane car park.

(5) Continue past the back of the car park to the junction of Ferrers Lane and the B651. Cross over and take the bridleway opposite, signposted to Coleman Green. Follow the path through the small wood, pass the Heartwood Forest noticeboard and stay ahead on the main track for nearly 1 Km to a lane – Coleman Green Lane.

(6) Cross straight over to the bridleway opposite, staying in the same direction along the edge of the first field and across the middle of the next. On the right are lovely views of the western section of the forest. Follow the wide track towards the farm buildings and turn right through the yard of Hammonds Farm to a lane.

(7) Turn right (West) along the lane for 400m to a footpath on the left at a right-hand bend. Turn left past the disused stile into a field and right along its edge. The route will now follow The Hertfordshire Way into Sandridge. The path continues along the edge of a wood, across an open field and through a gate to a road – Langley Grove.

Cross it, go through the gate opposite and walk on for 200m to take a path on the left. Go past two sets of barriers into the grounds of St Leonard’s Church.

(8) Bear right and leave by the lych gate at the front of the church. Walk down past The Queens Head pub and fork right to the main road.

(9) Cross over, go through the entrance to Pound Farm and keep straight ahead to the right of the big barn. Continue for a further 200m and turn right through a gate to return to the car park. (S/E)

"We hope you have enjoyed your walk. Please remember to rate the walk and add comments. We are interested in how we could improve the instructions or the route and would like to hear about any issues with paths on the walk."

Start & Parking: Heartwood Forest Car Park, Wheathampstead Road, Sandridge. (Nearest postcode AL4 9DG). Grid ref: TL 172110. Alternative start from the car park in Ferrers Lane at Waypoint (5)

Local Transport: Bus service 304 runs between St Albans and Hitchin and stops by St Leonard’s Church.

Terrain: Easy stile-free walking on good paths passing through numerous gates. A couple of uphill sections.

Refreshments: Pubs and cafés in Sandridge

Find more information and walks at Chiltern Society website here.

(A) Heartwood Forest represents the Woodland Trust’s most ambitious woodland creation project to date in England. Purchased in September 2008, it’s already seen the planting of over 600,000 trees and the introduction of new wild flower meadows. The 345 hectare site also includes a number of ancient semi-natural woods that are carpeted with bluebells in spring.
(B) Langley Wood: Heartwood Forest is made up of four ancient woods: Langley Wood, Pismire Spring, Well and Pudler’s Wood, and Round Wood. Langley Wood is undoubtedly the jewel in the crown for its spectacular display of bluebells. To protect these very delicate plants, please stick to the all-weather surfaced track.
(C) Nomansland Common is owned by the Althorp Estate and Wheathampstead Parish Council, and managed by St Albans City & District Council. During the 17th century it was notorious for highwaymen, the most famous of whom was the Wicked Lady. She was revealed after her death as Lady Ferrers of Markyate, and the nearby pub is named after her. In the 19th century it was the site of prize boxing and horse racing. The Common is a haven for wildlife and the heathland is some of the best in south Hertfordshire. Notable species are dwarf gorse, heather, grasshoppers, butterflies and bees.
(D) Nomansland Farmhouse is Grade II listed and dates from the early 18th century. The house is said to have been built as a hunting lodge.
(E) Sandridge Wireless Station: The aerial on the horizon is on the site of a secret WWII Wireless Intercept Station. The intercepted messages were sent to Bletchley Park for decryption.
(F) Sandridge & St Leonard’s Church: Sandridge is one of the oldest villages in Herts, dating back to 796AD. It was once home to one of our greatest generals, John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, and his infamous wife, Sarah. St Leonard’s Church has been a place of Christian worship for over 900 years. Parts of the church are thought to date from 946 and there are 12th century additions. The timber lych gate was erected in 1921 to commemorate those from the parish who fell in WWI.