Throughout 2026, members of the congregation of St. Mary’s Church in Baldock will be walking the 195 mile-long Hertfordshire Way to raise money to renovate the church hall. The Hertfordshire Way is a marked footpath that forms a circular route around Hertfordshire. The team will walk the all terrain route across the year, braving all weather conditions, in legs of 10-15 miles each.
The church hall is a vital community resource for the town of Baldock. In July 2024, the church hall suffered extensive vandalism, with nearly all the windows and the front doors and fire exit smashed. This walk will help fund much?needed internal and external improvements, making the hall safer, more versatile, more accessible, and more environmentally sustainable.
Leg starts and stops with distances and mini description
| St Mary’s Baldock to Little Wymondley (Almost entirely rural, despite passing close to Stevenage and crossing the A1M) |
10 miles |
| Little Wymondley to Codicote | 9.3 miles |
| Codicote to St Albans Cathedral | 13.4 miles |
| St Albans Cathedral to Markyate | 10.2 miles |
| Markyate to Tring Railway Station (Wooded, rural scenery – circular route could be navigated. Not far from Whipsnade) |
11.4 miles |
| Tring Railway Station to Kings Langley Railway Station | 15.4 miles |
| Kings Langley Railway Station to Shenley | 12.3 miles |
| Shenley to Cuffley (Rural, criss-crossing trunk roads and railway routes – good variety of scenery) |
11.5 miles |
| Cuffley to Broxbourne (Through large area of ancient woodland and National Nature Reserve) |
12 miles |
| Broxbourne to Hertford (Follows the Lea valley along the New River path and the Lee Navigation – can be divided into smaller stages via intermediate railway stations) |
12.5 miles |
| Hertford to Widford (Via Thundridge old church ruin and Timber Hall. Widford has associations with Charles Lamb) |
13.6 miles |
| Widford to Bishop’s Stortford (Tesco Stores) (Follows the valley of Much Hadham, past hamlets of Perry Green and Green Tye) |
10.3 miles |
| Bishop’s Stortford to Hare Street (North bound, rural, via Little Hormead Norman Church) |
12.4 miles |
| Hare Street to Royston (Gentle path overlooking the rolling Hertfordshire hills and charming villages; via Scales Wood and Second World War airfield and Barkway old coaching stop on the old London – Cambridge stagecoach route. End the walk at the Royse Stone.) |
12.6 miles |
| Royston to St Mary’s Baldock (The walk starts at the Royse Stone in the town centre. Most dramatic leg, fabulous scenery, scarp slopes of the chalk hills. Gentle rural landscape of fields and hedgerows follow.) |
15.5 miles |
St Mary’s Baldock to Little Wymondley
Start location: St Mary’s Baldock
Finish location: Plume of Feathers in Little Wymondley
Date: Sunday 15th March
Start time: 11am (We will set off after the Parish Praise service)
Estimated finish time: 4.30 pm
Distance: Roughly 10 miles
Route description: We’ll walk up the high street and past St John’s school then across the footbridge over the A505 to pick up the Hertfordshire Way at Welbury Farm. We then stick to the Hertfordshire Way as it skirts Weston, passes through Warren’s Green, Gravely and Great Wymondley, finishing in Little Wymondley. Most of the uphill is completed in the first quarter of the walk before reaching Weston.
Opportunities to join
This is the first leg, and we’ll set off from the Parish Praise service, so this is a great opportunity to join us for part of the walk.
1 mile option
There’s an opportunity to walk with us for the first mile. It’s about 1 mile from church to the footbridge across the A505 which makes a good sending off point. This first mile is very walkable for families.
5 mile option
There’s also a nice 5 mile option for people wanting to walk further but not wanting to join for the full 10 miles. Walkers choosing the 5 mile option will follow the main route (see above) until Warren’s Green. At that point the 5 mile walkers will leave the Hertfordshire Way and walk to the Rising Sun pub at Hall’s Green. Estimated arrival time at the Rising Sun is 1pm-1.30pm.
Little Wymondley to Codicote
Start location: Plume of Feathers in Little Wymondley
Finish location: The Globe, Codicote High Street
Date: Saturday 28th March
Start time: 10am
Estimated finish time: 3.30pm
Distance: Roughly 9.3 miles
Route description: After setting off from Little Wymondley we will pass Almshoe Bury and the Rusty Gun then head uphill to the ruins of Minsden Chapel. We continue past All Saints Church at St Paul’s Walden before dropping into Whitwell and continuing on to pick up the River Mimram, finishing in Codicote. This is a fairly hilly, beautifully scenic leg.
Codicote to St Albans Cathedral
Start location: Codicote High Street
Finish location: St Alban’s Cathedral
Date: Easter Monday 6th April
Start time: 8am
Estimated finish time: 2.30pm, in plenty of time for the 3pm Easter Monday Pilgrimage service at St Albans Cathedral.
Distance: Roughly 13.4 miles
Route description: After setting off from Codicote we pass through Ayot St Lawrence (once home to George Bernard Shaw) and pass through woodland to arrive in Wheathampstead. We continue through more woodland to Coleman Green, then past Sandridge Church, through Childwick Green and on to the Roman Museum and then St Alban’s Cathedral.
Opportunities to join
This leg ends at the Easter Monday service at St Albans Cathedral. This is a lovely service that many members of our congregation have enjoyed in recent years. There are opportunities to join partway through the leg and walk a shorter distance, so we all finish together at St Albans’ Cathedral.
0.8 mile option
There’s an opportunity to join us at the Verulamium Museum (Roman Museum) and walk the last section into the centre of St Albans. It’s a bit less than 1 mile. We expect to set off from the Verulamium Museum at approximately 2pm.
5.6 mile option
For those wishing to walk a little further there’s also the option to join the group at Sandridge Church. We expect to set off from Sandridge Church around 11.30am.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Hertfordshire Way?
The Hertfordshire Way is a 195 mile-long, marked, footpath, that forms a circular route through Hertfordshire. You can find a more detailed description of it here (Hertfordshire Way – The definitive journey by Graham Newson).
Why are we planning to walk it?
It will be a lovely opportunity to walk with friends and enjoy our beautiful countryside. We are also planning to use the walk as an opportunity to raise funds to support the refurbishment of the church hall.
What are you raising money for?
All monies raised will be donated to the St Mary’s Baldock Church Hall Renovation project.
In July 2024, the church hall was severely vandalised, with almost every window, and the door, smashed. The windows have recently been replaced in phase one of a project to modernise and renovate the hall. Phase two and three of the project will enable various internal and external improvements that will make the hall safer, more multi-purpose, more accessible for disabled users and more environmentally friendly.
St Mary’s Baldock Church Hall is a vital resource for the whole community of Baldock and nearby towns, housing everything from birthday parties to dance classes, community events and even a Drum n Bass gig! The hall also provides an important source of income that supports St Mary’s Baldock, a 1,000 year old building that sits at the heart of the town’s infrastructure.
How can I sponsor the walk?
https://www.peoplesfundraising.com/fundraising/big-hertfordshire-walk
How far is each walk?
The Hertfordshire Way is split into 15 legs. The shortest leg is about 9.3 miles (15 km) and the longest is around 15 miles (24 km). We are planning to modify the route slightly in order to start and finish at St Mary’s Baldock.
How fast will the walk be?
We are aiming to walk at around 2.5 miles per hour. There will be a backmarker for every walk to ensure that no-one is left behind.
When are we planning to walk?
We are hoping to walk one leg at a time, on different days spread over 2026. We have fixed dates for the first few walks, the rest are to be decided.
Sunday 15th March: St Mary’s Baldock to Little Wymondley
Saturday 28th March: Little Wymondley to Codicote: 9.3 miles
Easter Monday 6th April: Codicote to St Albans Cathedral: 13.4 miles
Saturday 18th April: St Albans Cathedral to Markyate: 10.2 miles
Monday 4th May: Markyate to Tring Railway Station: 11.4 miles
Saturday 16th May: Tring Station to Kings Langley Station: 15.4 miles
Can anyone join in?
Yes, all are welcome, but please do consider carefully the distances involved.
Walkers can choose to join whichever legs they wish – you don’t need to do all of them. We will share details about each of the legs as it approaches, so there’s the opportunity to choose shorter or flatter legs.
For the most part walkers will be expected to walk the complete leg. However, some of the legs are well suited to having a larger group accompany us for a shorter section, so that’s a great opportunity for families and those less keen on walking 11+ miles. We’ll advertise these ahead of time.
If you’re planning to walk a whole leg do have a chat with Alex Milne, Laura Kimpton or Steven Shepperson-Smith.
What do I need to do to join in?
Please complete this form: https://forms.gle/QaJf7m2cU9sM5vSo6
What should I bring?
Warm layers, a waterproof and comfortable shoes to walk in.
Sun hat and sun cream in the summer.
Water to drink – it’s a good idea to bring at least 2 litres of water if you’re walking a whole leg.
A picnic lunch, plus snacks to eat whilst walking.
A mobile phone.
A personal first aid kit.
How are we planning to travel to and from the walk?
Everyone is responsible for making their own travel arrangements, but once we have the list of walkers for a particular walk we will look for opportunities to lift share.