🥾 Walking route
Lea Valley Circle
Hertfordshire
- 📏 5.7 km · 3.5 mi
- ⛰ +95 m
- ⏱ 1 hr 30 min
- 🐕 On lead
Walk stats
- Distance5.7 km · 3.5 mi
- Elevation+95 m
- Duration1 hr 30 min
- DifficultyEasy
- Route typeCircular
- TerrainRiverside paths, field edges and quiet village lanes
- Best seasonSpring to autumn
- DogsDog-friendly on leads near livestock
About this walk
The Lea Valley Circle is a gentle 5.7 km loop around Wheathampstead in Hertfordshire, following the young River Lea through meadow and village edge with only modest climbs along the way. Starting from the centre of the village, the route quickly picks up the riverside, where the water runs clear and slow past willows and open pasture.
You pass Wheathampstead House and the historic Brewhouse and Maltings, reminders of the village's long working past, before reaching Wheathampstead Mill on the Lea itself. The path then swings out across quieter lanes and field edges, giving open views across the valley before curving back towards the village.
Nearby, there is plenty to extend the day: Marshallsheath Wood for a shady detour, Melissa Field and Bury Farm Cottages on the village fringes, and the Caddie Café for a well-earned stop at the end. At around an hour and a half, it is an easy half-day walk that packs in river, village history and gentle countryside.
Route map
Route line drawn from OpenStreetMap footpath data. Numbered markers are waypoints on the route; amber star markers are points of interest a short detour away.
Waypoints along the route
4 waypoints along the way
- 1
Wheathampstead House
- 2
Brewhouse and Maltings
- 3
Wheathampstead Mill
- 4
River Lea
Worth a short detour
Points of interest just off the route, look for the amber markers on the map.
Bury Farm Cottages
~209 m off the route
Marshallsheath Wood
~215 m off the route
Melissa Field
~437 m off the route
Caddie Café
~378 m off the route
Route & waypoint data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).