Hoop around Hitchin
8 people attending
12 places left
Waitlist: This event may become fully booked, however, if you'd like to attend and there are no spaces left, add yourself to the waitlist, places often become available closer to the date, and chances are you may still get a place.
Join Alex for a ten-mile amble around the Hitchin Outer Orbital Path.
We will start in Hitchin heading into the town centre via the parkland of Windmill Hill. We will pass the medieval church of St Mary and Market Place before veering westwards out of town.
Our route will then lead us into open countryside as we turn northwards to Oughtonhead Nature Reserve. We will weave our way through the meadows, passing a herd of English Longhorn cattle, before following the course of the River Oughton and crossing again into open fields.
From here we will turn eastwards, following the route of the Icknield Way, a Roman road linking Wiltshire and Norfolk. We will pass through the village of Ickleford via the grounds of the 12th-century St Katharine's church. Shortly after Ickleford we will stop for lunch before crossing the River Purwell and the East Coast Mainline into countryside once more.
We will take a short detour around the edge of Hitchin Lavender farm, which should be close to full bloom, before rejoining the route of the Icknield Way. Here we will ascend Wilbury Hill one of the most easterly outposts of the Chiltern Ridge with views across Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire beyond.
At the top of the hill we will turn southwards, passing briefly through the very edge of Letchworth Garden City via a neighbourhood of post-war prefab bungalows. Our route will then zigzag across the fields between Letchworth and Hitchin. Once back in the town we will cross Purwell Meadows and stop for a drink at the Millstream pub. From here it is a short walk back to the station.
Don't waste that space!
Please only book if you know you can make it. If your plans change please free up the space for someone else.
New members
Please feel free to join this as your first OutdoorLads event. If you have any questions then feel free to message me, or go to the "My First Event" section under "About Us".
Is it dog friendly?
Dogs are welcome but please be aware not all members are as fond of dogs as you.
Image / photo credits: All leader's own images - with permission for OutdoorLads to use and reuse
Want to Get Out More?
To be informed of all our North West Home Counties* events please click on this Telegram link https://t.me/+EoB--tkEV3s4ZWJk
* Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire & Bedfordshire
IMPORTANT! - Participation Statement
You MUST complete a Participation Statement, in addition to booking your event space before attending an OutdoorLads event. You only need to complete this Participation Statement once, not for each event you attend.
What to bring
Water: bring at least a litre
Medicines: if you have any ailments etc.
Rucksack: or any other bag
Footwear: hiking boots or sturdy trainers.
Layered clothing: lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid layer (a micro fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece)
Trousers: ideally not jeans which become heavy and cold in the rain, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry and on warm days shorts are OK
Waterproof jacket: breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry
Hat or cap: stay warm in winter and shaded in summer
Sunglasses: for any sunny day, even in winter
Sun cream: can be useful even on cloudy and winter days
Snacks: bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Lunch: bring a packed lunch unless otherwise stated
Food & drink
We will stop for lunch approximately halfway through the walk. Please bring a packed lunch as there are no shops near our lunch stop. There are a few options at Hitchin station at the start of the walk.