The New River and the River Lea Nature Reserves - 18km/11 miles

Do this walk because - you'll be surrounded by beautiful nature, great rivers and lovely villages.

Walk description
From Broxbourne Train Station we’ll set off along the peaceful New River and its beautiful surroundings.

Along our way, we’ll walk through nature reserves and pass by woodlands and the historic towns of Hoddesdon, Stanstead St Margaret's and Ware.

As we hug the river, our path leads us through the picturesque Amwell Nature Reserve, one of the most important sites for wildlife in the country.

From here, we'll head off through the Hertford hills before finishing at the historic, haunted Hertford Castle. We’ll then enjoy a drink at a riverside pub in Hertford Town before catching the train home 😊

Hike facts
The full hike is approximately 18km/11 miles.
Duration: actual walking time for the full hike, circa 5 hours.
Hike grade: easy - moderate. We will maintain a steady pace over varied surfaces, mainly flat but with some small hills
Donation to GOSH: £5 cash on the day
What to take: a packed lunch and plenty of water.

Also, we're not insured, so please have your own insurance for this type of activity.

Meeting at
Broxbourne Train Station. We'll be at the station exit holding a GOSH banner. Please see the photo below.
Meeting time: 10.20 am. We'll leave at 10.25 am.

TRAVEL
We meet at Broxbourne but finish at Hertford East:

• with Contactless/Oyster: if you're coming from London, you can travel to Broxbourne by contactless/Oyster. We finish the walk at Hertford and from here you can easily travel into both Moorgate and London Liverpool Street (both stations are contactless).

• with a train ticket: Get an open return to Hertford East. The cost is £12.30 but with Groupsave or a Network railcard, it’s £8.15 (as of 13 Apr). Get the 9.42 from London Liverpool Street, arrives into Broxbourne at 10.15

Plan your route here: trainline & TFL

by car
If you plan to drive to Broxbourne there is a car park at Broxbourne Station or parking in some quiet residential streets nearby.
Please talk to Chris about transport options should you require help, however please note this is not a circular walk as we finish in Hertford. Trains do go from Hertford East station directly to Broxbourne.

KEY INFORMATION
YOU MUST READ THE THREE SECTIONS BELOW - if you join this trip, you're confirming that you have.

1. The perilous bit.
2. Our FAQs, including an explanation of Groupsave tickets which will save you money.
3. See here for what to wear and take

AND FINALLY

• We're raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children

We’ll deduct Meetup fees but all the profits will go to GOSH. After each hike, we’ll let you know exactly how much we’ve all raised. And if you’d like to join us and raise money by leading some hikes, please get in touch – the more the merrier 😊

• We're volunteers hoping to establish a community of friends, so please go with the flow and help out where and if you can.
• If you need to get in touch on the day, you can call Colin on 07941 646 035 or both of us via Meetup.