Six hour walk
exploring Hertfordshire - Therfield heading south towards Cottered |
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Therfield, a delightful village close to
Royston, has often featured in terms of my personal walking and cycling
activities. A circular route from my home in Royston via Therfield, returning
via Royston Heath, I have enjoyed more times than I can remember.
The name Therfield is a variation of Tharfield
and anciently Şurreweld. It is a theophoric placename referring to Thunor, and
either means 'Thunor's Field' or 'Thunor's High place", from the same Germanic
root that gives 'veldt'. It was inhabited long before the Anglo Saxons came, as
the Icknield Way runs through the village, and Neolithic barrows have been found
on Therfield Heath. In Therfield the Church of St Mary the Virgin has stood the
test of time. The most recent version was completed in 1878 and it replaced the
church that had existed since the 13th Century which fell into such disrepair
that it was in danger of collapsing. When it was replaced, the windows, pulpit
and font were removed from the old church and built into the new structure. The
tower contains six bells dating from 1597, 1608, 1626, 1656, 1689 with the most
recent from 1707. For years these bells were not used and worship services were
marked by the ringing of a bell dated 1862 that hung from a tree in a nearby
field. The church register dates from the year 1538.
As one of a number of walks I
undertook in January, 2010, during the cold spell of weather that had
gripped the UK, on 24th, I wanted to explore the terrain south of the village,
towards Sandon and beyond. In some ways it formed part of my preparations for my
long-awaited trip to Patagonia in March, 2010, as well as presenting me with an
opportunity to acquaint myself with routes in this part of Hertfordshire and
hone my OS map-reading skills at the same time |
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Protective coats shield these ponies
from the bitter cold on a farm near Kelshall, Hertfordshire. |
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I parked my car at The Fox and the Duck, a pub
on Therfield common, where I had taken guests and family visiting from
abroad.
A 12th century earthwork motte and
bailey fortress, known as Therfield Castle, is located in the village
centre, off Church Lane, by the water tower, though I have yet to locate it.
The small motte has a shallow
depression in the top and is partly enclosed by a ditch.
Starting off down Church Lane, I soon found myself in the grounds of the
Church of St Mary, in fact, it
was the
first time I had set my eyes on its beautiful stone facade. From a gate on
the south side of the church, a number of footpaths can be seen, one in
particular
leading across the fields towards Hagger's Farm in Kelshall. I reached
Kelshall street on a bend just down from an intersection in the town centre.
Near the church of St Faith and a beautiful farmhouse with a long, wooden rear
extension, I found a path leading south
across ploughed farmland, layers of mud building up under my boots with each
step I took. Reaching a dirt track running east-west near Woodcotes, I joined the
Hertfordshire Way running between Lords and Philpotts Woods, until I came upon an
intersection with the Chain Walk, as it ran east and joined the Icknield Way.
Continuing south, a narrow,
tarred track known as Notley Lane lead me to Notley Green. As the trees formed a
canopy across the lane, I followed it as it meandered, finally emerging at the
public road
running between Sandon and Green End. Turning towards Green End, I was off-road once
more for a short distance, skirting Tichney Wood, until I reached a farm lane at
Green End that lead directly to Beckfield Farm. Before reaching Beckfield Farm,
however, I headed south instead, in the direction of Bird's Nest
Farm. Though the map indicated a path across the ploughed fields of Beckfield
Farm, only the trampled mud underfoot of those who had been before me, gave an
inkling to its existence.
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Ploughed fields on the edge of
Philpotts (right) and Lords Wood (left) - on the rise is the
Hertfordshire Way path. |
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Glorious sunshine on this view from
Friar's Lane, looking east across the ploughed field on Beckfield Farm.
Believe it or not, there is a path across that field! |
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View across Beckfield Farm from
Friar's Lane, Green End, Hertfordshire. |
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Finding myself
running out of path options, I diverted off the path along a ditch on the edge
of the field until I reached Friar's Lane, which then cut through Friar's Wood
until the path reached the lane leading away from Wood Farm. This joins a road
providing access to all farms in the area via Rushden and Southern Green.
Continuing on as the road cut through Broadfield Lodge Farm, which I ought to have recognised at this point, I reached an
elegant farmstead with a beautiful pergola garden, which I instantly recognised
as one I had passed many times on my cycle route from Royston via Puckeridge and
Great Munden, only that I usually approached it from the other direction. This
was Broadfield Hall Farm. Now not that far from Cottered, I had reached a point
in the walk where I had come as far south as I cared, given the time that
remained and now needed to head back to Therfield. Just beyond Broadfield Hall
Farm, a path leads off to the left through a farm gate across the Broadfield 's
fields towards the edge of Green Wood, before another leads towards Park Wood.
Now on the Chain Walk, I skirted the latter, heading north, towards Whitehall.
Several paths lead from the rear of the Little Manor Farm. I picked one and set
off. Realising that it would ultimately lead back to where the Broadfield Lodge
Farm road joins the Rushden road, I followed a fence running just east of Wood
Farm in order to pick up a path that would lead me to Bird's Nest Farm. This
being a poor decision, I found myself in no-mans land yet again with no choice
but to track back to Friar's Lane across Beckfield Farm, along the edge same
ditch as I had earlier. My attention was drawn to the squealing of multitudes of
pigs as I reached the sheds of Beckfield Farm. Though it instinctively I thought
they were having their throats slit, it was when I caught sight of the farmer
that I guessed they were probably being fed and excited as a result. Several
paths lead from the rear of Beckfield Farm, not least one that follows the farm
lane as it reaches the road joining Green End and Sandon. |
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Sandon Chapel and Manse, Roe Green,
Sandon, also in former times. |
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Instead, I headed west from
Beckfield Farm, before crossing farmland on a path that lead towards Sayfield
Cottages in Roe Green. Following the road from Roe Green to Sandon past the
cricket field, as I often do on my cycle routes, I passed Sandon Chapel and
Manse. After exploring the grounds of the All Saints Church in Sandon, I
discovered a delightful tree-lined path that led from the rear of the church,
that soon emerged at the road between Sandon and Kelshall, which I followed
until I reached Woodcotes. The sky had now turned a bright orange and dusk drew
the day to a close. Turning east, I followed a dirt track that intersected the
Hertfordshire Way (which I had been on earlier that day). Reaching the end of
the road from Hagger's Farm, Kelshall, I deviated to pick up the Chain Walk
through Duck's Green towards Hay Green. I wandered the last stretch on the road
that joins Hay Green and Therfield, returning to my car at The Fox and the Duck,
the local pub in Therfield. In retrospect, I had not chosen the easiest of
routes that day, however, it gave me an inkling as to what my options were when
next I endeavoured any walks south of Therfield. |
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All Saints Church in Sandon,
Hertfordshire, with Six Bells Cottage (left) and Sextons's Cottage
(right). |
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View from the grounds of the All Saints Church in Sandon,
Hertfordshire. |
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Sunset from the grounds of the All Saints Church in Sandon,
Hertfordshire. |
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Views along the road between Sandon
and Kelshall., near Park Lane |
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View towards Lords Wood on the path
from Woodcotes towards where it joins the Hertfordshire Way. |
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Sunset view towards Sandon,
Hertfordshire. |
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