Stapleford Walk – Along the River Beane – 3.2 miles.

A very nice 3.2 mile walk starting at St Mary the Virgin church in Stapleford near Hertford.

You can start by parking along the road next to the school in Stapleford. Then walk down the road toward the River Beane and on the way visit the mid 12th century church of St Mary the Virgin.

The church is of flint rubble, cement render with stone dressings, stock brick buttresses and with an interesting weatherboarded tower.

The front of the church.
The view of the back of the church.

Walking through to the back of the church, the walk can be accessed by continuing to the back right hand corner of the graveyard and through a gate to continue alongside the River Beane and along a stretch of The Hertfordshire Way (Start). The path is a gravel path with easy walking. There are a couple of benches along the path where one can stop and take a rest.

The walk continues along the path by the river and at one point there is a wood on your left (Foxleys Wood). At this point the path goes slightly uphill to the left of the wood until you arrive at a gate and a barn on your right (point A). At this point, turn sharp left down the farm drive.

(Point A) After this gate turn left down the farm drive.

The walk continues along this surfaced farm drive past the wood which is now on your left. After some time the farm drive arrives at the road (Point B). Continue straight across the road onto another surfaced foot path.

The continuation of the footpath and South End Farm Cottage.

Continue on along this farm drive which eventually starts going slightly downhill toward the river again. If you wish to take a slightly shorter route you can turn left at Point C just after South End Farm which will take you downhill to rejoin the return leg of the walk at Point E.

The drive drops down toward the river.

At this point (point D) turn left through the gate shown and continue up the field track over the hill toward the wall and the gate through and continue along the path alongside the river. The path continues alongside the river and you end up at the road where you parked.

The lovely path alongside the River Beane on the return leg.

Details in the countryside.

Another lockdown day walk; 3.5 miles around a village called Wareside.

There’s some beautiful countryside around here!
A lovely little village with a very nice little pub with it’s own micro brewery. Unfortunately, closed at the moment!

I do like to have a bit of a plan so for today I thought I’d go for some details within the countryside. I took my Lumix GX8 camera with the Leica f1.4 lens so that I could get some bokeh in the background. I also took an old film camera lens, a Zuiko 35-105mm lens and an adaptor for the Lumix for some more distant shots.

A seat up a tree. Obviously a place where someone likes to regularly sit and enjoy the view.
Some landscapes just lend themselves to monochrome treatment.
Rotten old timber gate posts are a good subjects!
The old railway bridge with rust and peeling paint!
Farmyards are a good spot for old rusting machinery!
One of the herd of over friendly cows. The whole herd ended up following us across the field nudging us in the back!