Aldenham and the Colne

1 From Aldenham's parish church head along the right edge of the green, passing to the right of its crescent of cottages built in the style of Letchworth Garden City. Pass a modern house, The Chequers, on to the bridleway path, for a while parallel to the access drive to the university, with the golf course on the left. Continue along the bridleway until the track bears right, then go left at a waymarker post. Follow the path within a belt of scrub and trees, crossing many golf course tracks, until you reach a steel, one-bar gate. Turn left, on to a lane. In 20 paces turn right over a low step-through stile and descend through a copse to the valley floor. At the access road to Wall Hall Pumping Station go to the right of its gates, on to a bridleway. This bridleway gives views to the right to Wall Hall and the buildings of the University of Hertfordshire, beyond the golf course. On the left, across the River Lea, you get views of Munden House amid its cedar trees.
Beyond the woods that hide Wall Hall, follow the bridleway, passing River Lodge and bearing slightly right. Continue on this bridleway, crossing a step-over stile beside a gate. Beyond some electricity pylons the bridleway bears right. The river also bears right and you climb to pass a pumping station, a good hedge now on the left. At a junction turn right, signposted 'Public Bridleway 72', by the entrance to Netherwild Farm.

2 The lane winds uphill to the 17th-century Hall Farm. Join a tarmac access road beside the farm. At a T-junction go straight over to a kissing gate. Follow the hedge in a paddock. This is very much horse country, with livery stables at the farm. Over a stile and through a gate go right on to a metalled lane. Stay on this as it ascends to the ridge then descends to pass Blackbird Sewage Treatment Works, joining a tarmac lane.

3 Immediately past the main entrance gates go right, on to a bridleway. The path bears left, away from the sewage works, and becomes a metalled lane beyond a modern hay barn. Descend through the farmyard of Blackbirds Farm (which has 17th-century timber-framing), then go past some white gates and alongside some weatherboarded barns. Carry straight on, descending to the valley floor to turn left, going to the right of the hedge and through a kissing gate.

5 Walk along the grassy margin of an arable field, beside the hedge. Climb the hill, go through another kissing gate, and continue on the grass margin. Past a hedge-gap continue to the angle of the next field. Turn left here, over a stile to cross pasture to another stile with, away on the left, Edge Grove House, a late 18th-century, brick mansion that is now a preparatory school. Cross a sports field to a gate in the fence to the right of the school gates. Turn right along the main road's pavement. Cross Church Lane to a footpath sign.

6 Follow the path, soon passing the 18th-century Old Rectory on the right. The path leads back into the churchyard and the start.