Sun 21st March 2010 - Leg 10 : Cuffley to Hertford - 12.6 miles

At last it seemed that Spring was springing when the intrepid quartet of Sandra Scott, Howard Peacock, Fudge Peacock and David Izod set off on Leg 10 from Cuffley to Hertford. The blackthorn buds were finally breaking and the blossom developing almost in front of our eyes. For pretty much the first time we had warm, sunny and dry weather for our walk. Howard certainly knows how to pick the date as it was his first walk with us!

We left Cuffley Station and walked up Tolmers Road that Howard’s aunt had lived in some years ago. Originally, the houses had been built in the style of those in Letchworth Garden City. However, the developers had been at it since, with lots of lovely new houses with smart bricked drives, so Howard no longer recognised the place. We walked through woods that were part of Tolmers Park Estate. The Scout Association bought some of the estate in 1939 and many thousands of scouts use the area each year.

We encountered another example of the sadistic nature of the planners of the Hertfordshire Way at a place near to West End, about 5.5 miles into the walk. We went round in a loop of about ¾ mile to finish up at a turn that we had seen previously, about 50 yards up the path! To add insult to injury, The Candlestick pub had closed down at West End so we could not quench our thirst.

Pressing on, we passed through the village of Essenden, through another golf club, to emerge at Little Berkhamstead. The locals were holding a sponsored Sports Relief circular walk around their common and we were invited to join them. By this time our tongues were hanging out so we politely declined and made our way to the ancient Five Horseshoes pub (7.9 miles). Fudge enjoyed a quick afternoon siesta whilst we refuelled.

Resuming our perambulations we passed the lovely Little Berkhamstead Church, quickly followed by a folly built in 1789 by retired Admiral John Stratton as an observatory. Now, plodding on, we travelled through Bayford Wood, the village of Bayford and eventually along a track by the side of the railway. We ran into a couple of railway workers and a policeman who were at the scene of a crime. We were not told anything but it seemed to us that someone had nicked cable from the railway track. We did not have to empty our rucksacks to prove our innocence!

From here it was but a hop, skip and a jump to Parliament Square, Hertford (12.6 miles). No, I tell a fib – but how else are we to get more people on this grand adventure! At Parliament Square, we were able to relax and enjoy the afternoon sun for 15 minutes until Lesley turned up to carry us home. So Sandra has completed 120.7 miles whilst the rest of us have a little catching up to do.