History.....

Copy talking about the history and wildlife...

The Walk - 3 3/4 miles of easy walking

Starting at the village hall.

A map of the circular walks can be seen at the entrance to the village hall.

Leaving the car park, head for the zebra crossing, cross and Turn Right.

Pass Cluny Way development on your left. At the end of Co-op Terrace, just past the entrance of Lynton Avenue on your right.

Turn Left at the finger post to pass between the two cottages and walk straight on to the railway.

Pass over the unmanned pedestrian level crossing - take great care crossing the line (trains in excess of 100 mph pass here).

Once over, you are in the Mill Pits meadows (cattle may be grazing in these meadows).

Head for the waymarker straight ahead to cross the bridge over the ditch, bear slightly to your left to the 1bridge on
the River Hiz. This is the site of one of the three mills in Arlesey, listed in the Doomsday Book of 1086. The remains of the millrace can be seen in the water.

Cross the bridge and head for the kissing gate in the hedge.

Continue straight ahead until the track turns left (approximately 1/4 mile). Do not turn left (see the waymark by the hedge on your left) but keep straight on the path between two fields to a bridge over a ditch. Do not cross the bridge but Turn Left towards Oldfield Farm.

With the ditch on your right continue towards the farm.

At the end of the ditch, do not enter the farmyard but keep it on your right and Turn Left at the second waymark post onto a broad track.

Optional shorcut - Follow the broad track for 300yds and fork right onto the path at the waymark post heading to Arlesey Common and the River Hiz, where you rejoin the main route.

Main route

On the broad track, after 20yds, Turn Right at the waymark post to pass under a row of sycamore trees on your right, the farmyard beyond.

At the end of the row, turn Right then almost immediately Left to continue due south, down a broad path leaving the farm behind.

At the ditch, do not cross, turn Left and follow the field edge for half a mile to a kissing gate to enter Arlesey Common (cattle may be grazing).

Ahead and slightly to the right is the site of the former brickworks. Site of Bearts Patent Brickworks (twenty one holed yellow gault bricks - Arlesey Whites) in 1852. Became the London brickworks in 1928 under the trademark 'Phorpress'. They latterly made land drainage pipes and hollow building blocks.

Head for the bridge over the River Hiz.

Cross and Turn Left following the river to a kissing gate. Cross the ditch known as Earwig ditch and follow the path to the end of Mill Lane. Known locally as Earwig ditch, a corruption of Errywig Ditch which was also in turn a corruption of Harry Wig's Ditch.

Pass through the kissing gate and follow the riverside path to another kissing gate where you enter the Mill Pits
meadows.

At the river bridge, do not cross but head diagonally to your right and cross the bridge over the ditch heading for the gate in the railway boundary.

Pass through onto the unmanned level crossing - take great care crossing the line (trains in excess of 100 mph pass
here).

Follow the path to enter the High Street by passing between the houses.

Turn Right to return to your starting point.

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If you wish to obtain the leaflet for this walk you can pick one up from local tourist information offices or download the file which is in Adobe Acrobat format.

If you wish to take a group on any of the walks and wish to have more details use our information for groups form.

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Please respect the needs of wildlife and other visitors by keeping dogs on a lead and under close control. Note that cattle may be grazing in some areas.