Hemel to Berko Grand Union Canal Pub Crawl (5 miles / 8km - Leisurely, Booking Required)

This walk is for up to 30 people, including the leader. 

Join us for a pub crawl (hopefully with some walking too!) along the Grand Union Canal, from The Paper Mill in Apsley to The Crystal Palace outside Berkhamsted station. The 5.2 mile route will incorporate 5 pubs and one cafe (alcohol served). The plan is to buy lunch at the cafe, so please do not eat your own lunch here if you do not plan to buy food here. 

Please note this is a linear walk from Apsley to Berkhamsted; at the end of the walk there is the option to either take a train back to Apsley from Berkhamsted station (a few hundred yards from The Crystal Palace pub; trains depart on the hour and half-hour), or walk back to the start along the same route. There is also the option to park at Berkhamsted station in the morning and take a train to Apsley station to begin the walk.

We'll be walking along a mixture of gravel and unpaved paths alongside the Canal. The paths are relatively flat, with some uneven areas. Walking shoes or walking trainers are recommended. 

The venues on the itinerary in order from start to finish are: 

The Paper Mill (Apsley) - Our first pub before heading off, with beautiful views across the Apsley Marina. 

Fishery Wharf Cafe (Boxmoor) - A secluded outdoor cafe, we will stop here for lunch. 

The Three Horseshoes (Winkwell) - a 16th century pub next to a swing bridge that allows passing canal traffic to pass. 

The Rising Sun (Berkhamsted) - Built in 1938, this is the last pub on the Rockingham Estate. 

The Boat (Berkhamsted) - This pub has a cosy waterside terrace perfect for watching barges pass by. 

The Crystal Palace (Berkhamsted) - Our final pub dates to the 18th century and was an old beerhouse before being rebuilt in the 1850s. 

In between stops, we will get to see a variety of semi-aquatic wildlife which may include ducks, swans, moorhens and herons; Apsley's Frogmore Paper Mill, the oldest mechanical paper mill in the world; and in Winkwell, we'll see Westbrook Mere, a reservoir and barge repair centre and fuel station.

Dogs are welcome on a lead.

For information about walking with the group, including our dog policy, please visit the Stag Walkers website.

Booking your place: Please book your place using the free Meetup website/app. Join the Stag Walkers Meetup group and click the 'Attend' button on the event page.

Please do not turn up for a walk without booking, as places are limited.

If the walk is fully booked, please click 'join waitlist' then please check back regularly as you will likely get a place. The waitlist gives priority to single bookings so if you wish to bring a guest, we recommend booking separately.

Unless you opt in to further communications, we will only use contact information you provide to get in touch about the walk.