Introductory Walk: Hitchin HOOP #1 & Wymondley Wood (5 miles / 8km- Leisurely, Booking Required)

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

Join us for the first in a series of short walks along the HOOP!

Today’s walk of 5 miles / 8km will cover the southeast of the HOOP (Hitchin Outer Orbital Path), a waymarked route around the edge of Hitchin and through the surrounding countryside, which has its 15th anniversary this year. For those who are new to country walking or might prefer short routes, we’ve split the HOOP into four leisurely walks of around 5 to 7 miles. Each of these walks starts near Hitchin town centre and includes a variety of green space around the town and nearby.

If you're new to Stag Walkers and want a taster of our group walks then this route might be especially suitable for you. Existing members are of course welcome too.

Along the route we’ll visit Purwell Meadows and Purwell Ninesprings Nature Reserves, Pinehill Playing Field and Windmill Hill (as seen in the ’bench’ idents shown between programmes on BBC One). We’ll also take a detour to Wymondley Wood, a mixed woodland with a picnic area where we’ll pause for a mid-morning snack.

The walk will finish at around 1pm with the chance of an optional social drink at a nearby pub.

The route is partly on pavement and partly on rural footpaths. Footpaths are likely to be muddy at this time of year so please wear appropriate footwear.

For more information about the HOOP please see https://nhrg.org.uk/hoop-hitchin-outer-orbital-path

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, click 'join waitlist' to get a place if one becomes available and please check back regularly in case you do 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.