Autumn woods of a young Queen (14 miles)

17 November 1558 heralded the dawn of the Elizabethan Age.

Elizabeth had returned to Hatfield Palace, her childhood home, in 1555. Following liaison with Philip II of Spain in 1558, Elizabeth knew that rule would pass to her, which her half-sister Mary recognized on 6 November.

Outside the walls of Hatfield House, Old Hatfield has half-timbered 16th-C houses dating back to Elizabeth's time, as well as later Georgian . The Eight Bells Inn looks as it did in the 17th-C, and gets a mention in Oliver Twist.

Beyond and before the village, the walk will lead through and link as many of the nearby woods as may remain. Elizabeth herself was sitting beneath an oak when news reached her that she was Queen.

TRAVEL: Take the 9.57 train from London King's Cross to WELWYN GARDEN CITY. Walk starts 10.30 AM from Welwyn Garden City station. Walk ends at HATFIELD. The organiser will meet people at Welwyn Garden City. Buy an off peak day return to WELWYN GARDEN CITY only £7.35 with Groupsave or a Network card.

Bring a packed lunch. Pub stop for drinks.

How to join?

• The walk is entirely free of charge;
• You only arrange for your own travel and pub expenses;
• Understand our terms and conditions below (the "IMPORTANT" part);
• Understand how to stay safe outdoors, as you will be responsible for yourself. See our quick safety tips:
  https://4142298.xyz/Free-Outdoor-Trips-From-London/about/

Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section!

IMPORTANT
Please bear in mind this is a free of charge, self-guided trip with a hobby group. It is not organized by a business nor any entity with commercial purposes.
Any trip details, travel advice, route planning, instructions and other content in our group merely represent our shared personal knowledge, research and suggestions as outdoor enthusiasts. As this is no business, there is no "product", "service" or "package" and also no "tour guide", "operator" or "walk leader".
Each participant is responsible for their own safety. Even if some of us are very experienced walking outdoors, nobody assumes responsibility for any kind of injury, damage or loss that may happen.
Despite this, we take extreme precautions and all trips we plan are very safe, fun, highly educational and popular. Our experienced members volunteer their time and effort to shape a pleasant and quality adventure for everyone :-)
By participating you acknowledge and agree with this disclaimer.

Here are our tips on staying safe during outdoor trips:
https://4142298.xyz/Free-Outdoor-Trips-From-London/about/

TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATION, INSURANCE
Although we provide detailed suggestions, each participant is expected to arrange their own travel and (if required) accommodation - this gives everyone the freedom and choice to join from wherever they want and stay wherever they want. Anyone interested in travel or outdoor insurance should also arrange this on their own. As mentioned above we always take extreme precautions, but some people may still feel safer if covered.
We advise not to buy tickets until the day. People getting tickets from the same station are encouraged to meet early on the day to benefit from discounts such as GroupSave.

Any questions, feel free to ask below or send a private message!