Begin by leaving the car park and turning right along the lane, passing a tiny church. Turn left along the lane signposted to Bush End and, where it bears right, turn left over a stile and take the path ahead across a field. Climb a stile on the far side, walk along the left-hand edge of a field to a T-junction and turn left onto a track, which bends right to continue along the right-hand edge of a field.

Where the track turns left, keep ahead along a path to continue by field edges. As you cross to the final field swap from walking by the right-hand edge to the left-hand edge to reach a hedge gap on to a straight, tree-lined path. This is the Flitch Way, a footpath and cycle way created from the former Braintree to Bishop Stortford Railway.

After crossing a bridge over a lane, the path continues along the right-hand edge of Hatfield Forest. Ignore gates turning off into the forest and continue until you reach a Forest Way post. Turn left over a stile, and join the Forest Way entering Hatfield Forest Country Park.

Keep ahead to eventually emerge into a large open area and bear left across it to meet a stony track. Turn left along this curving track to a T-junction and turn right along a tarmac drive to a car park and National Trust information board by a junction of tracks and paths. Turn left through a gate and take the path that passes in front of the cafe and Shell House. The latter, an 18th-century picnic room, is so called because it is decorated with shells and flints.

Bear left to continue across the end of the lake and, immediately on entering woodland, turn right through trees to a stile. Climb it, keep ahead past some impressive ancient trees and bear left to a T-junction. Turn right, climb a stile to emerge from the woodland and keep ahead to climb another stile on to a lane. Turn left to return to the starting point.

Photographs courtesy of Alan Webster