I was surprised to see that 14 people had joined me for my walk on such a windy, chilly and wet day.  We started the walk from St Margarets in Hertfordshire (County of Opportunity) and headed uphill, then following the path through fields and up a pasture before reaching the A10 roundabout.  We then entered the grounds of Haileybury College – opened in 1809 – where Stephen used to go to school.  He told us how he used to climb down the drainpipe to go and have a drink at The Goat Pub.  Stuart also went to Haileybury College but in Melbourne. After this reminiscing, we made our way towards Hertford Heath walking along the scrubby heathlands of the Roundings.  We followed Roman Ermine Street (which ran from London to Lincoln and was extended to York) for a while, no longer straight and not a Roman in sight but we saw an elephant in a field. We arrived at The Goat pub, looking forward to a hot meal but, because of the Christmas Fair on the green which was starting at 13.00 and would be selling food, there was no food in the pub.  While some Polyramblers ate their picnic in the cold, others had a drink and a packet of crisps in the pub.  When we left, the stallholders were fighting the wind to keep their marquis from flying away and there was no food in sight.  We continued our walk valiantly through the autumn colours of Golding’s Wood, walking under the A10 and through more woodland before arriving in Great Amwell.  We went down to the Myddelton Monument urn island and followed the New River – passing Amwell Marsh Pumping Station – back to St Margarets.

Dominique.  Photos by Ida and Stuart