We would usually have a rest day today, but work commitments mean that we have to return home for two days midweek, so there are no non-walking days until then. Staying in an apartment in Royston, however, means that we can spread out a bit more and do a proper load of washing, even if we can't get it completely dry. The disadvantage is no cooked breakfast, though we purchased some provisions at the excellent Royston Food Centre convenience store last night to provide cereal, bread and liquid sour cherry jam as sustenance.
After this, we leave the history and caves (not visited) of Royston, aiming to reach Baldock in time for a late lunch. We climb up the road and turn left into Therfield Heath and Royston Golf Club. Golf has been played here since at least 1624, having been brought south by Mary Queen of Scots, James I's mother. The course running along a chalk escarpment reminds me of the downland courses in Surrey I walked through as a child.
Therfield Heath has several ancient tumuli and barrows and is also a site of special scientific interest (SSSI). As we climb the hill, a hobby flies out above us, a rare raptor but evidently an increasingly common sight in this area.
The Icknield Way continues to climb up to the village of Therfield itself, at over 150m, our highest point so far. There is a primary trig point under a nearby water tower at 168m, but Rich has already bagsed this one so no detour is necessary. We pass an alleged motte and bailey castle as we leave Therfield, but all we can see are green mounds and abandoned farm machinery.
We head towards the village of Kelshall and the Icknield Way joins the Hertfordshire Way, a circular path of 195 miles around the county, developed to commemorate 60 years of the Ramblers' Association in 1995, officially opening in 1996. There is profuse footpath signage here as the county council has numbered all the paths and produced a route map to encourage outdoor exercise. It is commendable that the footpaths have been recorded and preserved, but the effect is confusing and an online footpath search is not illuminating. Hopefully if you live here, it makes more sense.
We move on to Sandon village which has an unusual church on top of the hill. The tower is squat and shored up on all sides, with an additional building spliced on at the other end, resulting in a rather malproportioned structure. The oak-framed lych gate leading to it however, is exquisite.
We soon stop for a break and I doze in the sunshine. There's still a fair way to go before Baldock. As we go on, we see a pair of hares in a field and then walk alongside a deer fence on the Sandon Estate. We haven't seen one of these since the HoCWalk in Scotland. It's strange that this area is so rural, only 20 miles or so from London.
We come down through Watlington and catch sight of Baldock. Rather alarmingly, the route seems to go round the town! We are, in fact, on the course of an old Roman road, although we almost loose our bearings and have to yomp across a wheat field to get back on track. We take a bridge over the A505 and walk into Baldock, past a large Tesco that Rich tells me used to be a stocking factory. The art deco building 'a facade was inspired by Howard Carter's explorations in Egypt. It was originally constructed for the Kosmos film processing company but they became insolvent before it was completed and it was bought by the Full Fashion Hosiery Company. We stop for lunch at the Luna Cafe, which was stupendous (and has exciting loo decor).
We leave lovely Baldock and take a bridge over the A1(M) to reach Letchworth Garden City, home of the UK's first roundabout. We pass over the railway and through an industrial estate on the inappropriately named Garden City Greenway. The estate is a mix of early 20th century and modern industrial architecture, but all the buildings appear to be in use, which is good news.
The Icknield Way is now a main road running through the outskirts of the town. We pass houses with green plaques marking the centenary of the 1905 exhibition. Letchworth was the first garden city, started in 1903 following the principles of Ebenezer Howard who believed that people and the countryside should coexist harmoniously. Howard himself eventually lived and died in Welwyn Garden City, the second garden city. At the time and since, Letchworth has been criticised for being too spacious and its architecture not being impressive enough. I think that was the point and it certainly looks like a pleasant place to live.
We leave Letchworth and go back into the countryside, still following the original line of the Icknield Way. Eventually, we cross the main North Eastern railway line via a bridge that is irritatingly high to accommodate the overhead power lines. We wearily clamber back down and cross the River Hiz that ultimately flows into the Great Ouse.
There are a lot of houses on the way into town as Hitchin is now primarily a dormer town for the capital. In keeping with this, there are the usual Victorian aspirational street names, such as York Road, Lancaster Road and Strathmore Road with similar architecture to outer London boroughs. We arrive at the town centre and check in to the Premier Inn, our stop for the night.
Total distance: 114 miles