Take a walk for wellbeing

On Thursday 5 March, it’s University Mental Health Day. We know there is a lot of pressure on students, academically, socially and financially, and these can create difficulties with mental health and wellbeing. We want to bring together the University community to make mental health a priority. It is really important that while you’re at university you take care of yourself. Your wellbeing is what matters the most.

This month it’s also national ‘Take a walk in the park day’ so we’re encouraging you to get out and get some fresh air. Going for a walk is the perfect way to take a break from your work and clear your head. Even a 10-minute walk has amazing mental health benefits, as it will give you time to de-stress and re-energise. Read on to discover what walks there are around the area.

Walks on campus 

Guided sculpture walks with UHArts

The University of Hertfordshire Art Collection features 500 artworks displayed across the campuses. Hosted by UHArts this walk introduces 13 outdoor sculptures. The Collection was established in 1952 and today sculptures, paintings, prints, photographs, drawings, textiles and ceramics are introduced into the public spaces where people study, work and visit. Admission is free. The shorter walk takes 20 mins and the longer walk takes an hour.

This walk encourages you to leave your desk to take a new walk around the campus, paying attention to objects that you may have passed by. We hope you will enjoy the range of different sculptures and the new responses they may trigger.

This walk takes place every first Thursday of the month from 13:00-14:00.
For more information and a map of the walk click here.

Hatfield Heritage Trail

The Hatfield Heritage Trail consists of ten boards placed around Hatfield starting outside the University of Hertfordshire. Each board is in a relevant location and provides information on Hatfield’s remarkable history.

The trail is around 4km long and takes around 90 minutes, a shorter version is around 3km and takes around 60 minutes. The first board and start of the trail is located outside the University of Hertfordshire’s de Havilland Campus.
A leaflet with a map of the route is available at the reception.
Find out more here.

Walks off campus

Health walks 

Enjoy the countryside around Welwyn Hatfield with the FREE Hertfordshire Health Walks led by qualified volunteer leaders.

There are various walks going on during the week and all walks are FREE with no booking required. Just turn up 10-15 minutes before your first walk to complete a new walker form. Walks are graded between 20-30 minutes (First Steps) and 90 minutes (Grade 4).

You can see the timetable of walks for January to April 2020 here.
For more information call 01992 588433, email healthwalks.cms@hertfordshire.gov.uk
or visit www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/healthwalks

Old Hatfield Trail 

The old Hatfield Trail will show you the history of Hatfield which is traced back over a thousand years!
Take part in this walk and find out more about the history of Hatfield.

For more information and a map of the walk, including information of each point of interest, click here.

Hatfield forest trails

Hatfield forest is a great place to enjoy some beautiful walks. There are a range of trails, some longer, some shorter, whichever you would prefer. There is also a forest café at the end of the trails so you can treat yourself to a coffee and a cake!

Read more about the different walks you can take around Hatfield forest here.

Stanborough Lakes/Park

The short walk around Stanborough Lakes is a great way to spend a couple of hours and there are some beautiful views along the way. There is also an information centre, a café and a restaurant along the way in case you want a break. The walk is 2 miles long (3.3 kilometres) and will take about an hour.

For more information and a route map click here.

Hatfield House

Hatfield House is the centre of a large agricultural estate with extensive parkland. There are three walks of varying lengths marked in the Park:

The Green Walk – 1.1 miles/ 1.8 kilometres/ 30 minutes
The Blue Walk – 2 miles/ 3.2 kilometres/ 50 minutes
The Red Walk – 3.2 miles/ 5.2 kilometres/ 90 minutes

Follow the arrows to navigate through the different walks. Find out more information on Hatfield House and the Woodland walks here.

Walking between campus’

You can easily walk between College lane and de Havilland campus. The Campus’ are less than 1km apart and linked by pathways and cycle routes. It only takes about 15 minutes to walk! So, why not walk between campus’ and get some fresh air!

For a map of how to walk between each campus, click here.