Protect the Barleywolds, Access and Contact us

Why this website

This website was created as a guide to the Barleywolds for those who want to explore the area. 

The Barleywolds overlaps with the Hundred Parishes area that has an excellent  society and website, which we have linked to for some village and walk descriptions.

This website is entirely non-commercial, with no sponsorship or agenda. 

However, one motivation for creating a Barleywolds website was to point out the special character of the area, so that it may potentially be protected from further development. 

There is increasing pressure to build more houses, windmills and golf courses, and for farms to become more intensive, removing hedgerows, meadows and woodland, and polluting chalk streams.

Stevenage, Bishop's Stortford, Royston, Baldock, Buntingford and other towns are expanding into the Barleywolds. 

All of this is a threat to the character and wildlife of the area. 

One potential means to protect the Barleywolds would be to give it National Landscape (AONB) status, for example by extending the Chilterns National Landscape to cover the area. Or to extend the Green Belt over the Barleywolds. Another approach would be to increase the number of Nature Reserves and SSSIs in the area.

This would: protect the area from development for residents, extend the wildlife corridor for animals and plants, and provide accessible amenity to people in south-east England. 

We need to protect the Barleywolds now, before it is too late.

How to visit the Barleywolds

The Barleywolds can be accessed by car, train, bike, bus or foot. Access by train and foot only is limited. Bus access is possible, but infrequent. Access by car or train plus bike is most practical. Go to Google Maps, click on Directions, and enter your desired destination to find travel options.

By train: on the Kings Cross London to Cambridge train, get out at Baldock, Ashwell & Morden or Royston station. On the Liverpool Street London to Cambridge train get out at Stansted Mountfitchet, Elsenham or Audley End. This train journey should take about 60 mins.

By car: from the north side of the M25, take the A1M to Stevenage or Baldock, or take the A10 to Buntingford, or take the M11 to Bishop's Stortford. This should take about 30 min in each case.

By bike: to cycle from Hackney in London to Buntingford via the Lee Valley would take 3 hours non-stop, so you would need to take a train at least one way. To cycle from Cambridge to Chrishall would take 1 hour 15 mins, so possible to make a round trip, or take train back.

By bus: much of the rural area is served by bus routes, although most are infrequent. Bus information is also available from: https://www.intalink.org.uk/plan-your-journey . 

In the map below, the blue/grey area is the Barleywolds, and the blue icons are nearby train stations from which the area can be accessed by foot or bike. The Barleywolds is excellent biking and walking country, and has a dense network of footpaths. Access by train and foot only is limited. Bus access is possible, but infrequent. Access by car or train plus bike is most practical. Click the + or - icon at bottom left of map to change scale and explore map.

The Barleywolds: What’s in the name?

This Barleywolds is defined by its: i) landscape: an area of low chalk hills (100-180 m altitude), and  ii) society: arable farms, ancient villages, low population density, no modern development, rich history.

The area has no current or historical name, so we have given it the name: Barleywolds. But why this name? There are several reasons:

1. ‘Wolds’ because it is an area of gently-rolling hills (c.f. Cotswolds and Yorkshire wolds).

2. ‘Barley’ because most of the area is arable farmland. Barley is grown all over the area, and although wheat is more common now, barley was the most common crop during the 17-19th century, when it was grown for beer. 

3. Barley and Barleycroft End are typical villages of the area, and old villages are one of the three defining features of the Barleywolds: gently-rolling chalk hills, arable farmland and old  villages.