I tinkered with CyOrb in November 2020, by adding a new Spinoff 11 Loop to link to NCN 6 at Leighton Buzzard, greatly extending the original short 4 mile spin-off to Luton Airport Parkway. That exposed another underserved area the other side of '12 o'clock' - the fine countryside of NE Herts. Spinoff 1* restores symmetry, but also links to NCN11 for Cambridge and NCN16 to Braintree - both important and excellent largely offroad routes.
Then in April 2026, having enjoyed this new spin-off a few times (especially for its bluebells at Much Hadham), and after having added in intervening years three spin-off Loops - Twyford-Henley, Chiltern and 11 Loop - I investigated returning to Hertford via Roman Ermine Street, and then adding a Spin-off 1 Link from Hertford to Harlow incorporating the Henry Moore Garden. The loop return of 10 miles to meet the new link at Wadebridge adds more delightful villages and two fine small towns - Braughing and Puckeridge - to Cy Orb's Hertfordshire experience, and is described at the foot. This combination route thus comprise a 20 mile spin-off and a 30 mile loop return that shares the first 14 miles and the final 6 miles: 36 miles in total.
Spin-off 1. To my great surprise two fine offroad sections lay waiting to be discovered on this ride - including a rail trackbed not mapped as byway or permissive path, but welcoming of cyclists.
From Hertford North take the offroad option to the junction 0.5; straight on for town centre and Arc 1, L up Port Hill then R through iron gates and onto a shared use footpath (care and courtesy) climbing Hartham Bank park to 1.3 Bengeo's charming Norman church. Descend back to the Lee Navigation, past the atmospheric remains of 1.9 Ware Park's water mill complex. Over the water lies Arc 1 as it passes 2.1 the abstraction point for the New River; this route climbs up to pass over the A10 Ware bypass and enter the town via Glaxo Smith Kline's research facilities.
Take the B1004 3.8 to climb out of Ware up over a bluff above the River Ash (panorama!), then down to the valley, where at 5.3 R into Easneye Farms the trackbed of the old Ware to Buntingford branch line ("The Bunt") awaits. This is not a public route but is open and welcoming at both ends, if a little rough in the first section. Enjoy (respectfully) I say!
Rejoin the road 7.1. The rail line continues towards Hadham, and mapping suggested it was cycleable on bridleways, but the recce confirmed otherwise; you must climb out of the valley through 8.1 Widford, but on descent 8.7 there's a second section of fine offroad route in woodland on the margins of the Ash valley. Above the valley at this point and a short detour to Perry Green, is the Henry Moore Studios and Gardens, open April to October. This is where there is an exceptional bank of bluebells in spring.
Rejoining the road 10 and pass into Much Hadham via a ford (fun!). The back road takes you past 10.9 the fine church, but bypasses the main street with its wealth of attractive housing - sadly part obscured by parked cars. The rest of the route is on increasingly quiet minor roads through pleasant farmland, with occasional pargetted or half-timbered and thatched farmhouses.
Four junction points to note: at 13.2 Little Hadham R for Bishop's Stortford (with some cycling protection from traffic on the A120); then at 14 and the R turn East for Stansted, continue straight for Spin-off 1 Loop, described below. Thirdly before Stansted Mountfitchet at the very sharp RH turn 18.4, L to pick up NCN 11 to Cambridge, and finally 18.9 B1383 Pines Hill R for Birchanger and NCN 16. Once past Stansted Airport this route picks up a rail trackbed - the Flitch Way - via Great Dunmow to the rail terminus at Braintree.
The spinoff destination here however is L for Stansted Mountfitchet, with the final reward of passing 19.3 an excellent windmill before taking a train back to the metrop.
The return loop section to Spin-off 1 Link is described anticlockwise from the R junction 14. Continuing north to Clapgate, 14.7 L to Albury, a small village clustered about a charming church, straight on 15.5 via a short but deteriorating bridleway to the water tower 16 where a lane is regained descending to Braughing - equally charming, but of town status. At 18.4 a B road leads to Puckeridge, and Roman territory. Indeed, the Roman town site near the old station 18.7 is at a major road junction where Stane Street from Colchester (Camulodunum-Verulamium) used to cross Ermine Street (Londinium to Lincoln-Lindum).
We turn back towards Londinium. The modern A10 (and A 120) takes care of through traffic, and after Puckeridge 20 a cycle underpass negotiates through to the old straight main road. This is understandably a bit dull, but the road broad and the miles pass by.
At Wadesmill 23.6 the return link is made, for the final section back to Hertford-Bengeo is on Spin-off 1 Link. This follows the River Rib and then detours off B158 25.4 to enjoy Chapmore End village, after which an area of reclaimed gravel quarries is best skirted to the north on off-road but stable-surfaced Gypsy Lane to Sacombe Road and L for the Bengeo suburbs for a final sharp descent back 36 to Herford North.
* The original is now Spinoff 1b, largely shadowing NCN1, and in any case in CyOrb terms largely a component of Spinoff 1-2-3, the Essex Outer Arc, Hoddesdon to Rainham.
