- Kew Gardens to Richmond Park walk, London<\/a><\/li>
- Finsbury Park to Stoke Newington walk, London<\/a><\/li>
- Sydenham Hill Wood walk, London<\/a><\/li>
- Bushy Park walk, London<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
The walk begins in Finsbury Park\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure> Parkland Walk<\/h2>
Parkland Walk southern section:\u00a02.5 miles miles \/ 4km | 1.5 hours | easy <\/em><\/p>
Parkland Walk whole route: 4.9 miles \/ 8km | 3.5 hours | moderate<\/em><\/p>
1. Start<\/h3>
From Finsbury Park Tube station, cross the road at the lights, turn left on Stroud Green Road, then bear right along the walkway just before the railway bridge, following Capital Ring link waymarkers into the great green expanse of the park \u2013 a wonderfully expansive alfresco playground for North Londoners since 1869. Keep going straight until you reach a T-junction with the main\u00a0Capital Ring<\/a>\u00a0trail, and then turn left. Exit Finsbury Park across a footbridge over train tracks.\u00a0<\/p>
2. Parkland Walk<\/h3>
Immediately turn right and set off along the Parkland Walk proper, following a dismantled railway line upon which, from the late 1860s until 1970, trains puffed through London\u2019s \u2018Northern Heights\u2019. The noisy locomotives are long gone and the route has been transformed into a peaceful path popular with walkers, runners and cyclists. <\/p>
An oasis for local humans seeking to escape concrete, crowds and traffic, this elongated nature reserve is also home to all kinds of wildlife \u2013 from foxes<\/a> and muntjac deer to myriad species of butterflies<\/a>, birds<\/a> and bats<\/a> \u2013 and it provides a vital vehicle-free corridor for vulnerable nocturnal wanderers such as hedgehogs<\/a>.<\/p>
![\"Parkland](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/11\/Parkland-Walk-scaled.jpg?fit=1024,1024\")
Parkland Walk following the course of the old railway through Crouch End\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure> 3. Stapleton Bridge Road<\/h3>
Stroll along the wide, unsealed path, which crosses the occasional road bridge but otherwise passes through a tunnel of trees with suburbia largely unseen on either side. Information boards provide details about local flora and fauna, explaining that over 60 species of bird inhabit this secret stretch of semi-wilderness, including finches<\/a>, goldcrests, redpolls, jays<\/a>, spotted woodpeckers<\/a>, nuthatches and even the occasional kestrel. Keep going, across Stapleton Bridge Road and through more trees that shade an acid grassland habitat.<\/p>
![\"Great](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/02\/Great-spotted-woodpecker-e8ac48f.jpg\")
Great spotted woodpecker among the woods\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure> 4. Crouch End Hill<\/h3>
Walk beneath two bridges, the sides of which are kaleidoscopically coloured with urban artwork. Pass a fingerpost pointing to Crouch Hill, but continue straight ahead towards Highgate (1 mile). Ignore a path rising to the left, and continue through the slightly surreal surrounds of an abandoned railway station \u2013 Crouch End Hill \u2013 complete with long-deserted platforms, which now stand incongruously on either side of the reclaimed track.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>
See if you can spot a man-sized figure emerging from one of the brick arches around here; this mythical creature is called a Spriggan, and it is rumoured to haunt this section of the path. The sculpture was created by artist Marilyn Collins, but the story behind it is thought to have inspired a Stephen King short story called\u00a0Crouch End<\/em>.<\/p>
- Great city walks in Britain<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
5. Stanhope Road<\/h3>
After you go under a bridge, the track rises slightly and becomes more densely wooded, with trees including cherry laurel, holm oak and holly, all festooned with ivy. Cross a bridge over Stanhope Road, and pass a garden on the right, by a couple of old fashioned street lamps, where\u00a0Friends of the Parkland Walk<\/a>\u00a0have created a small woodland trail, complete with insect lodges, bug hotels, hedgehog houses, bat boxes, bird feeders and a frog pond, along with informative signage.<\/p>
6. Boogaloo<\/h3>
As you approach Highgate, the old railway track trundles into the gloom of a long-ago blocked-off tunnel, while the Parkland Walk lurches left and emerges on Archway Road, near the brilliant Boogaloo, a legendary pub.\u00a0You can bail here and head to Highgate tube station.<\/p>
![\"Alexandra](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/11\/Alexandra-Palace-scaled.jpg\")
Front view of Alexandra Palace from Alexandra Park in the springtime\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure> Optional: northern half of the Parkland Walk <\/h3>
If you want to do the second, northern half of the Parkland Walk, follow Capital Ring waymarkers right along Shepherds Hill and then through Queen\u2019s Wood and Highgate Wood \u2013 two surviving remnants of an ancient woodland that once cloaked the entirety of London, and much of the country beyond \u2013 to Cranley Gardens. Here signage gets you back on track, to follow the old railway line around the flanks of Muswell Hill and up to Alexandra Palace, where you can enjoy views right across the capital.\u00a0<\/p>
Parkland Walk map<\/h2>
Parkland Walk – southern section (2.5 miles)<\/h3>
Parkland Walk route and map<\/a><\/p>
![\"Parkland](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/11\/Parkland-Walk-map.png\")
Parkland Walk – southern section\/Credit: OS Maps<\/figcaption><\/figure> Parkland Walk – whole route (5 miles)<\/h3>
Parkland Walk route and map<\/a><\/p>
![\"Parkland](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/11\/Parkland-Walk-map-1.png?fit=1024,1024\")
<\/a>Parkland walk – whole route\/Credit: OS Maps<\/figcaption><\/figure> Useful information<\/h3>
Starting point<\/h4>
Start from Finsbury Park underground station (tube), which is on the Piccadilly and Victoria lines.\u00a0<\/p>
Finish point<\/h4>
The southern section of the Parkland Walk described here finishes near Highgate underground station, which is on the Northern Line (High Barnet branch). If you continue and complete the northern section, you will finish near Alexandra Palace overground train station.<\/p>
Terrain<\/h4>
The path is a mixture of sealed and unsealed surfaces, but the dirt and gravel sections are hardpacked and easy to walk on. It is all wheelchair and pushchair friendly.<\/p>
Map<\/h4>
OS Explorer 173 London North<\/p>
Eat\/drink\/stay<\/h4>
Merro\u00a0(instagram.com\/merrocafe<\/a>) is an excellent Crouch End caf\u00e9 just beside the Parkland Walk, accessible from the abandoned platforms at old Crouch End Hill station (point 4).<\/p>
The Boogaloo\u00a0(theboogaloo.co.uk<\/a>) is a legendary pub located at the end of the southern section of the Parkland Walk, which offers lots of ales, hearty food and regular live music sessions.<\/p>
The Roseview Alexandra Palace Hotel\u00a0(roseviewhotel.co.uk<\/a>) offers boutique accommodation in Muswell Hill, between the southern and northern sections of the Parkland Walk<\/p>
Need new walking kit? Check out our guides to the\u00a0best walking boots<\/a>,\u00a0best walking shoes<\/a>,\u00a0best walking trousers<\/a>,\u00a0best walking socks<\/a>,\u00a0best walking sandals<\/a>\u00a0– and lots more.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n
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- Finsbury Park to Stoke Newington walk, London<\/a><\/li>