Previous section: Richmond to Horsenden Hill
Next section: Hackney Wick to North Woolwich
I had planned to reach the start of this next section of the Capital Ring by train to Clapham Junction then Overground to Willesden Junction, from which I could cycle along the Grand Union Canal towpath to Horsenden Hill where I left off last time. In order to avoid the time restrictions on trains during weekday rush hours I decided to do the ride on Saturday. But the planets never align and South Western Railway guards chose this weekend for one of their strike days, scuppering my journey to Clapham Junction. However, nothing phased, I drove and parked on a street in Greenford near my start point, setting off on my bike around 10am. Here is my gps-track map (in blue), along with the other sections I have ridden so far.
This turned out to be a very enjoyable and interesting ride on a beautiful late summer day, wall to wall sunshine, not too hot and with a gentle breeze. Paths were in excellent condition after our fabulous dry summer. The route passes through London's open spaces and parks, and one realises their value as a green lung to allow the manic city to breath: there were plenty of people out enjoying these spaces, indeed along the Parkland Walk the numbers of individuals, couples, families, joggers, buggies, graffiti artists, dogs and other cyclists made for slow progress, one of the drawbacks of doing this ride on a lovely Saturday.
Highlights included Harrow School, Freyent Country Park (with two excellent viewpoints), Welsh Harp Open Space, Dollis Valley Greenwalk, the Parkland Walk (disused railway from Highgate to Finsbury Park), new Woodberry development (includes new path along the (very old) New River), Stoke Newington - especially the Abney Park cemetery (less well known than Highgate Cemetery, but fascinating in its own way), Lea Navigation Towpath, and finally hipster Hackney, which I reached around 6pm, having done about 27 miles.
With time getting on, I decided to terminate my ride here, and took the London Overground from Hackney Wick back to Willesden Junction, and cycled back to the start via the Grand Union Canal towpath. (The London Overground is a very good way for cyclists to get around outer London.)
I encountered a couple of problems with cycling the route, which were minor within the big scheme of things:
Next section: Hackney Wick to North Woolwich
I had planned to reach the start of this next section of the Capital Ring by train to Clapham Junction then Overground to Willesden Junction, from which I could cycle along the Grand Union Canal towpath to Horsenden Hill where I left off last time. In order to avoid the time restrictions on trains during weekday rush hours I decided to do the ride on Saturday. But the planets never align and South Western Railway guards chose this weekend for one of their strike days, scuppering my journey to Clapham Junction. However, nothing phased, I drove and parked on a street in Greenford near my start point, setting off on my bike around 10am. Here is my gps-track map (in blue), along with the other sections I have ridden so far.
This turned out to be a very enjoyable and interesting ride on a beautiful late summer day, wall to wall sunshine, not too hot and with a gentle breeze. Paths were in excellent condition after our fabulous dry summer. The route passes through London's open spaces and parks, and one realises their value as a green lung to allow the manic city to breath: there were plenty of people out enjoying these spaces, indeed along the Parkland Walk the numbers of individuals, couples, families, joggers, buggies, graffiti artists, dogs and other cyclists made for slow progress, one of the drawbacks of doing this ride on a lovely Saturday.
Highlights included Harrow School, Freyent Country Park (with two excellent viewpoints), Welsh Harp Open Space, Dollis Valley Greenwalk, the Parkland Walk (disused railway from Highgate to Finsbury Park), new Woodberry development (includes new path along the (very old) New River), Stoke Newington - especially the Abney Park cemetery (less well known than Highgate Cemetery, but fascinating in its own way), Lea Navigation Towpath, and finally hipster Hackney, which I reached around 6pm, having done about 27 miles.
With time getting on, I decided to terminate my ride here, and took the London Overground from Hackney Wick back to Willesden Junction, and cycled back to the start via the Grand Union Canal towpath. (The London Overground is a very good way for cyclists to get around outer London.)
I encountered a couple of problems with cycling the route, which were minor within the big scheme of things:
- Highgate Wood and Queens Wood are No Cycling (Highgate Wood has kissing gates which are virtually impassable to cycles). Fair enough. I bypassed Highgate Wood following a path around the boundary fence to Muswell Hill Road, then headed down to Archway to reach the Parkland Walk, where responsible shared use is allowed
- In Finsbury Park I got a bit lost, eventually finding the correct exit via a gate in the northern fence across Green Lanes. The Capital Ring then follows a 'salient' formed by the New River: but the first leg of the riverside path is No Cycling and has kissing gates which are difficult to negotiate. Best to play by the rules and instead leave Finsbury Park via the Manor House exit and EITHER follow the officially signed shortcut straight down to Clissold Park; OR (more interesting if you want at least to glimpse the New River) head down Woodberry Down then curve back on the path beside the New River and West Reservoir: new apartment blocks are being developed here, and the path has been improved for shared use. Hopefully, in time, the preceding section of the New River path may also be 'improved' and opened to cycling, but at present building works make it inaccessible.
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| Harrow on the Hill |
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| Harrow School (for another great English Pubic School try my Eton ride) |
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| St Marys, Harrow on the Hill, a landmark from far around |
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| Road descending through Harrow School grounds |
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| View back to Harrow on the Hill from the School playing fields |
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| There is a low style at the exit from Harrow School playing fields |
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| The path skirting Northwick Hospital is called 'the Ducker path' after the school's now defunct open air swinning pool, the overgrown remains of which lie in the scrub to the right |
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| Ascending Barn Hill, the first 'summit' in Fryent Country Park (dry today, but would be muddy after rain) |
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| View back to Harrow on the Hill from Barn Hill |
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| Wembley Stadium arch from Barn Hill (it is glimpsed frequently on this part of the Ring) |
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| The pond at the top of Barn Hill |
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| The view from the second (unnamed) summit on the East side of the A4140 in Fryent Country Park |
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| Entering the Welsh Harp Open Space |
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| Welsh Harp reservoir |
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| Path in Welsh Harp Open Space |
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| Hawfinch House part of the new Hendon Waterside development, one of several 'regeneration projects' along this route criticised for displacing social housing |
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| At last, a dumped shopping trolley urban realism photo |
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| Dollis Valley Greenwalk, a good new path running parallel and close to the North Circular Road, and shared use for cycling along the stretch used by the Capital Ring |
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| St Jude's Church spire, seen across Lyttleton Playing Fields in Hampstead Garden Suburb |
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| The entrance to Highgate Wood. No cycle access, unfortunately |
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| Alternative path around the perimeter fence of Highgate Wood |
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| Disused station on the disused railway which is the Parkland Walk |
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| Graffiti on Parkland Walk |
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| Cafe in Finsbury Park |
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| On the New River at Woodberry Down. The New River was built in the seventeenth century to bring drinking water into the centre of London from the Lea Valley in Hertfordshire - a considerable feat of engineering for the time, maintaining a tiny gradient over the length of the waterway. |
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| The new shared use path beside the New River, part of the.... |
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| ...new Woodberry Down regeneration project, another development controversial for displacing social housing |
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| Old waterworks building seen over the New River and West Reservoir. The building is now a watersports centre. The East Reservoir has been turned into the Woodberry Wetland Nature Reserve |
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| Clissold House in Stoke Newington |
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| The great spire of St Mary, Stoke Newington |
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| The route passes through Abney Park Cemetery, Stoke Newington - quite a surprise, one of the 'Magnificent Seven' Victorian London Cemteries (the best known of which is probably Highgate) |
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| Springfield Park, through which the Capital Ring descends to the River Lea; the last of (I estimate) 16 public parks or open spaces traversed on this ride |
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| River Lea |
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| Excellent path beside the River Lea |
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| Hipster central: crowds enjoying the sunshine beside the river at the Olympic Park |
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| Very Hackney |
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| Hackney Wick London Overground Station from which I got the train back to Willesden Junction |
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| On board the Overground ('the Ginger Line') |
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| On the Grand Union Canal near Alperton |
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