Parkland Walk In London – Complete Guide & Map

Looking for a breath of fresh air? Parkland Walk in London is the perfect spot for a rejuvenating nature stroll. Nearly 4 km (2.5 miles) long, this winding stretch of countryside walking and cycling path, set atop a disused railway line, serves as an urban oasis in the heart of North London. Parkland Walk offers a diverse range of plant and animal species, and views of London’s skyline. In this article, we’ll take a journey along the Parkland Walk, exploring its fascinating history, its stunning views, and the wildlife that inhabits this important green space. Whether you’re a nature enthusiast looking for some greenery in London or a cyclist on the hunt for an easy ride, Parkland Walk is an ideal spot for an outdoor escape.

Why the need to go far away when you can find nature at your doorstep? Let’s get on a journey on one of London’s most famous trails: Parkland Walk! Follow me for a detailed journey through an abandoned railway line.

Logistics of the Parkland Walk in London

Highlights of the Parkland Walk in London

Parkland Walk in London

So now we covered the basics, let’s get to the walk.

Finsbury Park

We start our walk at Finsbury Park Station. When you come out of the station, turn left onto Station Place. When you arrive at the crossroad with Stroud Green Road by the rail bridge, cross the road and take the alleyway in front of you, between the bridge and the cycle park. At the end of the alley, you arrive at Finsbury Park.

The park is situated on the grounds of what used to be a woodland area. The forest got smaller and smaller as trees were cut down to allow more space for animal grazing. In the mid-nineteenth century, locals in the Finsbury Area demanded the creation of a green space to stop the ever-growing urbanisation of London. Their demand was heard and by 1850 a park, then named Albert Park, was commissioned. It was renamed Finsbury Park in 1857 and opened to the public in 1869.

Nowadays, the park is composed of open grounds, avenues bordered by trees, a children’s playground, an exhibition centre and a cafe. Regarding the sports facilities, you find running tracks, football pitches, and tennis and basketball courts. But what makes Finsbury Park different from other London Parks, is that it has an American Football field and a softball and baseball diamond.

When you arrive at the end of the footpath, cross over the bridge on your left. The start of the trail is on your right after the bridge.

Parkland Walk

Parkland Walk is a 4km trail alongside an old rail track linking Finsbury Park to Highgate and then Highgate Wood to Alexandra Palace. In this article, we only focus on the first part of the walk.

History

Before the construction of the railway, Parkland Walk was located in the hilly side of London known as the Northern Heights, the steepest of the hills being Highgate Hill. Those hills were proven challenging for the railway builders in the mid-nineteenth century when the construction of the Finsbury Park to Edgware line was underway.

It opened on 22 August 1867 and the second part linking Highgate to Alexandra Palace followed 6 years later on time for the opening of the palace. Unfortunately, it burned down 2 weeks later and as a consequence, the branch closed.

In the 1930s, as plans were made to expand the Underground, the railway line was set to become part of the Northern line but the Second World War put a stop to it. After the war, the project never restarted.

In 1968, Finsbury Park’s underground station was upgraded with the opening of the Victoria Line, so the transport of commuters via the railway stopped. The rail tracks continued to be used to move stock until the operation ceased in 1970. At the end of the 1980s, the abandoned rail tracks were due to become a dual carriageway but were saved thanks to the campaign of the Friends of Parkland Walk.

Stroud Green to Crouch End

The trail starts in Stroud Green. Follow the path up on the hill, at the same level as the surrounding houses’ rooftops. You pass the first bridge, overlooking the gardens of the Victorian houses below and the London skyline in the background, before reaching the second bridge, colourfully painted with graffiti.

Between the bridges, you walk from tree tunnel to tree tunnel. Parkland Walk is made of acid grassland, which is rare in London. The soil is low in nutrients and high in acid, similar to the dry lowland of the New Forest or Dorset. It provides a habitat for wildflowers, insects and ants. As a protective measure, trees on the Parkland Walk need to be coppiced to avoid rotten fallen leaves to cause a buildup of nutrients in the soil and also to allow enough sunlight to reach the ground for wildlife to flourish.

As you get closer to Crouch End, the trail slowly goes downhill to fall below street level, the open views of the surrounding houses being replaced by brick walls and tall vegetation. You walk under the Crouch End Hill Bridge, decorated with graffiti on the outside and inside of the tunnel.

Crouch End to Highgate

As you walk past the second tunnel in Crouch End Hill, you find a children’s playground area with wooden structures on your left. A little bit further down the path, you walk under another colourfully decorated bridge.

You walk through a forested area where the path is bordered by tall trees. Most of the trees are homegrown with some exceptions introduced to the land. On your walk, you find sycamores, oaks and ash trees as well as some fruit trees and less expected laurels as a non-native species.

However, the trees were not always here. When the railway was in operation the Rail Company was mowing and cutting the grass to prevent the passing steam trains from starting a grass fire. The constant maintenance of the site did not allow for trees to grow. Only after the closure in 1970, trees, able to grow freely, colonised the land.

As you get closer to the end of the Parkland Walk trail, the path goes back up above street level. You cross a bridge above Stanhope Road before reaching the Wildlife Trail.

The Wildlife Trail

Push the gate and enter the Wildlife Trail. Since its creation, little human intervention has taken place on the trail to allow wildlife to grow and spread. However, in some areas, the growth of plants like nettle and thistle is being monitored to allow smaller plants to flourish.

The trail recorded 200 species of flowers and plants, home to diverse wildlife from caterpillars to butterflies as well as a pond, nesting larvas and amphibians.

Highgate

You reach the end of the Parkland Walk London, and you now need to make your way to Highgate Station. Walk up Homesldale Road until you reach Archway Road. In front of the Underground entrance, you find a church, well, more specifically or former church turned into an Art Centre called Jackson Lane.

The church opened in 1905 and closed in the early 1970s. A group of local residents campaigned to turn the unoccupied church into an art centre. They were victorious and Jackson Lane opened in 1975. However, a few years after the opening plans to extend Archway Road which included knocking down buildings such as the Jackson Lane Centre threatened the place’s future. A group of activists campaigned against the project and eventually succeeded. In the 1980s, the centre expanded with the opening of a theatre. In 2020, it undertook a significant renovation to comply with today’s safety and accessibility regulations.

It is now time to head down the alleyway leading to the tube station.

Happy discovery!

Map of the Parkland Walk in London

Do you want to do this walk? Download the GPS map for free by clicking on the download button below. Learn how to upload the map onto your navigation app by following my step-by-step guide here.

Final Thoughts on the Parkland Walk in London

In conclusion, London’s Parkland Walk is an oasis of nature within the city and an example of how urban areas can be revitalized by re-naturalizing their environment. As walkers meander through its tucked-away greenspaces, it is clear that a commitment to conservation can go a long way. By creating, expanding, and protecting green spaces like the Parkland Walk, we can ensure that urban environments remain livable and vibrant for generations to come.

And you, what is your favourite walk in London? Let me know in the comments below.

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