The Parkland Walk is a linear green pedestrian and cycle route in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, which follows the course of the

railway line Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. The difference between the American term ''railroad'' and the international term ''railway'' (used by the International Union of Railways and English-speaking countries outside the United Sta ...

that used to run between

Finsbury Park Finsbury Park is a public park in the London neighbourhood of Harringay. It is in the area formerly covered by the historic parish of Hornsey, succeeded by the Municipal Borough of Hornsey. It was one of the first of the great London parks ...

and

Alexandra Palace Alexandra Palace is a Grade II listed entertainment and sports venue in London, situated between Wood Green and Muswell Hill in the London Borough of Haringey. It is built on the site of Tottenham Wood and the later Tottenham Wood Farm. Origi ...

, through

Stroud Green Stroud Green is a suburb and electoral ward in north London, England, in the London Borough of Haringey. On its south-western side, Stroud Green Road forms part of the boundary with the London Borough of Islington.See for example the catchment a ...

Crouch End Crouch End is an area of North London, approximately from the City of London in the western half of the borough of Haringey. It is within the Hornsey postal district (N8). It has been described by the BBC as one of "a new breed of urban vill ...

Highgate Highgate ( ) is a suburban area of north London at the northeastern corner of Hampstead Heath, north-northwest of Charing Cross. Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has two active conservation organisat ...

and

Muswell Hill Muswell Hill is a suburban district of the London Borough of Haringey, north London. The hill, which reaches over above sea level, is situated north of Charing Cross. Neighbouring areas include Highgate, Hampstead Garden Suburb, East Fi ...

. It is often mistakenly described as 4.5 miles long, but even taking in the gap between the two sections it still only totals 3.1 miles (5.0 km). The route follows the bridges and cuttings of the line, but avoids the closed surface section of Highgate station and its adjoining tunnels, which are closed to walkers for safety reasons. The walk is almost all in

Haringey The London Borough of Haringey (pronounced , same as Harringay) is a London borough in North London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner London, and by others as part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 by the amalgamation of ...

, but a short stretch between

Crouch Hill Crouch Hill is a street in north London, England, running between Crouch End and Stroud Green in the boroughs of Haringey and Islington. It is not to be confused with Crouch End Hill which runs between Crouch End and Hornsey Rise. (The two ro ...

and Crouch End Hill is in

Islington Islington () is a district in the north of Greater London, England, and part of the London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the ...

and this section incorporates Crouch Hill Park. The walk is a local nature reserve and a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. It was declared a local nature reserve in 1990 and is London's longest such reserve. Between Finsbury Park and Highgate, the path forms part of the

Capital Ring The Capital Ring is a strategic walking route promoted by London's 33 local councils, led by the City of London Corporation in partnership with the Greater London Authority and its functional body for regional transport, Transport for London, ...

strategic walking route.

History

Railway line

The route of the path between

and

was originally constructed by the

Edgware, Highgate and London Railway The Edgware, Highgate and London Railway was a railway in North London. The railway was a precursor of parts of London Underground's Northern line and was, in the 1930s the core of an ambitious expansion plan for that line which was thwarted ...

in the 1860s as part of its railway line from

Edgware Edgware () is a suburban town in northern Greater London, mostly in the London Borough of Barnet but with small parts falling in the London Borough of Harrow and in the London Borough of Brent. Edgware is centred north-northwest of Charing Cros ...

. Before the line was opened on 22 August 1867, it was purchased by the larger Great Northern Railway (GNR). Branch lines from

Finchley Finchley () is a large district of north London, England, in the London Borough of Barnet. Finchley is on high ground, north of Charing Cross. Nearby districts include: Golders Green, Muswell Hill, Friern Barnet, Whetstone, Mill Hill a ...

High Barnet Chipping Barnet or High Barnet is a suburban market town in north London, forming part of the London Borough of Barnet, England. It is a suburban development built around a 12th-century settlement, and is located north-northwest of Charing Cr ...

, and from Highgate to

, opened in 1872 and 1873. The GNR became part of the

London & North Eastern Railway The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) was the second largest (after London, Midland and Scottish Railway, LMS) of the "Big Four (British railway companies), Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain. It op ...

(LNER) in 1923. Plans were published by

London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England. The ...

in the 1930s for the incorporation of these lines into the

Northern line The Northern line is a London Underground line that runs from North London to South London. It is printed in black on the Tube map. The Northern line is unique on the Underground network in having two different routes through central London, t ...

( The Northern Heights Plan), but the onset of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

stopped the work at an advanced stage. After the war the development plan was abandoned but passenger trains continued to run on this line until 3 July 1954, when

British Railways British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most of the overground rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the Big Four British ...

(the successor to the LNER) ended such services permanently. The Alexandra Palace branch closed completely in 1957, but the link from Finsbury Park to Highgate and East Finchley remained open to freight traffic until 1964. Even after freight traffic had ceased, the line continued to be used to transfer empty tube stock between lines; this ceased in 1970, because of the poor condition of some of the intermediate bridges, and the track was lifted in 1972.

Creation of the walk

After the track was lifted, most of the platforms and station buildings were demolished. The sections of the line from Finsbury Park to Highgate and from Highgate to Alexandra Palace, excluding the intermediate section through the tunnels and station at Highgate, were converted into the Parkland Walk. This was officially opened in 1984, following extensive re-surfacing and improvements to access. In the late 1980s, the park was threatened by a plan to build a road along its route but the plan was withdrawn following local opposition which was co-ordinated by ''The Friends of the Parkland Walk''. The walk was declared a local nature reserve in 1990.

Route description

Finsbury Park to Crouch Hill

From the

end, the route starts from the western side of the existing East Coast Main Line beside a foot overbridge that gives access from the eastern end of Oxford Road to

itself. The route rises on an embankment overlooking the back gardens of the Victorian suburban houses. The route then bridges Upper Tollington Park. The next bridge takes the walk over Stapleton Hall Road, at a point where the Gospel Oak to Barking rail line also passes beneath the road. Stroud Green station once stood at this point, with its platforms cantilevered out over the sides of the bridge over Stapleton Hall Road. The station master's house still survives at road level, but there are no traces of the track- or road-side station buildings, which were destroyed in a fire in 1967. After crossing Mount Pleasant Villas on an overbridge, the embankment gives way to a cutting as the land rises north-westwards. The route continues beneath overbridges carrying Mount View Road and

Crouch Hill to Crouch End Hill

Immediately after passing under Crouch Hill to the left, a large block house can be seen; this was originally built to house switchgear for the Northern Heights project, as part of the plans to incorporate the line into the tube system. This has been redeveloped by adding extensions, cantilevered off the north and west sides of the existing building, and extending a short distance over the Parkland Walk. Now known as ''The Cape'', it is managed directly by Islington Council and houses a community energy centre, a youth centre, a new ecology centre and Ashmount School's after-school club. There is a public cafe in the building to which there is direct access from the Parkland Walk. Passing the blockhouse, the walk enters Crouch Hill Park which spreads to the south of the old railway line. The new park has a triangular form covering an area of , which is bounded by the walkway to the north and housing on the other sides; it is home to birds, invertebrates and bats, including some species locally uncommon or declining. It can be accessed from a number of access points on the Parkland Walk, from a public footpath called the Vicarage Path and from pedestrian entrances to the south and west of the park. A new building within the park contains Ashmount School, a community primary school, and Bowlers Community Nursery, which is a separate charity-run voluntary nursery. Beyond the site of the new school building, and just before Crouch End station, is a footbridge across the Parkland Walk; this dates back to the original railway and was originally a crossing over the railway. It was retained and now connects Hazelemere Road in Haringey to Crouch Hill Park in Islington. At this point, the still extant but partly overgrown platforms of Crouch End Station remain. At the end of the platforms is where the route passes under the site of the former station building and the road bridge over the cutting carrying Crouch End Hill.

Crouch End Hill to Highgate tunnels

Beyond this, the cutting opens out on the northern side as the route skirts a hill, parallel to Hornsey Lane where some apartment blocks have been built. The route bridges Stanhope Road on a footbridge replacing the original structure. The route continues on an embankment to a brick-built bridge over Northwood Road, beneath which traffic can flow in only one direction at a time. The surrounding ground rises rapidly and the route becomes a cutting at the end of which the portals of the southern pair of Highgate tunnels come into view. Vestiges of line-side electrical equipment for the planned 1930s electrification of the line and part of the structure of the old Highgate station are visible through the tunnels. The tunnels are closed to pedestrian access; consequently, the main route ends here with an exit onto Holmesdale Road. Should the walker choose to proceed further, they can travel uphill along Holmesdale Road which soon joins

Archway Road The A1 in London is the southern part of the A1 road. It starts at Aldersgate in the City of London, passing through the capital to Borehamwood on the northern fringe of Greater London, before continuing to Edinburgh. The road travels throug ...

; continuing along Archway Road, travelling north past Highgate station, leads to the junction between Archway Road and Muswell Hill Road.

Cranley Gardens to Alexandra Palace

The route between the northern end of the Highgate Tunnels to the Northern line depot at Wellington Junction is used by trains entering the depot; the rest of the cutting around

Highgate Wood Highgate Wood is a 28 hectare (70 acre) area of ancient woodland in North London, lying between East Finchley, Highgate and Muswell Hill. It was originally part of the ancient Forest of Middlesex which covered much of London, Hertfordshire and Ess ...

from Wellington Junction to Cranley Gardens is outside the wood's fence. It is not officially part of Parkland Walk and so is allowed to stay overgrown. A further shorter section of the walk begins along Muswell Hill Road, just beyond Cranley Gardens, where the road overbridge crosses the old line. The site of the former Cranley Gardens station and the old trackbed has been replaced with a school and housing. The walk continues opposite via steps down to the trackbed towards Alexandra Palace, which skirts a hill. The span of the seventeen-arch viaduct over St James's Lane gives a view eastwards and southwards over London. The route ends with a reconstructed overbridge under Muswell Hill itself. At this point, Muswell Hill primary school has been built on the trackbed. The pedestrian route by-passes the primary school and leads into Alexandra Palace Park proper. Further remains of the rail route can be seen in Alexandra Park. The Alexandra Palace station building still exists and is used for community purposes. Parkland Walk Islington

Wildlife

Flora

No trees were permitted to grow close to the track when the railway was operational. The range of trees found today has grown up in the last fifty years. Most arrived naturally ( oak,

ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non-gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...

birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' cont ...

hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...

cherry A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour '' Prunus cerasus''. The n ...

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancest ...

holly ''Ilex'' (), or holly, is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. ''Ilex'' has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus. The species are evergreen o ...

rowan The rowans ( or ) or mountain-ashes are shrubs or trees in the genus ''Sorbus'' of the rose family, Rosaceae. They are native throughout the cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with the highest species diversity in the Himalaya ...

sycamore Sycamore is a name which has been applied to several types of trees, but with somewhat similar leaf forms. The name derives from the ancient Greek ' (''sūkomoros'') meaning "fig-mulberry". Species of trees known as sycamore: * ''Acer pseudoplata ...

and

yew Yew is a common name given to various species of trees. It is most prominently given to any of various coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Taxus'': * European yew or common yew (''Taxus baccata'') * Pacific yew or western yew (''Taxus br ...

), but a few additional species have been planted (

field maple ''Acer campestre'', known as the field maple, is a flowering plant species in the family Sapindaceae. It is native to much of continental Europe, Britain, southwest Asia from Turkey to the Caucasus, and north Africa in the Atlas Mountains. It has ...

hazel The hazel (''Corylus'') is a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K. (1999). ...

, black Italian poplar and

white poplar White poplar is a common name used to refer to several trees in the genus ''Populus'', including: * ''Populus alba'', native to Eurasia * '' Populus grandidentata'', bigtooth aspen * ''Populus tremuloides ''Populus tremuloides'' is a deciduous ...

). More than three hundred species of wild flowers have been recorded on the Parkland Walk. They range from commonplace to exotic. Species sighted include Michaelmas daisies,

goldenrod Goldenrod is a common name for many species of flowering plants in the sunflower family, Asteraceae, commonly in reference to the genus '' Solidago''. Several genera, such as '' Euthamia'', were formerly included in a broader concept of the gen ...

buddleia ''Buddleja'' (; ''Buddleia''; also historically given as ''Buddlea'') is a genus comprising over 140 species of flowering plants endemic to Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The generic name bestowed by Linnaeus posthumously honoured the Revere ...

and Guernsey fleabane.

Fauna

The great variety of plant life sustains a wide range of animals. Twenty two species of

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group compris ...

have been recorded.

Hedgehog A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introductio ...

s benefit from the proximity of adjacent homes and occasional feedings from homeowners. Foxes are plentiful and

muntjac Muntjacs ( ), also known as the barking deer or rib-faced deer, (URL is Google Books) are small deer of the genus ''Muntiacus'' native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. Muntjacs are thought to have begun appearing 15–35 million years a ...

(a small species of deer) are seen occasionally. A colony of

slowworm The slow worm (''Anguis fragilis'') is a reptile native to western Eurasia. It is also called a deaf adder, a slowworm, a blindworm, or regionally, a long-cripple and hazelworm. These legless lizards are also sometimes called common slowworms. T ...

s thrive along the grassy embankment. More than sixty species of bird have been seen along the walk and many breed here. Parkland Walk is known to be an important site for bats in the London context, providing important foraging habitat and an excellent dark commuting route. A significant bat roost is known to exist in the vicinity.

Arts & culture

Spriggan sculpture and Stephen King

Spriggan sculpture by Marilyn Collins, Parkland Walk, Haringey

Along the walk just before the disused platforms at Crouch End, a man-sized green spriggan sculpture by Marilyn Collins has been placed in one of the alcoves of the wall at the footbridge before the former

station. According to a local urban legend, a ghostly 'goat-man' haunted the walk in the 1970s and 1980s. Local children playing out in the evenings would 'dare' each other to walk the Parkland Walk from the Crouch End Hill bridge to the Crouch Hill bridge in the darkness. It has been suggested that the sculpture, and the Parkland Walk generally, provided the inspiration for

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...

's short story "

". However, as the story was first published in 1980 and the sculpture not erected until 1993, there can be no connection between the Spriggan and the story. It is possible that the walk may have inspired King, as he stayed with friend and Crouch End resident Peter Straub during the 1970s. No definite link between the Parkland Walk and the story has ever been proven.

Graffiti

London newspaper

Ham & High The Ham & High, officially the Hampstead & Highgate Express is a weekly paid newspaper published in the London Borough of Camden The London Borough of Camden () is a London borough in Inner London. Camden Town Hall, on Euston Road, lies nort ...

reports that "Parkland Walk has a long history as a 'spot' where well known graffiti artists decorate tunnels", seen as a positive by some local residents and the Friends of Parkland Walk. Image:Graffiti - mens' faces on blue background - Parkland Walk, London.png Image:Graffiti - pop-art style woman's face - Parkland Walk, London.png Image:Graffiti - Today We Are Slaves of Ridiculous Kings - Parkland Walk, London.png Image:Graffiti - woman's face on blue background - Parkland Walk, London.png Image:Graffiti - Parkland Walk - geograph.org.uk - 1619966.jpg Image:Parkland Walk - Graffiti under Crouch Hill Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 1621868.jpg Image:Crouch End Hill Bridge graffiti - geograph.org.uk - 1621476.jpg

Chewing gum art trail

In 2020, artist Ben Wilson was invited to produce a series of miniature artworks on blobs of chewing gum along the Walk. Council funding was initially mooted for the project, but when this fell through Wilson went ahead anyway. Subjects depicted on the works include a rescue dog, a jogger and a

ghost station A ghost station is a disused train station through which revenue-service passenger trains (especially rapid transit trains) pass but at which they do not stop. The term is also sometimes used for any unused underground station or any unused ...

from the Walk's original railway.

Crouch Hill Park project

The Islington section of the Parkland Walk formed a part of the Crouch Hill Park project, which provided improved accommodation for several institutions and reinstated an area of previously derelict parkland to the south of the Parkland Walk as a public park and nature reserve. The project included the demolition of the existing building of the Bowlers Nursery and the Crouch Hill Recreation Centre, and their replacement with new building containing the relocated Ashmount School, a community primary school, and a new Bowlers Nursery. It also involved the rebuilding a blockhouse originally built to house switching gear for the never completed Northern Heights plan, and subsequently used to house a youth project. The whole project was executed at a total cost of £13m to Islington Council. The project was opposed by the Friends of the Parkland Walk, the Ashmount Site Action Group the Highgate Society and the

20th Century Society The Twentieth Century Society (C20) is a British charity which campaigns for the preservation of architectural heritage from 1914 onwards. The society's interests embrace buildings and artefacts that characterise 20th-century Britain. It is form ...

all of whom favoured retention of the original school building on the original site off Hornsey Lane. It was also opposed by the Islington Green Party. The project was supported by both the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties, by the Ashmount School governors, by Ashmount school parents and by Bowlers Nursery. When the council carried out a consultation amongst residents, two thirds of the respondents were in favour of the scheme. The project was also closely scrutinised by the Mayor of London whose consent was required as the land is specially protected

Metropolitan Open Land "Metropolitan Open Land" or "MOL" is a term or designation used only within London. Land designated MOL is afforded the same level of protection as the Metropolitan Green Belt. Designation is intended to protect areas of landscape, recreation, natu ...

and further examined by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who could have chosen to call the project in and hold a public inquiry but despite requests to do so, did not. Objections to the project were made both to Islington, to the Mayor of London and the Secretary of State. An application for judicial review was threatened, but in the event did not materialise. Further, a formal complaint against the council for proceeding with the project was made to the Local Government Ombudsman by the "Ashmount Site Action Group" (ASAG) but was not upheld. In the council election of 2010 all three councillors elected for the local ward, in Islington, Hillrise, (two Liberal Democrat, one Labour) had publicly declared their support for the scheme. The project was financed by Islington Council under a number of budget headings recognising that the project was contributing to the re accommodation of several different bodies. It also received a special grant due to its "low carbon" status. In particular it was expected that a significant part of the cost of reproviding Ashmount School would be raised by realising the value of the old school site on Hornsey Lane. However, when Islington Council, relying on the recommendations of a planning inspector, applied to the Secretary of State for Education

Michael Gove Michael Andrew Gove (; born Graeme Andrew Logan, 26 August 1967) is a British politician serving as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations since 2021. He has been Member of Par ...

for permission to cease to use the old site for a school, permission was refused, and the site was requisitioned, without compensation to Islington Council, for use by a Free School. In order to conform with the rules for building on

, the footprint of the new school building did not exceed that of the demolished buildings. The design includes a brown roof, climbing plants on walls, and areas of planted grassland, wild flowers and woodland. Bowlers Nursery moved into the new building in August 2012 and Ashmount School moved to the site in January 2013. Building operations at the Cape were finally completed in February 2013, two years and four months after the contract to carry out the work was signed by Islington Council. The Crouch Hill Project received a 2012

BREEAM BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), first published by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) in 1990, is the world's longest established method of assessing, rating, and certifying the sustainability of ...

award. Factors behind this award include the use of

rain water harvesting Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is the collection and storage of rain, rather than allowing it to run off. Rainwater is collected from a roof-like surface and redirected to a tank, cistern, deep pit (well, shaft, or borehole), aquifer, or a reservoir w ...

, natural ventilation systems to keep the school building cool in summer and the setting up of an "energy centre" in the blockhouse which by means of

combined heat and power Cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP) is the use of a heat engine or power station to generate electricity and useful heat at the same time. Cogeneration is a more efficient use of fuel or heat, because otherwise- wasted heat from elect ...

provides district heating both for the whole site and for social housing near the site, as well as generating electricity. The main fuel used is gas, but there is also provision for the use of

biomass Biomass is plant-based material used as a fuel for heat or electricity production. It can be in the form of wood, wood residues, energy crops, agricultural residues, and waste from industry, farms, and households. Some people use the terms bio ...

in the form of woodchips. The architects were Penoyre & Prasad and the contractors were

Willmott Dixon Willmott Dixon is a privately owned contracting, residential development and property support business. History The company was founded in 1852, by John Willmott.A collection of photos of the Northern Heights before it was decommissioned

Crouch Hill Park Skatepark

Crouch Hill Skatepark

Friends of the Parkland Walk

Outline of tree-husbandry policy for the Parkland Walk
(2021).

{{coord, 51.5742, -0.1245, type:landmark_dim:7000_region:GB, display=title Alexandra Palace Cycleways in England Footpaths in London Local nature reserves in Greater London Nature reserves in the London Borough of Haringey Nature reserves in the London Borough of Islington Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Haringey Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Islington Rail trails in England Transport in the London Borough of Haringey Transport in the London Borough of Islington Muswell Hill