Length: 5.5 km/3.4 mi with 144m ascent
Net Walking Time: ca. 1 hours 20 mins
Toughness: 1 out of 10.
Meet at 18.45 hours on the platform at East Finchley Station on the High Barnet Branch
of the Northern Line. Journey time from Bank is 24 minutes.
Highgate is one stop closer to Central London. Both stations are in Zone
3.
This is an undulating meandering route in the Borough of Haringey through
a couple of remnants of the ancient Forest of Middlesex, in one of the highest
parts of Inner North London.
Both woods are very different in character and feel: Highgate Wood is
only part ancient wood and has been managed for a long time, with several areas
having been coppiced and others having been cleared, and it mostly has the
appearance of a parkland wood. Queen’s Wood has a wilder, less managed and more
challenging feel and consequently features a greater mixture of flora and
fauna.
And while Highgate Wood is famous for its bluebell displays in season,
these are largely confined to the northeasterly corner of the wood. In
contrast, Queen’s Wood displays a fine mixture of wildflowers in season,
amongst which are bluebells, wood anenomes and daffodils.
Both woods feature ancient – possibly
pre-historic – earthworks and they also boast cafés for refreshments.
Walk Options:
A Short Walk – of 3.7 km and with half the ascent – omits the more undulating
Queen’s Wood.
An Extension leads to Finsbury Park along the Parkland Walk,
part of a dismantled railway line and now a very charming linear and raised
Local Nature Reserve. This adds 3.5 km and is map-led.
Tea: See the pdf. The cafés are likely to be closed at that time, but The Woodman will certainly be open.
For walk directions, map, photos, height profile
and gpx/kml files click here.
T=short.49
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