Saturday Walk – An urban stroll through London's Northern Heights

Extra Walk 257 – Highgate to Hampstead
Length: 13½ km (8.4 miles), with many ways to shorten. Toughness: 3/10

Take a Northern line tube (High Barnet branch) to arrive at Highgate by 10:45. Turn left past the ticket barriers to meet by the Priory Gardens exit.

Extended Walk option: 17¼ km (10.7 miles): Make your way to Finsbury Park station and set off from there no later than 10:00. The route takes you through Highgate station where you'll be able to join the main group if you don't dawdle.

As a respite from muddy fields I thought I'd offer this urban stroll through the leafy suburbs of London's ‘Northern Heights’, taking in the distinctive architecture of Hampstead Garden Suburb and the wide expanse of Hampstead Heath. You can get a pub lunch halfway round at the Old Bull & Bush in North End and could visit Kenwood House in the afternoon (free entry).

You'll need to print the walk directions and maps from the Extra Walk 257 page. There are many places where you can shorten the walk if you want to finish early. T=swc.257