Walk Report

Golders Green to Stoke Newington, Friday 31st March 2017
14 walkers, 11 miles - leader Ron Williamson
A short notice mid-week pop up walk attracted 14 walkers eager to enjoy the delights of a further section of the Capital Challenge route, unfortunately the leaders mobile could not be found so apologies to those unable to make contact especially to Richard who finally met up with us at the finish.
A short climb through the delightful Golders Hill Park enabled us to join the route at The Old Bull & Bush. We soon reached the immaculate Hampstead Garden Suburb and after passing through the not so Big Wood continued along Dollis Brook to reach East Finchley. As promised in the route description "The Archer" pointed the way through Cherry Tree Wood and on into Highgate Wood where the second debacle of the day occurred, a planned 30 minute refreshment break at the Cafe lasting almost one and half hours, surely some of the slowest service ever encountered on a LDWA walk.
A need therefore to up the pace and where better than the hills climbing to Highgate through Queens Wood and along the straight level abandoned former railway line now London's longest nature reserve. Finchley Park came and went, no chance of a stop here, along the New River, where mercifully the mud of a month ago had dried up and into the wide skies of Woodberry Wetlands.
All that now remained was a crossing of the resplendent Clissold Park and a return visit to the atmospheric Abbey Park Cemetery.
The finish saw some of the party opting to add 5 miles to the route by continuing to Stratford whilst others made their way to the nearby station, leaving two to retire to the local Wetherspoons
Photographs by Ron Williamson and Paul Lawrence

---