The London Loop Leg 4
Moor Park Station To Elstree & Borehamwood Station
Saturday, 24th March, 2007 
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The London Loop is a 140 mile walk around London and roughly just inside the M25 (although you do not see it) passing through as many green places as possible such as parks, woods, commons, riverside protected areas and open farmland. The West Essex Ramblers are covering this in about 10 mile stretches over the period 2006 to 2008. We are following the path through "The London Loop" by David Sharp, ISBN1854107593, œ13 rrp.
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Click photos below for larger image
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Click below for larger image as specified
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Some commentary on the photos,
which is also a reflection on the walk
[Road information is just to help identify where we were].
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The West Essex Group walked this on 24th Feb 2007 but my wife and I walked later because we had been on holiday.
Leaving Moor Park Station we were soon walking on the edge of Sandy Lodge Golf Course (pict 1); then across the course (pict 2); next, onto the other side of the course with a view of the Colne Valley - poor visibility today as it was very overcast - (pict 3); and finally a sleeper footbridge in Oxhey Woods.
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Oxhey Woods had a muddy path (pict 1), hence boots and gaiters are recommended, and rhododendrons (pict 2) appeared occasionally. I found it difficult to take pictures to represent a wood properly, so here was one of a gnarled tree (pict 3).
[We crossed the B4542 road].
We went down some steps (pict 4) into more of Oxhey woods.
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This tree I thought interesting, as it was standing more apart from the others and being much larger. I think we had just moved from Oxhey Woods to Nanscot Wood and were walking gently downhill.
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Soon we were on Pinnerwood Farm. A horse (pict 1) was one of about eight in a field and then we went down to the farm where riding lessons (pict 2) were being given. The Victorian Farmhouse (pict 3) followed and around the corner there was Pinnerhouse (pict 4).
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A ditch (pict 1) divided two fields which was shortly before the Hatch End turn off, for those that need it, and spring blossom (pict 2) has started just north of a housing estate where we had a short break.
[We crossed the railway, walked along the B4542 and crossed the A4008].
A horse (pict 3) found the grass was greener outside the field and then we walked beside Grim's Dyke Golf Course (pict 4).
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There was no real evidence of Grim's Dyke to a lay person like myself except for this nicely set up plaque.
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In the woods opposite the plaque was a pond (pict 1) then an aerial array (pict 2) high in and above the trees - a good entry for the Tate Modern perhaps. A plank (pict 3) bridged a pond then there were woods (pict 4) of Harrow Weald, with the evidence of surface gravel having been removed - something that took place in the nineteenth century.
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This was the first of five photographed information boards on the areas history and local topography - all are readable at the high resolution although some are a bit difficult.
This was Harrow Weald Common and opposite the board was a car park, with a view, on the "Old Redding" road between the A4008 and the A409.
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Fifty yards east of the car park was "The Case Is Altered" pub, apparently not an uncommon name, where we had an enjoyable meal (one cottage pie and one duck roast, served within twenty minutes). The pub has been under new management since January 2007.
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We left the pub, walked east, and re-entered Harrow Weald Common woods where at a bend in the path was this lovely house.
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Around the corner the path ran down the edge of the wood beside a field.
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[We crossed the A409 road].
This board of Bentley Priory Local Nature Reserve actually was sited after the next composite of 4 photos. We entered at Common Road, followed the brown path and left at Priory Drive.
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The above meant we skirted the grounds of Bentley Priory (built in 1766 on an Augustinian Friars site, and was the headquarters for the RAF Fighter Command during the second world war) for three quarters of a mile along a concrete path. It started like picture 2 then we passed a Pill Box (pict 1), then it was the path (pict 2), then a glimpse of the Priory House (pict 3) and finally more path (pict 4).
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[We crossed the A4140 road].
In Warren Lane Car Park there were two boards. This one, the Bentley Priory Circular Walk, also included Harrow Weald Common (to the west) and Stanmore Common (to the east).
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The second car park board was for Stanmore Common which we only walked through at its most southerly part.
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Somewhere near Warren Lane in the woods was a fallen tree, one of many in the woods since the winds of last January.
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We have crossed Warren Lane, passed a cricket ground and this was the right hand pond (of two) with an angler fishing (pict 1). The pond was long and widened out (pict 2) and presented a pleasant view.
Soon we came in sight of Caesar's pond (pict 3) at "Stanmore" Little Common and then a view of it again (pict 4) with eighteenth and nineteenth century cotttages.
If you are running late you can slip off here to Stanmore Station.
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Having walked north for a while and approached the M1 this view reflected the area behind from which we have walked.
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[We crossed the M1, and walked along the A411].
This board of Aldenham County Park is after the reservoir of the next composite photo.
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Here was the Aldenham Reservoir (pict 1) taken from the A411, and after walking by the reservoir then crossing Aldenham Road this was a southerly view of a field with Elstree Church Spire (pict 2) in the background.
[We crossed the A5183 and into the B5378].
This view looked back and downhill over farmland (pict 3) and finally a view that looked across Elstree Golf Course.
Then we walked through a wood down to the B5378 and up to Elstree and Borehamwood Station.
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