The London Loop Leg 5
Elstree & Borehamwood Station to Cockfosters Station
Saturday, 31st 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, £13 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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We started with some road walking and the view (pict1) was back down Deacon's Hill then a view (pict 2) back down the A411. A number of photos looked back today because the sun was directly in front of us. We crossed the road and passed through Scratch Wood (pict 3) and then came out into Scratchwood Open Space (pict 4).
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We left the open space and entered Thistle Wood which took us to the A1 Trunk Road.
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Disappointingly, the A1 had no crossing provided for our path and we had a detour of three quarters of a mile to cross it: the A1 (pict 1) is looking north.
[We had crossed the A1 by a subway].
After a drinks stop (by the A1), at the start of the Moat Mount Open Space, we walked along a spinney (pict 2) and then along a fenced field (pict 3). There was a pleasant view (pict 4) to our left which looked north west, and some of the time as we walked it was veiled by a hedge.
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We turned south down Hendon Wood Lane and turned left into Totteridge Fields, which is the start of a long open space between Totteridge and Barnet, and were met by an Information Board.
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We continued through Totteridge Fields and beyond, it literally being a series of fields bounded by hedges, and eventually walked along Dollis Brook. We saw, among other things, this tree (pict 1); the tree early in blossom (pict 2); another tree (pict 3) and finally Dollis Brook (pict 4).
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We crossed Barnet Lane where this information board was sited.
Our route was towards the top - we covered (left to right) Scratchwood Open Space; Moat Mount Open Space; Tottereridge Fields; Dollis Brook; Barnet Playing Fields and then out to the North.
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We went up Underhill and stopped at the Old Red Lion for lunch. It was packed with football supporters, Barnet stadium being a mere hundred yards away. (Barnet 2 Darlington 0 at the match end).
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It was interesting that a strip of countryside exists between High Barnet and New Barnet and the picture shows the northerly way we went.
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We reached Meadway, turned right, and walked along this and several side roads until we entered King George's Fields close to Bosworth Road. Look at the Information Board and you will see the LOOP is marked as a dotted line.
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This was taken when we walked through King George's Fields on the way to Hadley Green.
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The Hadley Green Information Board. Read it - it has good local history.
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We walked north east along the green / Hadley Green Road.
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Livingstone Cotttage at Hadley Green. [Read Hadley Green Info Board].
[In case of confusion, the bottom right of the picture is an inset picture of the sculpture on the house wall].
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The road turned right and we faced the church of Saint Mary the Virgin with its cresset ancient iron beacon, sometimes referred to as the Armada Beacon, at the top of the newel turret. [Read Hadley Green Info Board].
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A fine view which typified the local area.
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We walked beside Monken Hadley Common on a tarmac road until its end (pict 1) where we stopped for drinks and then headed off (pict 2) down a track through the common. The wood was very long compared to its depth and we crossed a railway (pict 3) which shows the wood clearly either side. Soon we were in woods (pict 4) where unusually the undergrowth had been cleared and grassed over.
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We went over Pymmes Brook which overflows from Beech Hill Lake a few yards away, although we did not ascend the bank to view the lake. Locally the lake is known as Jack's Lake.
Apparently there is a walk - The Pymmes Brook Trail - which starts around here and goes to Pickets Lock where it joins the River Lee. Click here for a gallery - not ours.
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Near the eastern end of Monken Hadley Common just before houses appeared to our right.
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Opposite the housing where daffodils have been planted in the grass beneath the trees.
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Finally the Monken Hadley Green Information Board which was a third of a mile by lanes from Cockfosters Station. With reference to the board, we had walked the lower road (left); the bridleway below the footpath (centre); and were now at the short road (right).
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