And once again we are back on the walk around London, this time starting off in High Barnet, having jumped via the bus from Elstree and Borehamwood. So what happened and what can you expect if/when you walk Section 20 of The Climbing Moss Heart of London Walk?
As we said we walked the original Section 20 and then realised it was a dull section – so instead we recommend the bus to link the end of 19 with the start of the new 20.
This was one day we were unsure whether to do the walk or wait until the next week and avoid the cold and the rain. In Hindsight we should have stayed home. Stupidly we didn’t and now we know where all the mud, water and danger is so that you can avoid it! (See what we do for you?!)
High Barnet is at the Northern end of the Northern Line and upon exiting you quickly discover why it is called ‘High’ Barnet, the first of many steep hills confronts you at the exit. Climb to the road and immediately there is a choice to be made, in the dry summer weather follow the High St around, past the church and round to Moxon St. In the cold and wet you are best taking the Purple route as seen on the PDF Map and avoiding the King George Playing Fields, because they are pure bogland.
We detoured in search of Coffee from Patisserie Joie de Vie and then headed down Moxon St, followed the footpath and down the hill of South Close and into the playing fields. We then spent 30 minutes trying to navigate the mud up the hill.
At the top you once again join the London Loop, following it down a mud slide to cross the Shirebourne – a river/stream, then up again and then eventually across the top of a field that was once home to New Barnet Football Club (we have no idea what happened to them) Instead here if you are quiet, you may be able to find Muntjac Deer and join your other selves that walked the Purple Route and avoided the mud.
Follow the footpath out alongside the private gardens and cross Hadley Common and into Hadley Woods, again check the choice of route dependent on Dry or Wet conditions and mind the streams and brooks that criss-cross the path and don’t fall in (unlike Ash!)
By the time we crossed the East Coast Main Line Railway bridge we were cold, wet, covered in mud, fed up and then it started to rain!
We walked down the long path around the flooded lake and all the way through the woods pass some very strange sculptures of Buddha. This area is probably lovely any other time and we have vowed to return in nicer weather. At the eastern end leave the woods and follow private roads and side roads, avoid the main CockFosters road and finally get to Cockfosters Station at the end of the Piccadilly Line and go home.
This could be a lovely walk, but we just got the worst day to do it and we should have stayed in bed, but we did it so that you know where to go and where not to and when not to!
Climbing Moss 