Parkland Walk

This is one of those real hidden gems that you can often stumble across in London, especially aided by a bit of local knowledge. 

Declared a nature reserve in 1990, Parkland Walk is a thin strip of green linear walkway which follows the route of an old railway line which ran between Finsbury Park and Alexandra Palace. Perfect for a blustery Autumn afternoon walk, this tentacular oasis of green snakes its way along the border between the boroughs of Harringay and Islington before turning north into Alexandra Park.

This walk, which will take you around two hours to complete, starts on the west side of Finsbury Park and is divided into a north and south section. The entrance to the north part is a little more difficult to locate but if you persevere heading north down Muswell Road you should eventually come to a small opening at the intersection with Cranley Gardens and you are good to go!

For graffiti lovers Parkland Walk is a must as artwork is plastered over every inch of the old railway brickwork. For everyone else this is also just a great opportunity to grab a few hours of tranquility in the heart of London. 

Special points of note include; bat boxes, bits of old railway sleeper still laying around (incredible seeing as the track was lifted way back in the early '70s), a home-made rope swing and at one point an awesome little treehouse village-type construction around halfway up the south section of the walk. 

Parkland Walk, 2015