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Elstree to Cockfosters See www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/walking/loop-walk First major walk of 2018 - 14 miles, 6 hours in total. This section is advertised as 10 miles but it's certainly more than that according to our pedometer Terrible conditions under foot but otherwise the perfect walking day - sun, what wind there was was behind us and warm.  Paths were awash and we were wading through ankle-deep muddy water! My shoes (on the right) are normally purple and green!! The walk is mostly through woods and commons with a large portion of it through fields adjacent to Dollis Brook. Dollis comes from the word 'dole' meaning shares of land in the common field. It's a well trodden path as you can see!  The Dollis brook is a tributary of the Brent River which flows into the River Thames.  King George's Fields, so called after George V, when this area of open land was acquired as public space to celebrate his reign. As we climbed the hill we looked back over London to the south. Impressive. We walked to Hadley Green in the Borough of Barnet where in 1471 a battle of the Wars of the Roses took place, apparently, in the fog. They all got in a muddle and killed their own! The Yorkists won. Hadley Green is charming with beautiful houses including one where David Livingstone lived, one where Fanny Trollope and her son, Anthony, lived and some beautiful very old brick almshouses built by Wilbraham of the memorial in the church.  Livingstone's House St Mary's, Monken Hadley Couldn't resist the church. A chance to rest in a pew and admire the fabulous Wilbraham memorial.   Wilbraham Memorial We walked through Monken Hadley Green Common, a result of the enclosure of Enfield Chase back in 1777 and where commoners were grazing their cattle up to the 1950s. Now it's for everyone's enjoyment and lovely it was too.
After 16 sections out of a total of 24, it still amazes me that within 20 to 30 minutes from central London there is all this wonderful countryside to walk through - secret paths, hidden rivers, open land, breathtaking views, deep woods and charming surburbia.  Bye Bye until the next Loopy Loop, planned for March!
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Kate AWI've been walking the London Loop for a year now, section by section and have been joined by various friends. It's been a revelation - so much green space on our doorstep! The London Loop sign - the bird is a kestrel
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