The three-day forecast for this weekend indicated today might have the best weather – or at least, little chance of rain – so I headed out for an afternoon walk along a rail trail (an abandoned railway converted into a pedestrian trail) between Finsbury Park and Alexandra Palace in northeast London. It was a grey and cloudy day, but the walk passes through parks and ancient woodlands where the birds are singing and the first flowers of spring are blooming.
Although the route begins on the old rail line, part of it follows the Capital Ring Route – an 80-mile loop around London – through small parklands that capture ancient forests like Highgate Wood and Queen’s Wood, tucked behind suburban row houses. At times, the elevated trail offers peeks into these neighborhoods or, at one point, a panoramic view toward central London.
Perhaps one of the most interesting scenes along the route was a trailside tree, with a small plaque naming it the Baby Loss Tree: We remember all babies born sleeping, those we carried but never held, those we held but could not take home, and those who came home but could not stay. Hung from the lower branches of the tree were dozens of hearts and medallions bearing names and dates. It was a peaceful place to reflect on so much loss.
The route ends in Alexandra Park, capped by Alexandra Palace (or “Ally Pally” as the locals refer to it). Built in 1873 as a palace ‘for the people’, it is now used mostly as a conference and event venue [Wikipedia].
I enjoyed a tasty lunch at the cozy Queen’s Wood Café.
More photos in the gallery.
Hike stats:
Distance: 6.37 miles (10.25km)
Gain: 352′ (107m)
Time: 2h43m (including lunch)
GaiaGPS track
David Kotz 