Dollis Valley Greenwalk
Encyclopedia
The Dollis Valley Greenwalk (or Green Walk) is a long distance footpath
in the London Borough of Barnet
between Moat Mount Nature Reserve
in Mill Hill
and Hampstead Heath
. The route is designed to act as a link between the Capital Ring
and the London Loop,
and between the many green spaces and wildlife corridors along the way. It is approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) long. It mainly follows the Dollis Brook
, and is one of the many parks and open spaces in Barnet
.
(now part of Barnet) in the 1930s. It was the brainchild of leading Finchley Councillor, Alfred Pike, and followed Mutton Brook east from Falloden Way to its junction with Dollis Brook, and then the Dollis north to the Finchley boundary in Wyatts Farm Open Space, opposite Walfield Avenue. Mutton Brook
was the southern boundary of the borough and Dollis Brook the western one, and the walk was almost all built on the Finchley side. At Westbury Road, the gardens come down to the brook, so Pike persuaded Hendon Councillors
to acquire the land on their side of the brook so that the walk could cross over to the Hendon side for this stretch.
The Greenwalk itself was developed by the London Borough of Barnet with the Countryside Commission
(now Natural England
) and the Countryside Management Service. In March 2009 the Dollis Valley Greenwalk won a £400,000 grant from the Mayor of London
's Help a London park scheme by public vote. The grant is planned to be used to improve footpaths, cycle paths, lighting, entrances for safer walking, accessibility, which includes making it a safe route for walking between communities, and play facilities. It will also be used for improvement of current habitats and creation of new ones such as wetland woodland and reedbed, enhancement of current hay meadows, landscaping, and finally the addition of information boards, finger posts and other features to increase enjoyability and awareness of points of interest.
, and goes through Totteridge Fields
nature reserve, and by fields and public open spaces through Totteridge
, Whetstone
and Woodside Park
. It passes under Dollis Brook Viaduct
and through Windsor Open Space, and on to the end of Dollis Brook where it merges with Mutton Brook
to become the River Brent
. It then follows Mutton Brook and goes through Little Wood and Big Wood, ending at the Hampstead Heath Extension in Hampstead Garden Suburb
. The waymarks
consist mostly of a simple a green disc with a directional white arrow mounted on a wooden post. From Woodside Park south, the walk is mainly flat and partly surfaced, and is thought to be suitable for wheelchair users and pushchairs, but some sections between Woodside Park and Mill Hill can get very muddy and walking shoes may be advisable.
The southern end starts on the edge of Hampstead Heath Extension at the end of a short pathway from Meadway Close, Hampstead Garden Suburb. It goes along Meadway Close and Bigwood Road to Big Wood and Denman Drive South. It then goes through Little Wood Nature Reserve to Addison Way. It turns left along Addison Way and right into a path opposite Erskine Hill. It follows Mutton Brook across Finchley Road
at Henlys Corner and under North Circular Road
, and turns right where Mutton Brook meets Dollis Brook near Bridge Lane. From here it follows Dollis Brook under Hendon Lane to Windsor Open Space. It crosses Waverley Grove to leave Windsor Open Space at Thornfield Avenue. It then turns right along Dollis Road under Dollis Brook Viaduct, and left to follow the brook to Fursby Avenue and through Riverside Walk to Argyle Road.
In the next section the brook forks into Folly Brook
on the left and Dollis Brook on the right, with the route bearing left beside Folly Brook to Southover. It then turns right and right again down Tillingham Way, where it rejoins Dollis Brook in Laurel Way Open Space. It crosses Laurel View and through the meadowland and trees of Whetstone Stray to Totteridge Lane. It turns right along the Lane and then left just before Totteridge and Whetstone tube station
. This is the last place on the route with shops and toilets.
The route continues through Brook Farm Open Space and Wyatts Farm Open Space to Western Way, and then through King George V Playing Fields to Barnet Lane and Dollis Brook Walk. It then keeps to the right of the brook through Ducks Island until a narrow metal bridge. It crosses the bridge and turns right through fields for 1000 yards (leaving Dollis Brook, which now goes through private land) until it reaches a playing field, which is exited by a gap in the hedge on the left, It then goes through Totteridge Fields
(a nature reserve which is a Site of Metropolitan Importance run by London Wildlife Trust
) to Hendon Wood Lane. It turns right along Hendon Wood Lane and after about 500 yards continues along a path on the left, which skirts Barnet Gate Wood
. At the end of the Wood the path bears left between hedges, although a route sign wrongly bears right. A small pond on the right with a pipe under the path to a stream, which is often dry, is one of the sources of the Dollis Brook. The path then goes through fields to Moat Mount Local Nature Reserve
. (When a route marker points half left off the main track, the path goes through the kissing gate opposite.) The route then goes through fields and a wood to wooden steps, where it turns right, finishing at the nature reserve's closed car park on the east side of Barnet Way, part of the A1
, and a dual carriageway with no access from the northbound lane.
Long-distance footpaths in the United Kingdom
-England and Wales: National Trails:National Trails are distinguished by being maintained by the National Trails organization . , there are fifteen such trails, one of which is not yet complete....
in the London Borough of Barnet
London Borough of Barnet
The London Borough of Barnet is a London borough in North London and forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 331,500 and covers . It borders Hertfordshire to the north and five other London boroughs: Harrow and Brent to the west, Camden and Haringey to the south-east and Enfield to the...
between Moat Mount Nature Reserve
Moat Mount Open Space and Mote End Farm
Moat Mount Open Space is a Local Nature Reserve, Borough Grade II, in Mill Hill in the London Borough of Barnet. The site is an extensive area bounded by Barnet Way, Barnet Road and Hendon Wood Lane. It includes Barnet Gate Wood and Scratchwood Countryside Park, but is separate from Scratchwood...
in Mill Hill
Mill Hill
Mill Hill is a place in the London Borough of Barnet. It is a suburb situated 9 miles north west of Charing Cross. Mill Hill was in the historic county of Middlesex until it was absorbed by London...
and Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath is a large, ancient London park, covering . This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band of London clay...
. The route is designed to act as a link between the Capital Ring
Capital Ring
The Capital Ring is a strategic walking route that is being promoted by London's 33 local councils, led by the City of London Corporation in partnership with the Greater London Authority and its functional body for regional transport, Transport for London, through which much of the funding is...
and the London Loop,
and between the many green spaces and wildlife corridors along the way. It is approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) long. It mainly follows the Dollis Brook
Dollis Brook
Dollis Brook runs through the London Borough of Barnet in North London. It is a tributary of the River Brent, which is itself a tributary of the River Thames. The Dollis Valley Greenwalk follows almost all of Dollis Brook, apart from a short section at the beginning which passes through private...
, and is one of the many parks and open spaces in Barnet
Barnet parks and open spaces
The London Borough of Barnet, located on the northern periphery of London and having much of the area within its boundaries in the Metropolitan Green Belt, has a large number of parks and open spaces...
.
History
Dollis Valley Greenwalk is based on the Brookside Walk, built by Finchley CouncilMunicipal Borough of Finchley
Finchley was a local government district in Middlesex, England, from 1878 to 1965. It formed part of the northern suburbs of London and was within the Metropolitan Police District and London Passenger Transport Area. Its former area now forms part of the London Borough of Barnet.-Formation:The...
(now part of Barnet) in the 1930s. It was the brainchild of leading Finchley Councillor, Alfred Pike, and followed Mutton Brook east from Falloden Way to its junction with Dollis Brook, and then the Dollis north to the Finchley boundary in Wyatts Farm Open Space, opposite Walfield Avenue. Mutton Brook
Mutton Brook
Mutton Brook is a stream which runs between East Finchley and Hendon in the London Borough of Barnet. It is a tributary of the River Brent, which is itself a tributary of the River Thames....
was the southern boundary of the borough and Dollis Brook the western one, and the walk was almost all built on the Finchley side. At Westbury Road, the gardens come down to the brook, so Pike persuaded Hendon Councillors
Municipal Borough of Hendon
Hendon was an ancient civil parish of around which included Mill Hill, as well as Golders Green and Childs Hill. In 1894 it was created an urban district of Middlesex and in 1932 it became a municipal borough...
to acquire the land on their side of the brook so that the walk could cross over to the Hendon side for this stretch.
The Greenwalk itself was developed by the London Borough of Barnet with the Countryside Commission
Countryside Commission
The Countryside Commission was a statutory body in England and Wales, and later in England only...
(now Natural England
Natural England
Natural England is the non-departmental public body of the UK government responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved...
) and the Countryside Management Service. In March 2009 the Dollis Valley Greenwalk won a £400,000 grant from the Mayor of London
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
's Help a London park scheme by public vote. The grant is planned to be used to improve footpaths, cycle paths, lighting, entrances for safer walking, accessibility, which includes making it a safe route for walking between communities, and play facilities. It will also be used for improvement of current habitats and creation of new ones such as wetland woodland and reedbed, enhancement of current hay meadows, landscaping, and finally the addition of information boards, finger posts and other features to increase enjoyability and awareness of points of interest.
Route
Starting at the northern end, the route commences in Moat Mount Open Space. It then skirts Barnet Gate WoodBarnet Gate Wood
Barnet Gate Wood is in Arkley, Barnet, London. It is owned and managed by the London Borough of Barnet, and is part of the Watling Chase Community Forest....
, and goes through Totteridge Fields
Totteridge Fields
Totteridge Fields is a seven hectare Local Nature Reserve owned by the London Borough of Barnet and managed by the London Wildlife Trust. It is an ancient hay meadow habitat consisting of three fields, known as Nutt Field, Hen Mead and Nearer Slay Land, with hawthorn and blackthorn hedgerows...
nature reserve, and by fields and public open spaces through Totteridge
Totteridge
Totteridge is an area of the London Borough of Barnet in north London, England. It is a mixture of suburban development and open land situated 8.20 miles north north-west of Charing Cross....
, Whetstone
Whetstone
Whetstone may refer to:* Whetstone, a sharpening stone used for knives and other cutting tools* Whetstone , a benchmark for measuring computing power* Operation Whetstone, a nuclear test program in the 1960s- Places :United Kingdom...
and Woodside Park
Woodside Park
Woodside Park is a suburban residential development in the London Borough of Barnet, in postal district N12.It is very varied in character. The area to the east of the tube station consists predominantly of large Victorian and Edwardian houses, many of which have been converted into flats...
. It passes under Dollis Brook Viaduct
Dollis Brook Viaduct
The Dollis Brook Viaduct, also known as the Dollis Road Viaduct, Dollis Viaduct, Mill Hill Viaduct and Finchley Viaduct, is a railway viaduct in Finchley, North London, United Kingdom. It currently carries the London Underground's Northern line from Mill Hill East station to Finchley Central station...
and through Windsor Open Space, and on to the end of Dollis Brook where it merges with Mutton Brook
Mutton Brook
Mutton Brook is a stream which runs between East Finchley and Hendon in the London Borough of Barnet. It is a tributary of the River Brent, which is itself a tributary of the River Thames....
to become the River Brent
River Brent
The Brent is a river within Greater London which is a tributary of the River Thames. It is 17.9 miles long, running north-east to south-west, and it joins the Thames on the Tideway at Brentford, Hounslow.- Hydronymy and etymology :...
. It then follows Mutton Brook and goes through Little Wood and Big Wood, ending at the Hampstead Heath Extension in Hampstead Garden Suburb
Hampstead Garden Suburb
-Notable Residents :*Theo Adams*Martin Bell*Sir Victor Blank*Katie Boyle*Constantine, the last King of Greece*Greg Davies*Richard & Judy Finnigan*David Matthews*Michael Ridpath*Claudia Roden*Jonathan Ross*Sir Donald Sinden*Marc Sinden...
. The waymarks
Waymarking
Waymarking is an activity where people locate and log interesting locations around the world, usually with a GPS receiver and a digital camera. Waymarking differs from geocaching in that there is no physical container to locate at the given coordinates. Waymarking identifies points of interest for...
consist mostly of a simple a green disc with a directional white arrow mounted on a wooden post. From Woodside Park south, the walk is mainly flat and partly surfaced, and is thought to be suitable for wheelchair users and pushchairs, but some sections between Woodside Park and Mill Hill can get very muddy and walking shoes may be advisable.
The southern end starts on the edge of Hampstead Heath Extension at the end of a short pathway from Meadway Close, Hampstead Garden Suburb. It goes along Meadway Close and Bigwood Road to Big Wood and Denman Drive South. It then goes through Little Wood Nature Reserve to Addison Way. It turns left along Addison Way and right into a path opposite Erskine Hill. It follows Mutton Brook across Finchley Road
Finchley Road
Finchley Road, an inner city main road which runs for about 7 kilometres/4 miles, is one of the major thoroughfares of north London, England.Originally named Finchley New Road, it was built as a turnpike road in the late 1820s/early 1830s to provide a by-pass to the existing route north from London...
at Henlys Corner and under North Circular Road
A406 road
The A406 or the North Circular Road is a road which crosses North London, UK, linking West and East London. It, together with the South Circular Road, forms a ring road through the inner part of Outer London...
, and turns right where Mutton Brook meets Dollis Brook near Bridge Lane. From here it follows Dollis Brook under Hendon Lane to Windsor Open Space. It crosses Waverley Grove to leave Windsor Open Space at Thornfield Avenue. It then turns right along Dollis Road under Dollis Brook Viaduct, and left to follow the brook to Fursby Avenue and through Riverside Walk to Argyle Road.
In the next section the brook forks into Folly Brook
Folly Brook
Folly Brook is a 2¼ mile long brook in the London Borough of Barnet. It is a tributary of Dollis Brook, which is a tributary of the River Brent, which is a tributary of the River Thames....
on the left and Dollis Brook on the right, with the route bearing left beside Folly Brook to Southover. It then turns right and right again down Tillingham Way, where it rejoins Dollis Brook in Laurel Way Open Space. It crosses Laurel View and through the meadowland and trees of Whetstone Stray to Totteridge Lane. It turns right along the Lane and then left just before Totteridge and Whetstone tube station
Totteridge and Whetstone tube station
Totteridge and Whetstone tube station is a London Underground station in north London. The station is the penultimate one on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between Woodside Park and High Barnet stations, and in Travelcard Zone 4...
. This is the last place on the route with shops and toilets.
The route continues through Brook Farm Open Space and Wyatts Farm Open Space to Western Way, and then through King George V Playing Fields to Barnet Lane and Dollis Brook Walk. It then keeps to the right of the brook through Ducks Island until a narrow metal bridge. It crosses the bridge and turns right through fields for 1000 yards (leaving Dollis Brook, which now goes through private land) until it reaches a playing field, which is exited by a gap in the hedge on the left, It then goes through Totteridge Fields
Totteridge Fields
Totteridge Fields is a seven hectare Local Nature Reserve owned by the London Borough of Barnet and managed by the London Wildlife Trust. It is an ancient hay meadow habitat consisting of three fields, known as Nutt Field, Hen Mead and Nearer Slay Land, with hawthorn and blackthorn hedgerows...
(a nature reserve which is a Site of Metropolitan Importance run by London Wildlife Trust
London Wildlife Trust
London Wildlife Trust was founded in 1981. It is one of 47 members of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts , each of which is a local nature conservation charity for its area....
) to Hendon Wood Lane. It turns right along Hendon Wood Lane and after about 500 yards continues along a path on the left, which skirts Barnet Gate Wood
Barnet Gate Wood
Barnet Gate Wood is in Arkley, Barnet, London. It is owned and managed by the London Borough of Barnet, and is part of the Watling Chase Community Forest....
. At the end of the Wood the path bears left between hedges, although a route sign wrongly bears right. A small pond on the right with a pipe under the path to a stream, which is often dry, is one of the sources of the Dollis Brook. The path then goes through fields to Moat Mount Local Nature Reserve
Moat Mount Open Space and Mote End Farm
Moat Mount Open Space is a Local Nature Reserve, Borough Grade II, in Mill Hill in the London Borough of Barnet. The site is an extensive area bounded by Barnet Way, Barnet Road and Hendon Wood Lane. It includes Barnet Gate Wood and Scratchwood Countryside Park, but is separate from Scratchwood...
. (When a route marker points half left off the main track, the path goes through the kissing gate opposite.) The route then goes through fields and a wood to wooden steps, where it turns right, finishing at the nature reserve's closed car park on the east side of Barnet Way, part of the A1
A1 road (London)
The A1 road in London is an A road in North London. It runs from London Wall to Bignell's Corner, where it crosses the M25 and becomes the A1 motorway, alternating with the A1 as it continues to Edinburgh. The London section of the road passes through four London Boroughs: the City of London,...
, and a dual carriageway with no access from the northbound lane.