Getting high (naturally) in north-west London

May 26, 2019 Comments Off

Jen takes up the baton again for the next of Footprints of London’s series of walks around the Capital Ring with Section 9 running from Greenford to South Kenton on Sunday 2nd June. Full details and booking link can be found here.

This section is the hilliest part of the Capital Ring but the climbs are well worth it for the views. Here Jen describes some of the ‘highlights’.

As we walk along the Grand Union Canal, this time the Paddington Branch, Horsenden Hill can be seen rising to our left. We cross the canal and climb through meadows to its summit. We are now at the highest point of the London Borough of Ealing (276ft / 84m above sea level) with views over six counties and ten London boroughs. Useful information boards help us to identify various landmarks both near and far.

After taking in our fill of the view we descend the hill through ancient woodland and make our way via Sudbury Hill to Harrow, famous for its school.

At the centre of the village we reach one of the highest points of the Ring, 350ft / 105m above sea level. We’re also 10 miles from Charing Cross (the point from which all distances from London are measured) and at the Ring’s furthest point from the centre of London.

The views are not as open here as they were from Horsenden Hill, although we are higher up. Instead we get tantalising glimpses of the city down steep, narrow side-streets and through the school buildings.

We then descend steep Football Lane, past Harrow School’s Music School, bearing the coat of arms of John Lyon who founded the school in the sixteenth century, to reach the school’s playing fields.

From here we can look back for a great view of the school on the hill and appreciate the commanding position it occupies.

After leaving the playing fields we follow the narrow, winding Ducker Path, which takes its name from the school’s former outdoor swimming pool where Winston Churchill swam when he was a pupil, to Northwick Park playing fields which we cross to bring us to South Kenton Station and the end of the walk.

As well as admiring the fabulous views, we’ll learn about the history of the places we visit along the way so why not come and get high with us?