Walk No 7 –   A Circular Walk From Mill Hill East a terminus point on the Northern Line

 

 

Distance

12.5 km (8 miles)

Underfoot

Mostly paved surfaces. One section near the end may be muddy

Outward Journey

By Northern Line to Mill Hill East  (changing at Finchley Central) - about 25 minutes from Central London

Return 

By outward route

Points of Interest

Dollis Valley Greenwalk

Refreshments

Cafes at Argyle Road (after 2.5 km)

Public Toilets

At Finchley Central (but none at Mill Hill East)

Shortening the Walk

Finish at Totteridge & Whetstone Station after 5km

 

 

 

What to Expect from This Walk

This interesting walk starts and finishes with some road walking, but it is otherwise entirely green with a long section along the Dollis Valley Greenwalk. Another section, near Totteridge, passes through open countryside with fields on all sides. In order to reach the starting point you will need to  change trains at Finchley Central for the shuttle service to Mill Hill East.  

 

 

 

 

Route Directions

1. When you come out of Mill Hill East Station,  turn right under a bridge. Continue straight ahead, ignoring Langstone Way on your right and Frith Lane on your left. Just after a mini-roundabout, cross over to the opposite side and walk to the left of Holders Hill Circus to enter Dollis Road. As the road swings left, the left-hand footway ceases, so to stay safe you should cross to use the pavement on the other side. Cross back before the road goes under the railway viaduct. Where the road makes a sharp right turn under the viaduct, turn left at a signpost and information board to join the Dollis Valley Greenwalk.

2. Follow the path along the Dollis Brook. Wherever there is a choice of paths, the correct route is shown by a waymark. About 1 km from the start of the Greenwalk, you arrive at Fursby Avenue. Cross over and continue ahead through a park. The brook is on your right.

3.  Pass a children’s play area and come to Argyle Road. At this point there is the opportunity for refreshments by turning left for 100m to reach a junction where there are a number of shops, including a café and a patisserie. Otherwise, cross Argyle Road and continue along the Greenwalk. After 250m the path joins a road (Southover), on which you turn right. 300m later, turn right again into Tillingham Way. After another 150m go through a gate on the left, signposted Moat Mount. Continue on the path. Cross over another road (Laurel View) and continue ahead. The path crosses a bridge and the brook is now on your left.

4. Continue ahead until you reach Totteridge Lane, a busy main road. You have now walked 5 km. Cross the road at the pedestrian crossing and turn right along the opposite footpath, past some shops. You reach a signpost which indicates the continuation of the Greenwalk to the left. At this point you can shorten the walk by going straight ahead in order to reach Totteridge & Whetstone Station. To continue the main walk, turn left and follow the Greenwalk through a broad section of parkland, with the brook on your left. After 1.5 km you reach a fork near Western Way. Go left here and enter some playing fields, staying close to the brook. After 400m go ahead through a gap in a hedge and pass a brick building to reach a road (Barnet Lane).

5.  Cross the road, going slightly to the right, and continue along the path, which starts to rise after 400m. After another 200m it descends again to reach a sunken path which crosses the Greenwalk. At this point leave the Greenwalk to take the path to the left over a bridge. You come to another junction of paths, where you go straight on between hedges. After 500m cross the end of a residential cul-de-sac. Continue ahead on the path and cross another road, still following the same path, until you emerge on Totteridge Lane, where you turn left towards a junction with a war memorial.

6.  Before reaching the junction, cross to the pavement on the right-hand side of the road. Continue until you are opposite St Andrew’s Church on your left. Then take a footpath on your right going downhill signposted Mill Hill 1.5 miles. At the bottom go ahead, with fields on your right and a wooden fence on your left. At the end of this long path, go through a gate into a large field. Cross the field, which may be muddy, maintaining your direction, towards a prominent building on the skyline.

7.  At the far side, go through a gate and continue in the same direction on a footpath, with a fence on your right, to reach Burtonhole Lane. Turn left on this lane and walk uphill past Mill Hill Village Cricket Club. Continue on the lane as it swings left by the entrance to Mill Hill Country Club. At the next junction turn right steeply uphill for a short distance. Turn left into Eleanor Crescent but then immediately right through a gate onto a path leading into the woods. Follow this footpath and after 250m reach a main road (Bittacy Hill) on which you turn left. To reach Mill Hill East Underground Station, you have one kilometre of downhill walking ahead of you, with good views across London.  Alternatively, you can catch a bus from here to the station.

Information on Things You Will See

Mill Hill East Stationwas opened in 1867 as part of the Great Northern Railway.  It became part of the tube network in 1941 when  Mill Hill East was home to the Middlesex Regiment.  The 1941 reopening under war-time conditions, was to allow easy access to the barracks. Mill Hill East Station is served by a shuttle service from Finchley Central and is the terminus of the only single track branch on the Northern Line. It is also the least used station on the Northern Line with approximately 1.3 million passengers per year.

The Dollis Valley Greenwalk is a footpath in the London Borough of Barnet between Moat Mount Nature Reserve and Hampstead Heath.  The walks connects a series of green spaces and wildlife corridors. It is 16Km (10miles) long and mainly follows the Dollis Brook. It was developed with the help of the Countryside Commission and in 2009 received a £400k grant from the Mayor of London as part of his “Help a London Park” scheme to improve cycle paths, lighting and general accessibility.  Care has been taken to improve natural habitats such as wetland, woodland, reedbeds, hay meadows and landscaping.  Information boards are provided to uncrease enjoyability and awareness.