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Explore London Beyond the End of The Line
26 Walks From Terminus Stations of the London Underground
Have you ever wondered about those mysterious destinations displayed on the indicator boards of London Underground stations. What kind of place is Ealing Broadway?. Why is Cockfosters so named? Is High Barnet really high? Is West Ruislip as exciting as it sounds? What can you see from Stanmore?. Is Epping in the midst of a real forest? Have you ever thought of travelling to these distant parts of the metropolis to see what they are actually like? Now there is a reason to set out and investigate every terminus point of the London Underground. This website details 26 walks which explore the suburban landscape “beyond the end of the line”. There is an unexpected treasure trove of wonderful countryside and interesting sights to visit. Canals, rivers, viewpoints, fields, hills, monuments, woods: all await your exploration. These walks (from 6km to 15km) make use of public footpaths and rights of way and are suitable for anyone of reasonable fitness.
These walks are now available as a book (price £7.99) which has sold more than 1,000 copies.
Click here to purchase the book
The book can an also be purchased from London Transport Museum, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7BB
The walks are listed in the table below
Walk No. |
Tube Line |
Terminus Station |
Brief Description of Each Walk |
Distance |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Jubilee | Stratford | Stratford to Limehouse Basin via Queen Elizabeth Park, Hertford Union Canal, Victoria Park and Regents Canal | 8Km (5 miles) |
2. | Jubilee | Stanmore | Circular walk via Stanmore Country Park | 8Km (5 miles) |
3. | Piccadilly | Cockfosters | Circular walk via Trent Country Park | 6.5Km (4 miles) |
4. |
Piccadilly/ Metropolitan |
Uxbridge | Circular walk via Grand Union Canal and River Colne | 10Km (6miles) |
5. | Piccadilly | T5 Heathrow | Terminal 5 Heathrow to Staines | 9.5Km (6 miles) |
6. | Northern | High Barnet |
High Barnet to Arnos Grove via Monken Hadley Common and Pymmes Brook Trail Shorter option of finishing at Cockfosters |
10.5Km (7 miles) to Arnos Grove
6.5Km (4 miles) to Cockfosters |
7. | Northern | Mill Hill East | Circular walk via Dollis Valley Greenwalk | 12.5Km (8 miles) |
8. | Northern | Morden | Morden to Waddon Ponds via the Wandle Trail | 10.5Km (7 miles) |
9. | Central | Epping | Epping to Chingford via Epping Forest and High Beach | 15Km (9miles) |
10. | Central | West Ruislip | West Ruislip to Northwood Hills via Ruislip Lido | 7Km (4.5 miles) |
11. | Central | West Ruislip | West Ruislip to Rickmansworth via Bayhurst wood Country Park and Grand Union Canal. | 14.5Km (9 miles) |
12. | Central/District | Ealing Broadway | Ealing Broadway to Boston Manor via Brent River Walk and Grand Union Canal | 13Km (8 miles) |
13 | District | Richmond | Richmond to Barnes via Thames Path and Richmond Park | 8Km (5 miles) |
14. | District | Richmond | Richmond to Boston Manor via Syon Park and the Grand Union Canal | 10Km (6 miles) |
15. | District | Wimbledon | Wimbledon to Kingston via Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park | 8.5Km (5 miles) |
16. | District | Wimbledon | Wimbledon to Putney via Wimbledon Common and Putney Heath | 7.5 Km (4.5 miles) |
17 | District | Upminster |
Upminster to Rainham via the Ingrebourne Valley |
8Km (5 miles) |
18 | Metropolitan | Amersham | Amersham to Beaconsfield | 13.5Km (8.5 miles) |
19 | Metropolitan | Watford |
Watford to Chorleywood |
11Km (6.5 miles) |
20 | Metropolitan | Chesham |
Chesham to Chalfont Latimer via Ley Hill |
11Km (6.5 miles) |
21 | Metropolitan | Aldgate |
Aldgate Tube Station to Greenwich Cutty Sark via Shadwell and Canary Wharf |
6Km (3.5 miles) to Canary Wharf 10Km (6 miles) to Cutty Sark |
22 | Bakerloo | Elephant & Castle |
Elephant & Castle Tube station to Green Park Tube Station via Archbishop's Park and St James's Park |
6Km (4 miles) |
23 | Bakerloo | Harrow & Wealdstone |
Harrow & Wealdstone to Stanmore |
14.5Km (9 miles) |
24 | Victoria | Walthamstow Central |
Walthamstow Central to Tottenham Hale via Walthamstow Wetlands |
9.5Km (6 miles) |
25 | Victoria | Brixton |
Brixton Tube Station to Herne Hill via Brixton Windmill and BrockWell Park |
6Km (4 miles) |
26 | Northern | Edgware |
Edgware Tube Station to Mill Hill East Tube Station Via Mill Hill Park and Arrandene Open Space |
6.5Km (4 miles)
|
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Walk Updates - This page gives information on route directions contained in the book which contained errors or are known to have changed
Changes Relating To First Edition Printed May 2019
Walk 6 - High Barnet to Arnos Grove -Page 28 Paragraph 4
New Barnet built a leisure centre across the route. After the sentence which concludes with the words "Lawton Road" -the rest of the paragraph should now read as follows ;
Follow the left-hand footway uphill beside a hedge and turn left into the driveway to New Barnet Leisure Centre. (Refreshments and toilets available) Follow the pathway which goes to the right of the building. Walk down the side and continue with a hedge on your left to reach a stone fountain. Turn left and leave the park.
these changes are incorporated in the second edition December 2020
Changes Relating up to Second Edition Reprinted 2020
Walk 17 - There is a typo on page 64. The River Ingrebourne rises in "Brentwood" not in Brentford.
Walk 14 Paragraph 3 - A new section of the Thames Path has been opened. Text currently reads
3. Turn right and walk for 400m, passing the sign for Isleworth. Where the main road turns left, turn right on Lion Wharf Road and walk down to the riverside. Turn left and pass between Town Wharf pub and the river. ............
Should Read
3. Turn right and walk for 50m. Turn right through an opening in the wall and follow the path ahead as it returns to the river and swings left for 300m to meet Lion Wharf Road. Go ahead and pass between town Wharf pub and the river.......
Walk 20 - The Swan Pub at Ley Hill may be closed. The Crown remains open
Walk 21 - Page 79 Paragraph 6 - The text reads "Climb some steps and cross a metal bridge over South Dock. Turn left at the end and walk along the quayside for 200m. Turn right between some low-walled grassy beds to a road (Marsh Wall)." Please note that there are currently some building works which may prevent access to Marsh Wall until you have walked a greater distance along the quayside.
Walk 24 - Please note that dogs are not permitted in Walthamstow Wetlands
these changes are incorporated in the third edition January 2022
Changes Related to Third Edition Reprinted 2022
Walk 20 Paragraph 3 - should read "When you reach a wood there are several routes. Ignore a path to the left. Your direction is straight on for about 30m and turn left by a sign for Cowcroft Wood on a path which passes through a small section of the trees and then runs down the left-hand perimeter of the wood."
Walk 24 - At the end of Paragraph 2 there should be a note stating "If this gate displays a notice about nesting birds you may need to turn back and take the path (now) on your right which rejoins the walk at the Visitor Centre.
Walk 24- At the end of paragraph 3, please note that metal steps have been installed, which facilitate an easier descent of the bank.
Walk 24 - Paragraph 5 - Where the towpath crosses to the opposite bank there is now a small cafe
Please let me know of any changes which you discover while doing the walks. My email address is shown below as a photograph (to prevent use by robots.)
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My name is Jeff Lock and I live in South East London. I am a keen walker and run a programme of Spring and Autumn Walks in Kent, Surrey and Sussex. I love London and the idea of walks from every tube terminus has led to an enjoyable time of much research and a great deal of travelling around the capital. I hope you will enjoy the book.
.
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Introduction
Having seen and enjoyed some of the world’s great cities, I remain firmly of the view that my own city, London, is one of the best, not only for the abundance of experience which it offers to visitors but also because of the endless opportunities for its own citizens to get out and about and explore interesting places and countryside. From Runnymede in the west to Epping in the east, from the North Downs in the south to the Lea Valley Park in the north, London is a treasure trove of places to visit and, in particular, to enjoy a walk. Any attempt to document such delights needs a structure and I have chosen the London Underground as the backbone of this book. Visitors and citizens alike, all use this mode of transport during their time in the capital and I believe the terminus destinations displayed on indicator boards have a gentle charisma. They beckon us on to distant parts of London that do not form part of our plans. Now there is a reason to visit them. This book documents 26 walks from London tube termini, literally “beyond the end of the line”.
The Nature of The Walks
Because they radiate from tube terminus points, these walks are mostly suburban in nature but this does not mean a lack of open countryside or waterways. They rapidly shrug off streetwalking for country footways, paths through parkland and routes along rivers or canals. On many of these you can experience both solitude and local wildlife. Sometimes an occasional dog-walker is the only person you will meet along the way. Unavoidably there are a couple of walks which can be described as urban but these strive to take in local places of interest. Only four of the walks are circular. The rest are linear but always finish at a point where there is a tube or railway station. They cover a variety of distances from 4 to 12 miles.
The Nature of Suburban London
London is a sprawling metropolis. It has a population of 9 million and an area of approximately 1,500 square miles. 300 different languages are spoken. But outside the dense urban core it is a collection of townships each with their own character and infrastructure. Bromley is very different to Ilford. Ealing is nothing like Harold Wood. These walks allow you to sample the feel of these different communities and locations. And between many of these towns there are large areas of protected open countryside which are ideal for walking. Something which is common throughout the capital is a superb public transport infrastructure and some of the walks can be shortened, if preferred, by taking buses or by stopping at an intermediate station
Information Provided
For each walk, the book gives details of distance, conditions underfoot, how to return to central London, refreshments, opportunities for shortening and information on things you will see. There are also detailed route directions and route maps.
Enjoy
I hope you enjoy these walks. I would be delighted to receive your feedback via the email shown below.