LEISURELY WALKS
![]() Group Coordinator: Derek Harwood (click to contact) |
When
One walk each month on varying days of the week. If there is enough support and others are prepared to lead some walks, we will then increase the frequency. |
Where Most walks will be fairly local
but some utilising public transport will be
slightly further afield (but still within
Greater London).
|
Introduction
Since Spring 2018 iU3A has had a Leisurely Walks group (in addition to the current Shorter and Longer Walk groups). This group offers a monthly half-day walk (on different days of the week) of up to three miles. The pace is leisurely, with pauses along the way. The start and end points are easily reached by public transport and are in the Freedom Pass travel zones. Some walks are local, e.g. Clissold Park and the New River Path; others are sometimes further afield, e.g. Trent Park. The walks may feature river or canal towpaths, parks and nature reserves, while others may be more urban and explore a London 'village’. They are ideal for members who like gentle outdoor exercise at a slower pace than the other walking groups. If you are interested in joining this new group please use the email link above to advise the Group Coordinator or join online through the Members' System ('Beacon') here.
Our experience of organising walks has suggested a few common-sense guidelines, to ensure everyone’s enjoyment and safety on our walks. You can see them here.
We won't have sign-ups per walk — you can just turn up on the day. But if you are late we won't be expecting you so we won't wait for you.
In addition to this Group if you don't see what you like here, you might want to look at our Discovering Islington Group here.
Our Next Leisurely Walks
Since Spring 2018 iU3A has had a Leisurely Walks group (in addition to the current Shorter and Longer Walk groups). This group offers a monthly half-day walk (on different days of the week) of up to three miles. The pace is leisurely, with pauses along the way. The start and end points are easily reached by public transport and are in the Freedom Pass travel zones. Some walks are local, e.g. Clissold Park and the New River Path; others are sometimes further afield, e.g. Trent Park. The walks may feature river or canal towpaths, parks and nature reserves, while others may be more urban and explore a London 'village’. They are ideal for members who like gentle outdoor exercise at a slower pace than the other walking groups. If you are interested in joining this new group please use the email link above to advise the Group Coordinator or join online through the Members' System ('Beacon') here.
Our experience of organising walks has suggested a few common-sense guidelines, to ensure everyone’s enjoyment and safety on our walks. You can see them here.
We won't have sign-ups per walk — you can just turn up on the day. But if you are late we won't be expecting you so we won't wait for you.
In addition to this Group if you don't see what you like here, you might want to look at our Discovering Islington Group here.
Our Next Leisurely Walks
Full walk details including meeting points
and times will be available a week or two before the walk.
You'll be able to see them (and print them if you like) from
a link on this page. Where it says 'Details here', click on
'here' when it is highlighted in blue.
December: there might not be a walk in December.
January: details to follow
Future dates:
Dates for the 2023/24 walks to be set once walk leaders are found. If you want to volunteer to lead one of these walks (help will be provided regarding the admin., etc) please use the contact link at the top to drop Derek an email.
Recent WalksDecember: there might not be a walk in December.
January: details to follow
Future dates:
Dates for the 2023/24 walks to be set once walk leaders are found. If you want to volunteer to lead one of these walks (help will be provided regarding the admin., etc) please use the contact link at the top to drop Derek an email.
Angel to Victoria Park: leaving the
Angel station we soon picked up the canal and turned east.
The number of runners and cyclists wasn't too high. We were
favoured with glorious autumnal weather with golden browns
and yellow on the trees. We turned into Victoria Park and
via the pagoda made our way to the west cafe taking in the
variety of bird life o the lake. Details here.
London Wall Walk: Six walkers took the route of the Roman London Wall as it stood in Roman times. Starting at info panel no. 1 by the ruins of a medieval postern gate near the Tower, we walked through the City and past the former city gates following the remaining Museum of London information panels. The best surviving section of the wall was through the entrance of the hotel behind Cooper’s Row, although we had our coffee overlooking the new Vine Street Museum stretch of Roman Wall. A sunny but breezy day, we enjoyed other City sights, including old churches, a few sculptures and a Victorian bathhouse, and learned that Houndsditch is probably named after an area of ditch around the wall where the Romans buried their dogs. We passed greener spaces through the Barbican area — the site of the original Roman fort c. 120AD — plus remains of the wall at the Salters’ Hall garden before the final impressive section at Noble Street, uncovered by WW2 bombs. We finished at the last panel (No. 21) in Aldersgate where a few of us walked through the Postman’s Park before heading for home. Details here.
Westminster to Vauxhall: this was a gardens and cafes walk. Three members enjoyed this walk and all enjoyed it. Details here.
Lesnes Abbey and Woods: Less than 10 minutes walk from Abbey Wood station on the Elizabeth line we entered Abbey Wood Park, taking a winding and undulating path past the dipping pond and around the ruined Abbey and the Monk’s Garden. Passing the viewing platform, which framed views of the City skyline, we walked up through the ancient woodland — now a nature reserve. The woods were quiet and shady but rather steep in places, so we took time to stop and look at the Green Man and Lady of the Woods tree carvings. There was a light shower as we emerged down from the woods and queued at the outdoor cafe. Luckily, it did not last long and we were able to relax in the bright sunshine while sitting on the stone benches with our drinks overlooking the abbey ruins. We took a different route through the park back to the station with plans to visit again next spring at bluebell time. Details here.
London Wall Walk: Six walkers took the route of the Roman London Wall as it stood in Roman times. Starting at info panel no. 1 by the ruins of a medieval postern gate near the Tower, we walked through the City and past the former city gates following the remaining Museum of London information panels. The best surviving section of the wall was through the entrance of the hotel behind Cooper’s Row, although we had our coffee overlooking the new Vine Street Museum stretch of Roman Wall. A sunny but breezy day, we enjoyed other City sights, including old churches, a few sculptures and a Victorian bathhouse, and learned that Houndsditch is probably named after an area of ditch around the wall where the Romans buried their dogs. We passed greener spaces through the Barbican area — the site of the original Roman fort c. 120AD — plus remains of the wall at the Salters’ Hall garden before the final impressive section at Noble Street, uncovered by WW2 bombs. We finished at the last panel (No. 21) in Aldersgate where a few of us walked through the Postman’s Park before heading for home. Details here.
Westminster to Vauxhall: this was a gardens and cafes walk. Three members enjoyed this walk and all enjoyed it. Details here.
Lesnes Abbey and Woods: Less than 10 minutes walk from Abbey Wood station on the Elizabeth line we entered Abbey Wood Park, taking a winding and undulating path past the dipping pond and around the ruined Abbey and the Monk’s Garden. Passing the viewing platform, which framed views of the City skyline, we walked up through the ancient woodland — now a nature reserve. The woods were quiet and shady but rather steep in places, so we took time to stop and look at the Green Man and Lady of the Woods tree carvings. There was a light shower as we emerged down from the woods and queued at the outdoor cafe. Luckily, it did not last long and we were able to relax in the bright sunshine while sitting on the stone benches with our drinks overlooking the abbey ruins. We took a different route through the park back to the station with plans to visit again next spring at bluebell time. Details here.

Rotherhithe: this was a walk through Redriff from Surrey Quays, formerly Surrey Docks, to Rotherhithe. The route went alongside Greenland Dock then turned north through Russia Dock Woodland to Stave Hill and the Eco Park. It then turned east to join the Thames Path opposite Canary Wharf, which we then followed upstream to Rotherhithe. It was a hot day and numbers dropped off as the walk proceeded but two made it to the end. Details here.





Gospel Oak to Kenwood: there were five of us for the walk in bright sun from Gospel Oak up to Kenwood and coffee in the Brew House. As the light was ideal for seeing the pictures three opted to spend a little time in the house whilst Cheryl and I, after a very short visit, followed the planned route back to Hampstead Heath station. Details here.

Bonnington Square garden has a small community garden with the seemingly ever-open Italo cafe, which serves mouthwatering Italian-inspired food and snacks, and excellent coffee. We stopped to refresh our taste buds and to enjoy the wintry sun, which filtered down through the trees. Then on, back across the busy roads to Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, a large green space boasting another new cafe, the Tea House Theatre.

This cafe offered an enticing display of cakes and tea and some of us bought a cake to take away for later. On we went and walked along the Albert Embankment as far as Lambeth Bridge and Westminster. But clouds caught up with us and the rain descended, so we took shelter in the Garden Museum, where there was a shop with unusual gifts for early Christmas presents and yet another cafe — this one offering tea, ginger biscuits and hazelnut brownies.
Anyone would think we did nothing but stop and eat in our journey across London, but the record showed that we had walked three miles, once we completed the final leg across Victoria Tower Gardens (site of the final bit of the queue for the recent lying in state of Queen Elizabeth II).


Then we turned into Holden Road and crossed over to the footpath signposted Dollis Valley Greenwalk. Following the brook to the Sussex Ring we took an early coffee break at Vero Cafe and then continued our walk through the impressive Fursby Avenue allotments reaching the Dollis Brook viaduct, a 13 arch 60ft high structure completed in 1867, carrying the Northern Line from Finchley Central to Mill Hill East.
A short walk down Dollis Road took us back to the Greenwalk. We continued to a signpost and took the right hand path leading to Holders Hill Road where we turned right and enjoyed lunch at Cake Create opposite the entrance to Hendon Cemetery. Details here.
Regents Canal, Islington to Victoria Park: another 'from our doorstep' walk. We set off from Highbury & Islington with a bus down New North Road to Gainsborough Studios where we picked up the canal, following this east and dodging the occasional cyclist, to Victoria Park. We then had a coffee overlooking the pond. That was the end of the offical walk but some stayed on to do a little circular stroll on the east side of the park before catching the bus back to Islington.
Finsbury Park: this was an 'on-our-doorstep' walk and yet a few of the 10 walkers didn't know bits of it existed. Helped by pleasant weather we left H&I station, strolled through Highbury Fields cutting through to the quiet spaces surrounding the Emirates and on to Gillespie Park. We had a quick stop at the Ecology Centre then on to Finsbury Park where we stopped for a coffee. A couple left us there but the rest of us carried on over the railway bridge on to the Parkland Walk. Due to the popularity of this walk during the recent lockdowns the path has been widened but on a midweek day nowadays it's quiet. We didn't go all the way to Highgate but soon turned back to retrace our steps to Finsbury Park and our finish there.


Richmond: a selective group of
members enjoyed this leisurely walk. After taking the
Overground train round to Richmond from the station it was
easy through Richmond Green to reach the Thames Path. We
then followed the Path through Buccleugh Gardens and Terrace
Gardens for a view immortalised by Turner and Reynolds. Next
we entered Richmond Park at Pembroke Lodge Gardens and on to
Petersham Park and Petersham Meadows, before picking up the
Thames Path again and following it back to the station.


Crossing the Outer Circle into Regent's Park we took The Broad Walk to the 'Ready Money' drinking fountain and then walked west towards the lake and eventually to the Winter Garden at the St John's Wood edge of the park. Most members of the group eventually met up at the Rose Garden cafe where the loos were free. Despite the St John's Lodge 'Secret Garden' being marked as closed on its website that morning, a small group, determined to see it, had found that it was open after all!
The following birds were observed: robin, long tailed tit, goldeneye, smew, egyptian goose, red crested pochard, wigeon, red-breasted merganser, mandarin duck, pintail, eider duck, great tit and blue tit. Walk details here.

The Lighthouse is an experimental lighthouse — London’s only remaining example — built in 1864. It was never used to aid navigation on the Thames but to experiment and develop lighting equipment for the Trinity House network of lighthouses, lightships and buoys. It was the place where Michael Faraday worked as Trinity House’s Scientific Adviser. In the 1840s he developed the lenses used in maritime lighting, and invented a chimney which solved the problem of condensation from oil lamps seriously reducing the light they produced. We saw more of the container city structures and quirky sculptures and then made our way back along Orchard Place and through East India Dock Nature Reserve with its tidal lagoon and saltmarsh (no birds in sight) to West India Dock Station.
November — Kenwood: ten of us enjoyed this leisurely walk in beautiful autumn weather, a straightforward walk over the Heath with a coffee stop outdoors at The Spaniards.



Returning to the broad path we retraced our steps to the cafe. Some members decided to return to the station, others thought that lunch in the nearby pub, The Cock Inn, might be a good idea but we changed our minds when we discovered that only two members of staff were on duty. A great discovery, when we had almost given up on lunch, was Miracles Cafe and Restaurant in Cockfosters Parade close to the station. Thoroughly recommended are an HLT (grilled halloumi cheese with avocado, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, herbs and olives etc) and a Lemon Breezer (lime cordial, lemon and mint). Details here.
July, Kenwood — eight of us walked from Gospel Oak station past the Highgate Ponds — Men's Bathing, Boating and Women's Bathing, but no actual bathing, except by dogs, due to the recent torrential rain. We then ascended the hill up to Kenwood House where we enjoyed a coffee break in the sun at the Brew House after appreciating the herbaceous borders in full flower in the kitchen garden. Next came the Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore sculptures before a descent on a narrow path through the woods to the Viaduct, which survives from attempts to develop the Heath before it came into public ownership 150 years ago. We finished by walking down to Hampstead Heath station past the Mixed Bathing Pond and a large circus marquee.


Shoreditch High Street to Hoxton (April): this was a pleasant typical inner London walk. After leaving Shoreditch High Street Station we walked along Sclater Street, crossed Brick Lane (not so busy these days) and passed St Matthew's Church. We crossed Bethnal Green Road and turned into Columbia Road (the home of Columbia Road Flower Market, also quiet on a weekday), and then walked through the park next to Hackney City Farm and through Haggerston Park. After a short stretch along the canal path we stopped for coffee at the Chalet Café. We then wound our way toward Hoxton Street, which led us through Hoxton Market and to Hoxton station. It was not the warmest day but at least there was no rain.
Victoria Park (December): during a brief period of no lockdown or other restrictions the Group managed a walk from Hackney Wick to and around Victoria Park.

Finsbury Park and the Capital Ring (September): this was our first walk since lockdown and 9 members were keen to get out and get some exercise. It was a pretty hot day but luckily the walk had quite a lot of shade along the route. Details here.






Archive
For the archived details of previous leisurely walks have a look here:
- Archive 2018-2019 here.