TOTTERIDGE & WHETSTONE Northern Line (High Barnet)

A village green, a yew-tree at least a thousand years old and a glorious summer walking route(for the agile).














From the station turn right and walk (uphill) along Totteridge Lane for almost fifteen minutes until you reach the village green. As there is a lot more walking to be done that is more interesting, you might like to save your energy by cheating and crossing the road to catch the 251bus.

Get off the bus at The Orange Tree pub. The ‘green’ is in fact a common - a pleasant area of grass with willow trees and a pond. Have a wander round. The simple Old House on the south east side of the green near the main road is Georgian. When you get back to the pub (which, sadly, has had a quite inappropriate makeover), take a little path, the entrance to which is hidden right in the corner of the car park.* Soon you will come to a chirpy cottage, Green Lodge late 19c Gothic. This was once a lodge to Copped Hall (see below). Set back behind this is The Croft in ‘Old English’ style (1895). The path becomes gravelly after this and runs alongside the common. Continue for a few minutes more, following the waymark for ‘Woodridge Nature Reserve’.
















Next come the early nineteenth century Streatham Cottages, white weather-boarded and with pretty little gardens in front. A few minutes more will bring you to a pond and a couple of seventeenth century farmhouses.

At this point return to the Orange Tree unless you wish to do one of the Folly Brook walks now. (Directions below) At the pub cross the road (careful, traffic goes quite fast along here) Go down the short path between trees, passing a curved post name sign (a style adopted by many Totteridge houses).Turn left along a leafy path that runs parallel to the road. After a few minutes turn right into Northcliffe Drive. Here are some picturesque ’Tudor’ houses. ‘Saxons’ on the right and ‘Normandy’ on the left are especially noteworthy. Hand-made tiles and twisty chimneys abound.

Continue for a little longer until you reach St. Andrews church, rebuilt 1790. It has an attractive weatherboarded bell-tower with battlements. Don’t miss the seventeenth century barn on the left. The area in front of the church was once an animal pound for lost and strayed livestock – the term lives on in our present day ‘car pounds’. Notice also the ancient yew tree, thought to be between 1000 and 2000 years old. I find these venerable trees fascinating, and tend to go into a historical reverie thinking about the events that took place during their life-times. It is almost like being with a very aged person. The baroque tombs in the churchyard are also worth investigating and there are some Georgian houses opposite the church.

After having a look round this area, walk up to a triangle of grass on which stands a War Memorial. Following the line of the road (signed Mill Hill) and crossing Barnet Lane with care, you will come to The Priory, a timber-framed seventeenth century building whose chimneys are just visible above the tall laurel hedge. (Many of the houses round here are carefully tucked away from public gaze.)





Next to The Priory is the later Totteridge House. There are a few more attractive old buildings to be seen, but they are another ten minutes walk away. Ridgeway Cottage (No. 51) is a white weather-boarded dwelling with a porch, while Totteridge Farm (early nineteenth century) has a charming old-fashioned garden. From here you can either return to the Tube station by bus (there is a stop where the village ends) or (from the Orange Tree) embark on one or other of the walks described below.






A SUMMER STREAM WALK IN TWO SECTIONS:
TO DARLANDS LAKE NATURE RESERVE AND/OR
TO WOODSIDE PARK TUBE STATION Please note that these walks are not suitable for young children needing buggies, or for those with any kind of walking difficulties, as parts of the route become extremely muddy after rain, and there are fallen trees and stiles to be negotiated. Having issued all these warnings, it is well worth the effort, as on a summer’s day the Darlands Lake walk in particular is a delight, though ‘obstacle course’ might be a better description for parts of it. If you are fit and have proper footwear, please do not be put off as it a most rewarding wander, which takes you along the Folly Brook, through woods, farmland then to a lake and back through meadowland, glowing with wild flowers in spring and summer.

Start off from the OrangeTree pub and take the path from the car park as described above. However, this time, when you reach the pond instead of turning back, go right down a shady fenced pathway to the right. This is waymarked ‘Barnet Countryside Walks 7 and the day I went was strewn with dog mess, so watch out. After a few minutes you come to a stile and glorious views of open meadows. Then comes another stile. Further on, at some posts waymarked Walks 7 and 3 and Woodridge Nature Reserve, turn left if you want to follow the Folly Brook back to Woodside Park Tube station now (see below).

Those brave enough to go to Darlands Lake Nature Reserve,should go through the posts and almost immediately turn right into woodland, following a narrow path with farmland on your left. Soon you will see a stream (Folly Brook). After about five minutes ducking under branches and maybe negotiating boggy patches you will come to a bridge over the stream. Go over this – another five minutes or so will bring you to a T Junction. You may well breathe a sigh of relief at the site of a wide gravel path! Go left past a board explaining the history of the Nature Reserve. The lake was part of a long-vanished eighteenth century landscaped garden (possibly Humphrey Repton) belonging to Copped Hall (originally situated near St. Andrews but demolished in 1928). It was formed by damming the Folly Stream. Now only the occasional rhododendron betrays the fact that this was one an ornamental park. Soon you will see a wooden bridge – you have found the lake. Amble alongside the water – eventually the path turns to the right over a bridge and moves away from the lake for a little while, but soon you will be beside it again. This stretch has two fallen trees (a horse chestnut and an oak) that have survived their uprooting and still flourish. I was quite worried by the oak, as it was so leafy I thought it had come down very recently and might not be safe. On closer inspection, however, I saw that although its root-system was at a right-angle to the ground, the lower half was in the stream which had enabled it to survive. A strange sight. Further along the track forks. Taking the right hand path will bring you back to the bridge at the lake where you started.

Return to the posts (the ones marked Walks 7 and 3) and go to the right, taking the path over open meadow, heading towards some trees. This is the route to Woodside Park Tube station. At first some houses are visible, but soon the path follows the stream and is very pleasant. Although there may be muddy stretches, you will be pleased to hear that this section is not so awkward as the way to the Nature Reserve. After 10-15 minutes you will come out at a Sports Club. Continue to Southover Road and cross over to the gates of the Dollis Brook park. From here is under ten minutes to Woodside Park Tube station. To get there enter the park and then cross over the small concrete bridge you will soon reach. Cross this, go towards Westbury Road and there turn left). Keep going up Holden Road and cross to Station Approach for the Tube.

*Those wishing to do either of the longer walks should do this stretch on returning from the church, otherwise you will be covering the ground twice)

Photos: Meadow view: Green Lodge: Streatham Cottages
The pond: 'Saxons', Northcliffe Rd: St. Andrew's church
Totteridge House: Ridgeway Cottage
Darlands Lake
MAP

Totteridge & Whetstone is just one walk from the many to be found at London Tube Rambles. There are architectural gems, beautiful country views, historic places and whacky buildings to be found, even in the most unpromising areas covered by the Greater London Underground stations. Usually the places listed are within a mile of the Tube - often only five minutes walk away. If you reached this as an individual page via a search engine, you might like to go to www.londontuberambles.co.uk to see the other destinations explored . You'll be amazed at what's out there!


© DR2008