6 ventured up to the Northern Heights of London on an initially sunny then showery evening. This pleasant route enters greenbelt almost from the start and we were immediately greeted by a stunningly grand display of blossoming blackthorn. We carried on into a young oak forest where it was a bit gloopy underfoot, then came face to face with the grand matriarch herself!

We then approached Darlands Lake which was very pretty with the setting sun behind. Unfortunately the fritilleries and wood anemones were a bit scarce this year -- but we did find a couple....I guess they suffered from a bit of stage fright on learning the SWC would be paying a visit. Hopefully, they make a resurgence. Our local correspondent provided good background on the area and told us about various conservation efforts.

Back in Totteridge, 4 went to a very tasty upmarket Indian where we were joined by a 7th regular evening walker. A fun night out!

11 people met at Totteridge & Whetstone station in sunshine and snow for this walk, despite half-hearted attempts by the Northern Line to sabotage proceedings with broken down trains. A few later popped up pixie-like in the woods and one came from Mill Hill East to the lunch pub. All this makes me a tad unsure about final numbers, but I think I can say at least 15 .

It was a sparkling morning, the snow still thick on the ground - and in many cases on leaves and twigs. There were crystals of what looked like hoar frost on the snow in many places (I can only assume this has grown in the days since the snow fell). Things were particularly pretty in the woods by Darlands Lake, and there were widespread expressions of the "I never realised this walk was so nice" variety. (I am taking his as a compliment...)

A few did the shortcut to lunch, while others did the main route, passing the totally frozen Long Pond on Totteridge Common, intriguingly marked with animal tracks in places. I hear one person slipped on a path on the final leg to lunch, but she reported no ill effects from the experience.

The Three Hammers was vast and almost entirely empty. Indeed, one worries a bit about its business prospects if it cannot do better on a Saturday before Christmas. But that meant that we had the bar staff largely to ourselves, and 11 of us could all gather round a single table. They are to be commended for having an extensive vegetarian/vegan menu, though it is a pity that some of the vegan dishes were not available. I think most were happy with their food.

We finished lunch at 2pm. There was concern in some quarters about finishing before dark, and at least two took a bus or short cut to Mill Hill East. The rest of us carried on under somewhat cloudier skies. There was still lots of snow, but after five and a half days it was finally gone from the shrubs and trees, marking the start of the thaw. The ground remained firm all afternoon, however, the writer privately enjoying standing on brick hard ice in one notorious bog spot.

We all ended in Totteridge just as the light was fading, no extensions being entertained or needed as far as I am aware. One of our number had had breakfast in the Nature's Nest, the cafe and wholefood shop just up the road from the station, and a group of us went there for tea. Once again, all the vegan cakes had gone, but it proved a cosy stop with enough tables to accommodate us all. Then back on the tube to watch Strictly (apparently)...

If anyone who is on the walk is interested, the hoar frost on snow we saw today was "surface hoar" (acc to google): "essentially the frozen version of dew": it needs specific conditions, in particular cold still air, to form.

Having arrived at Totteridge a few minutes late due to Central Line delays, I thought I might be the only one showed up. I set off as fast as my little legs would carry me on a mild, occasionally sunny day. There was mud. Mostly slippy not sinky but still quite splashy. An arduous short cut later, I reached the 3 Hammers. I didn't think they would let a mud encrusted apparition such as myself through the door but, having pressed my mud-encrusted nose up against the window, I was surprised to find 7 other walkers sitting sedately inside, about to tuck into lunch. Readers, I was not alone! So I joined them. That made 9 altogether (one having already left). Three of that number were new to the group. Staff were friendly and attentive and the food seemed alright.

After lunch, the mud seemed to get deeper and started to get more sinky . The sort of over-your-boots stuff that would trap a mammoth. We pressed on. I don’t like to use the L-word, as you know, but we definitely went off-piste a couple of times and had to retrace our steps back through some of those mammoth traps. Eventually, we reached the station. Most went in search of a café to round off the day. But not yours truly. Yours truly just got the train. A day mostly fine turning cloudier with hints of rain . Enjoyable, but crikey Moses, the mud!

12 + 1 Jack Russell on a warm chilly sunny hailstoney blowy sort of day. And let’s not forget the one clap of thunder. Probably louder than Krakatoa.

Surprisingly rural (just like it said in the intro). Cow parsley wild garlic and stitchwort all in flower as was some of the hawthorn. But with the occasional hailstorm in the offing I ended up putting on more clouts than I cast.

If I did the walk again, I think I would choose the village ending. I found the last 1.4 km of the direct route a little tedious.

Those that ate seemed pleased with the 3 Hammers. There was talk of going to the Waiting Room café at the end. But Mr Tiger can’t verify that. Mr Tiger had adopted a slow stealth crawl and was some way behind the others.

Following on from Mr. T.'s report 6 of the 12 took tea at the Waiting Room café. Quintessentially English with cotton doilies, silvered teapots and delicious lemon drizzle cake. Unfortunately the Café's dog policy didn't allow Gabriela (a new walker to the SWC group) to bring her well behaved Jack Russell into the café :-(

However, The Three Hammers had no such restrictions and even offered to bring a bowl of water for Smakas (the Jack Russell). Friendly staff produced food in good time in this large accommodating pub. There was also a separate Vegetarian/Vegan menu for those who wished to order same.

The couple of weather micro-bursts in the afternoon were spectacular, but quickly over. Walkers who hunkered down in the bus shelter during the first session resisted temptation to catch the 251 bus to Burnt Oak which conveniently turned up during the hail.

There were a number of bird watchers towards the beginning of the walk and they said that they and we were looking at Grey Wagtails.

This time of the year this walk can be very muddy and waterlogged

I haven't found any evidence yet of serious mud and/or waterlogged fields, after the long, hot, dry summer of 2018. I have gaiters, just in case.

I thought that I might get to record a verified zero attendance on this walk (as opposed to the assumed zero attendance if we get no walk report), since on arrival at the station (my local one) at 10.27 no other walkers were in evidence. Had none turned up, I would have gone off to do something else. But in fact they were all assembling on the station platform in traditional SWC style, and in the end a group of 11 set off.

The clouds were parting at this point and for a time it was fairly sunny. Alas, by mid morning it clouded over, so briefly sunny then cloudy is entered into the log. There was no mud at all, with even normally bog-prone parts of the route being solid underfoot. Some fine remaining colour on oak trees but basically trees were bare.

Most did the main route to lunch, enjoying the view down onto Alexandra Palace, Highgate and other such lesser heights. At least one walker, who we are happy to see back with us after a break for medical reasons, did the short cut to lunch and reported no navigational problems apart from having to circumvent a football game. Two walkers, mysteriously, materialised on the main route going in the opposite direction from the one specified, having got lost in some way or other. They went on to complete the walk from this direction without going to the pub. One other apparently got a bus home from the lunch pub.

Four of us lunched in the not-at-all-full Three Hammers and three of us enjoyed fine roasts (nut in my case) with generous portions, which we accompanied with a talk about the dangers of eating too much carbohydrate. Three picknickers joined us for drinks: one went on alone.

In the afternoon seven of us enjoyed an uneventful walk back to Totteridge station. None went for tea, as far as I am aware, apart from the picknicker who had gone on ahead who found Costa Coffee well frequented, the tea room near the station having mysteriously decided to close early (a commercial lesson there somewhere...).

Hi can the editor / poster of this lovely walk please help me out? would be grateful to know about what time would the lunch pub be reached seeing as the walk begins at 10.30? hoping to link up with someone who wants to do the second part of the walk..

Thank you!

12.45 or so

I honestly can’t imagine this bit of green belt being built on. It very nearly was in the 1930s and was saved by the villagers buying the rights to the manor of Totteridge. This makes it greenbelt royalty.

Where will you stop for lunch?

12 on this walk, who set off smartly to avoid a large party of Ramblers doing the same walk. We showed them a clean (or possibly dirty) pair of heels...

It was a glorious sunny start to the day though with more cloud later . There was a keen wind, but this walk generally seemed not to be exposed to it. This walk can be very muddy later in the winter (I created it so I can say this) but today the paths were (with a few minor exceptions) delightfully firm. There were good amounts of autumn colour. Perhaps rather too many metal kissing gates (I think the Belmont Estate bought a job lot of them by mistake and decided to scatter them liberally around the landscape as a kind of performance art) but in general very pleasant scenery.

About half the group decided to do the short cut in the morning and so arrived at the lunch pub at just after midday to find it blissfully empty. Most opted for the magnificent-sized roasts, which came quickly: the veggie cottage pie was nice too. We left the pub about 1pm and by 2.30pm were approaching the end of the walk, but none opted for the longer options. (The Ramblers, we understand, were made of sterner stuff and were aiming for Cockfosters). Six of us had tea at the cosy Waiting Room tea room by the station.

Did this walk today, 26 Mar, and can report both wood anemones and snakeshead fritillaries are plentiful and in full blossom.

They are indeed and cross fingers the blackthorn will also be in blossom by next weekend. It is seriously thinking about flowering as we speak.

16 ennjoyed this lovely 'Northern Heights' walk. sunny with intermittant clouds. I was impressed how rural the walk was. If it was not for the occasional road noise, it could easily be taken as one of the remote country walks. So well done for the walk author to introduce us to this undiscovered Northern Heights. Lots of flowers, wood anemones, snakeshead fritillaries, blackthorn to name a few enRoute. The lunch pub was value for money, with two course meals (Sunday roast and a few other options) at £11.95. Those who had fish and chips had a pleasant surpise - unadvertised promotion at only £5.49. In the afternoon, 3 opted for a longer version to Cockfosters, 4 had tea and cross buns at Walker's Castle and rest decided to head home. A nice day out in good company. Thanks Sean for posting it.

6

Can I point out that this walk has two longer options, one to Cockfosters extending it to 19km (11.8 miles). It involves a brief dip back into suburbia but otherwise is a pleasant enough walk across common and woodland. There is a nice tea option at the end.

9 sunny with passing clouds

9 Walkers took a punt on this walk, trusting the 'hype' of the normally reliable walk author. We were not to be disappointed, not one bit.

It explores a lovely part of suburbia, without it feeling like suburbia at all for most of the walk. The negatives of the walk are few and quick to list: about 10 minutes of residential streets near the start (and they were actually quite nice), and about 10 minutes along a busy road mid-morning. That's it, as we didn't walk the 'normal' ending through Totteridge, but rather the alternative around it, along the Dollis Valley.

The Positives are numerous, as the route negotiates the large unbuilt-upon green area between Totteridge, Mill Hill and Barnet, much of which is benefiting from benign neglect by the councils: the start and ending through the meadows and woods of the Dollis Valley, various bits of interesting woodland, full of tiny streams, ponds, reservoirs, a huge number of wildflower meadows, plenty of cows and sheep, stately (footballer's) mansions on ridges, a splendid (if a little understaffed on the day) lunch pub, frequent far views back to Canary Wharf, the City or - later on - Wembley stadium.

All this enhanced by the presence of the walk author, who is so familiar with the area, he practically knows every grass halm by name... He naturally had to field numerous questions on flora, fauna and local history and was patient enough to answer them all.

A couple of walkers only had time for part of the walk, others did the Circular walk back to Totteridge & Whetstone station, but 5 walked the alternative ending to Cockfosters. This has one 'bad' bit, about 10 minutes through the centre of Barnet (but at least it passes the legendary 'sloping pitch' of Barnet FC - The Bees - in the process), but then leads rather gloriously through Monken Hadley and Hadley Common. On this stretch it is impossible not to feel away from it all, although the map tells you that houses are practically within shouting distance.

Tea at Trent Park Cafe, and then - for 4 of us and all in the interest of walk research - back to the nearby Cow Inn, which is under new Mgmt and has just had a complete refurb. We stayed for quite a few hours, incl. a sumptious meal and the odd bottle of fermented grape juice. A rather splendid place it is.

Piccadilly Line train at about 22.00 hours. One of my longest Wednesday Walk Outings. Very Good Indeed.