This week’s walk goes the whole length, beginning in Highgate’s ancient village and ending in the equally historic Lincoln’s Inn Fields. It seems a long way, but it’s only around five miles, and should take about two hours.
To make it even easier, we’ll stroll downhill. It largely follows Footways’ walking routes (footways.london) through quiet, enjoyable streets and green spaces. Paper maps of the Camden Green Loop and Central London cover the area south of Kentish Town.
The walk takes in a range of architecture: a medieval church, 17th century, Georgian and Victorian houses, London’s finest pre-war municipal housing, and contemporary buildings.
There is plenty of green space: London’s best – the Heath, Georgian squares and new public spaces, plus streets benefiting from the council’s improvements. We can enjoy some of London’s finest views.
Start in Pond Square, Highgate, surrounded by historic houses, and head down Highgate West Hill, soon to benefit from wider pavements, taking a detour to admire 1-6 the Grove, houses built in 1688.
Into Merton Lane then onto the Heath, walking past the bathing ponds. Head for the viewpoint on Parliament Hill Fields, taking in the glorious views laid out before you.
Leaving the Fields, turn right past Gospel Oak Station, cross the road at the signals and go into Oak Village, and so to Grafton Road with its rows of Victorian terraces and more recent developments. This long street has been traffic-calmed in places.
Eventually, reach Prince of Wales Road, bear left to Kentish Town Road, and cross over into Patshull Road, part of a charming enclave of Victorian streets. At the end, wind past Camden High School for Girls, over Camden Road into Murray Street, once a notorious rat run but now traffic-calmed, past Camden Square, near the Irish Centre, and over Agar Grove.
By the railway bridge are iron gates and signs directing cyclists to King’s Cross. Go this way.
At first, it’s unprepossessing, with parked cars waiting for repairs, but the route soon improves. Follow Camley Street south to the canal. It would be possible here to join the canal towpath to King’s Cross, but the walk continues over the bridge.
After the junction with Granary Street, on the right, is an entrance up some steps to Old St Pancras church and gardens.
It’s a real treat. There’s the tomb of Mary Wollstonecraft, and a monument designed by Dulwich Picture Gallery architect Sir John Soane for his wife.
Hardy’s tree, alas, died recently, but you can see the tombstones the future novelist gathered together when he was working for an architect, reducing the size of the churchyard, to build the Midland railway line into St Pancras station.
The church interior has been much restored, but there’s a Norman doorway and a 7th century altar stone. The River Fleet used to flow past here.
From the churchyard, cross Pancras Road and head into Charrington Street, full of terraces, some with pediments over the window, and so to a leafy public space outside Edith Neville School, a striking 21st building by Hayhurst and Co Architects.
Turn right, then left into Chalton Street and past the superb Ossulston Estate, built between 1927 and 1931 and influenced by Viennese public housing.
The neighbouring estate contains replicas of Gilbert Bayes’s sculptures. Over Euston Road into Cartwright Gardens, a crescent of 1809-11, down Marchmont Street, full of quirky shops. At the end is the Brunswick Centre of 1968-72, influenced by Italian Futurism.
Enter Brunswick Gardens, recently improved for walkers and cyclists, and proceed to Lamb’s Conduit Street, transformed over 20 years ago to create a pedestrian-friendly environment with cafes and independent shops.
On to Red Lion Street, where through traffic has been banned and new planting is being created.
Enter Lincoln’s Inn Fields, a glorious space. It contains Sir John Soane’s Museum, an architectural masterpiece, and Newcastle House, dating from the 1680s but restored by Lutyens, its courtyard with 17th century Purbeck stone paving, and Lindsey House, thought to be designed by Inigo Jones.
So ends a wonderful walk that shows Camden at its best. Surely parts of it, especially to the south, should be promoted as an impressive major walking route.
