Capital Ring Highgate: Woods, Railway and Routes Home

If you live around Archway or Highgate, one of London’s best long-distance walks runs almost past your front door, and most people have no idea. The Capital Ring is a signed walking route that loops right round London, and the Capital Ring Highgate stretch is one of the greenest parts of it: ancient woods, an old railway line turned nature reserve, and a finish next to a cafe. You can do it in a morning, split it into chunks with kids, or use it as a weekly training walk.

I coach busy parents in Archway, a short bus ride from Highgate, and this is the walk I suggest when someone says, “I want something bigger than a stroll round the block, but I only have a few hours.”

What is the Capital Ring?

The Capital Ring is a circular walking route of about 78 miles around London, split into 15 sections. Each section starts and ends near public transport, which is what makes it so useful for parents: you can stop when you want and get home easily. Look out for the small Capital Ring signs and waymarkers on posts and gates.

Highgate is where two sections meet. Section 11 arrives from Hendon and finishes at Highgate station. Section 12 starts at Highgate station and heads east to Stoke Newington.

Capital Ring Highgate: Section 11 (the woods)

Section 11 runs from Hendon Park through Hampstead Garden Suburb, along the Mutton Brook, past East Finchley station, through Cherry Tree Wood, then into Highgate Wood and Queen’s Wood before finishing at Highgate station.

For families, the best bit is the last stretch. A simple version:

1. Take the Northern line to East Finchley.
2. Follow the signs through Cherry Tree Wood.
3. Cross into Highgate Wood, which has a cafe with a terrace, a large playground, a sports field and toilets.
4. Cross Muswell Hill Road into Queen’s Wood, which is hillier and wilder.
5. Finish at Highgate station.

Two things to know about Highgate Wood: cycling is not allowed anywhere inside, and closing times move earlier through autumn and winter (from 9 November 2026 it is listed as closing at 4:30pm). It can also close at short notice in high winds. Scooters and bikes are better left at home for this stretch. My Highgate Wood with kids post has more ideas for that part.

Section 12: Highgate to Stoke Newington (the railway)

Section 12 starts at the Priory Gardens entrance to Highgate station and follows the Parkland Walk, a disused railway line that is now a nature reserve. It passes Crouch End and reaches Finsbury Park, then follows the New River past the Woodberry reservoirs, goes through Clissold Park and finishes at Abney Park Cemetery near Stoke Newington station.

Walkers who have written it up put the section at about 8 km, roughly two hours at a relaxed pace. Some details worth knowing:

• The Parkland Walk southern section is just over 3 km from Holmesdale Road in Highgate to Finsbury Park, according to the Parkland Walk access page. Some entrances are steep slopes or steps, and parts flood after rain.
• Look for the Spriggan, a sculpture of a green figure in the brick arches around halfway along. Kids love spotting it.
• Finsbury Park has a lake, open grass and toilets, and is the natural place to stop if little legs are done.
• The old pumping station by the reservoirs is now the Castle Climbing Centre, which runs kids’ climbing sessions if you want a reward at the end.

For more on the old railway, see my full Parkland Walk guide.

Getting home

This is the best thing about the Capital Ring for parents: there are exits all the way along.

• Section 11: East Finchley and Highgate are both on the Northern line, High Barnet branch, the same branch as Archway.
• Section 12: bail out at Crouch Hill or Finsbury Park, or finish at Stoke Newington and take the train or a bus home.

Check TfL Journey Planner before you leave, because weekend closures are common.

Three family options

The short one (toddlers)

Highgate station, a loop of Highgate Wood with a long playground stop and the cafe, then back to the station. Keep it under two hours including play.

The middle one (age 5 to 9)

East Finchley to Highgate on Section 11. Woods all the way, a playground in the middle, and the tube at both ends.

The big one (age 10 and up, or adults)

Highgate to Stoke Newington on Section 12, with a picnic at Finsbury Park. If you are fit and keen, do Sections 11 and 12 back to back.

Turn it into a training walk

On your own or with a friend, the Highgate stretch makes a great weekly fitness walk. Here is how I would use it:

• Pace: walk briskly enough that you can talk in short sentences. That counts as moderate activity in the NHS walking for health advice.
• Hills: Queen’s Wood has short steep paths. Walk up one 4 to 6 times, recovering on the way down.
• Weekly goal: do one section a week for a month, then try two sections in one go.
• Footwear: trainers with grip, or walking shoes. The woods get muddy from autumn onwards.

Where a bootcamp class fits

Long walks build stamina, but they do not do much for upper body strength or core. In my classes we work on exactly those, so carrying a tired 6-year-old on your shoulders for the last kilometre feels a lot easier. The SYP Built To Last functional strength class is designed for that kind of real-life strength.

FAQs

How long is the Capital Ring section through Highgate?

Section 12 from Highgate to Stoke Newington is around 8 km. Section 11 comes into Highgate from Hendon. You can walk just a part of either and use the stations along the way.

Is the Capital Ring signposted?

Yes, with small signs and waymarkers, but they can be easy to miss in the woods. Keep a map app open as a backup.

Can you cycle the Highgate section?

Not through Highgate Wood, where cycling is banned. On the Parkland Walk you will meet runners, dog walkers and sometimes cyclists, so keep kids to one side.

Is it suitable for buggies?

Partly. The woods have main paths, but some Parkland Walk entrances involve steps or steep slopes. An all-terrain buggy helps, and plan your entry and exit points in advance.

Book your first class

If you want to feel stronger on your weekend walks, SYP Bootcamp runs 45-minute small-group classes indoors in a church hall in Archway N19, max 10 people, £15 a class, with easier and harder options for every exercise. Book your £15 class here or call or WhatsApp me on 07301 512215. If you live up the hill and want a plan built around you, see my personal training in Highgate.

About the author

Artem Olekhnovych is a personal trainer in Archway and the founder of SYP Fitness and SYP Bootcamp. He has coached clients in Archway, Highgate and across North London for over 10 years, and runs small-group bootcamp classes for busy mums and dads. Read reviews from his 1-1 clients.