The Ancient Woodland Way | Free Hike 22.5km (14mi)

📈 Grade: 🥾🥾🥾Level 3/5 - (Moderate)
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📖 SUMMARY:
📏 Distance: 22.5km (14mi)
⛰️ Ascent 221m | Max Elevation 202m
📍Meeting Point: Hatch End tube station at 10:00
🚊Train: London TFL Tube Station
🏁Hike start: Hatch End tube station | 10:00
🔚Hike finish: Stanmore tube station | approx. 17:00
📈Pace Steady: Intermediate 5 km/ph
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📍 MEETING POINT
10:00 outside Hatch End station What3Words
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📕ABOUT:
This premier North London loop is a masterclass in "hidden" greenery. Moving from the suburban fringe of Hatch End into some of the most historic and ecologically diverse landscapes in the Home Counties, this hike offers a perfect blend of high-altitude views, Victorian intrigue, and deep-forest immersion.
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⭐️HIGHLIGHTS:
1. The Deep Woods & Sculptures Setting off from Hatch End Station, you quickly leave the cafes behind for the Oxhey Woods Sculpture Trail. This section feels remarkably remote, with chainsaw-carved art hidden among ancient oaks. It’s the "Deep Woods" phase of the hike where the canopy is thickest.

2. Gothic History & Horizons You’ll emerge at the Grim’s Dyke Hotel, the former home of W.S. Gilbert (of Gilbert & Sullivan fame). This Grade II listed manor adds a touch of Victorian Gothic drama to the route. From there, it's a short push to the Old Redding Viewpoint, which offers one of the most expansive vistas of the London skyline—keep an eye out for the Shard on a clear day.

3. The High Ground The trail ascends to Stanmore Common, the highest point in the area. This is a rugged, wilder landscape of heathland and secondary woodland. Adjacent to it lies Pear Wood, a true "Ancient Woodland" extension containing remnants of Grim’s Ditch, an enigmatic Iron Age earthwork.

4. Rolling Hills & Hidden Valleys Descending through Stanmore Country Park, the landscape opens up into rolling hills and meadows. This is the "breather" section of the hike before you enter the crown jewel of the route: Bentley Priory Nature Reserve.

5. The Deer Park & The Lake The final major leg takes you through the grounds of the historic Bentley Priory. You’ll skirt the Master’s Lake and pass through the Deer Park, where a herd of fallow deer is almost always visible grazing near the treeline. It’s a serene, stately end to the wilder forest sections.

6. Social Pub Stop at the end of the Hike.
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💷COST: Free
This hike is completely free to join but participants need to purchase their own transport tickets.
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🍔🚻 LUNCH AND FACILITIES
Bring water, lunch and snacks. We may stop at a café with toilets.
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🎒WHAT TO BRING:

• 1-2L Water
• Packed lunch and snacks
• Comfortable walking/hiking shoes
• Weather-appropriate clothing (layers, waterproofs, hat, sunscreen)
• Optional: trekking poles, camera

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✅WHO CAN JOIN:
Adults aged 21 and over.
No children.
No pets.
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🚨RSVP & ATTENDANCE:
RSVP only if you plan to attend. Please cancel as early as possible if you can no longer make it so others can join. A no-show means you RSVPed but did not attend or cancelled just before or after the start time. Repeated no-shows or late cancellations without a valid reason may lead to removal. Reliable regulars who end up on a waitlist may message the host for priority consideration.
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☯️STAYING TOGETHER:
A dedicated back marker is not always present, so please keep others in sight and avoid moving too far ahead or falling too far behind. Faster walkers should wait at junctions. The hike leader will pause at key points to regroup and reduce the chance of anyone becoming separated from the group.
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📞 CONTACT
For questions, please message the event host Ashantel
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⚠️ DISCLAIMER:
By joining, you confirm that you have read and accepted the group policy on the About page. You are responsible for your own safety, and neither the host nor the group can be held liable for injury, loss, or damage.