Sunday Hike High Barnet - Highwood Hill - Arkley - Hadley Common Circular 9.5 ml

Join like-minded outdoor enthusiasts to discover some little-known scenic trails and woodland in the Green Belt countryside near Barnet. Stop for lunch in the midst of a little known Rhododendron wood that may still be in flower. This Sunday getaway is perfect for nature enthusiasts and hikers looking to explore new trails and embrace the great outdoors. It starts right at the end of the Northern Line tube line.
Meet 10:30 for 10:45 start outside the ticket office at High Barnet Underground Station (by the Coffee@Cal's kiosk, a little way up the path from the car park) Barnet Hill, Barnet EN5 5RP. See photo in photo album for this event. Look for our Meetup sign.
HIKE DESCRIPTION:
From the start towards Underhill then west along the Dollis Valley Green Walk/London Loop - Whitings Hill Open Space - Whitings Wood - Totteridge Fields Nature Reserve - Highwood Hill - Barnet Gate Wood (outdoor lunch stop) - The Gate Pub (indoor lunch stop). After lunch Arkley Windmill - Galley Lane - St Albans Road - Monken Hadley Common - King George's Field - and back up Meadway to the start. Total distance is 9.5 mls (15.2 km) but you could finish at lunch time and take a bus or you could shorten it a bit at the end if you like
Approx 80% of this route is on footpaths and 20% on roads with pavements. Footpaths may be muddy in places if the weather has been wet.
PLACES OF INTEREST:
Totteridge Fields Nature Reserve, London Wildlife Trust http://www.wildlondon.org.uk/reserves/totteridge-fields
Barnet Gate Wood, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnet_Gate_Wood
Arkley Windmill http://www.windmillworld.com/millid/2594.htm
Whitings Wood (Woodland Trust) https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/wood/4629/whitings-wood/
The Gate pub: http://thegatearkley.co.uk/
HIKING MAP:
Ordnance Survey 'Explorer' 1:25,000 scale, Sheet 173, London North
ONLINE MAP:
This route was devised by South Herts Hikers. There is a static map in the event photo above and we have also uploaded it to Wikiloc. See: https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/high-barnet-tube-station-highwood-hill-arkley-monken-hadley-common-loop-v2-36973557
You can select map or aerial view (OpenStreetmap recommended) and you can zoom in. Navigating the trail outdoors using the Wikiloc app needs the premium version but it is also possible to download a .GPX file to a mobile device to use with any GPS app. You need to set up a Wikiloc login but it's free and then use a web browser e.g. Google Chrome or Apple Safari rather than the Wikiloc app to follow the Wikiloc link above. You can use a .gpx or .kml file with any GPS app such as OSMand, Komoot, All Trails, Outdoor Active, Organic Maps or Google Maps
PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO MEETING LOCATION:
London Underground Northern Line, TfL buses 34, 107, 234, 263, 307, 326, 384.
CAR PARKING NEAR MEETING LOCATION:
High Barnet Tube Station car park is expensive (£6.00 Sundays) https://www.sabaparking.co.uk/car-park/high-barnet-station-car-park-tfl Alternatively, you could park free in nearby streets such as Vale Drive EN5 2ED without parking restrictions on Sundays. Please park considerately.
• What to bring
Most of the route is on public footpaths in the countryside. Some of these may be slippery, muddy or stony in places. We recommend:

• adequate footwear, preferably hiking boots, with thick soles and good grip
• waterproof jacket or umbrella for rain
• sun hat if sunny
• drink essential (1 - 2 litres)
• packed lunch (recommended).

• Important to know
There will be a mid morning stop 4.2 km from the start in Whitings Wood. Outdoor lunch stop is 7.3 km from the start in Barnet Gate Wood where you can eat your packed lunch. Indoor lunch stop is 7.7 km from start at The Gate pub, Barnet Road, Arkley, EN5 3LA. Before going into the pub, please be prepared to remove or cover your boots if muddy.
We can spend up to 60 minutes at the pub lunch stop and this may allow time to order food, if available but the pub can be busy on a Sunday and they may only have tables for people who pre-book. We recommend you to bring your own food but please do not consume your own food or drink in the pub or in their garden. We have a quiet woodland lunch spot.
We plan to finish by 16:30 - 17:00.
Although this event is shown on Meetup as free, from 1st Jan 2025, this group has introduced a monthly membership subscription of £4 per month. You only pay for months when you actually attend an event. Anyone who attends an event needs to be a member of South Herts Hikers, including guests and your membership subscription lasts for one month from the date when you pay. During that time you can attend any other Group events with no extra charge. There will normally be at least one more event in the 31 days after you join, possibly more. This subscription contributes towards the costs of running this Meetup Group including the fees that organisers need to pay Meetup which increased by 80% from July 2024. You can use cash or Paypal https://paypal.me/SouthHertsHikers
Please note our membership criteria and guidelines. From this Meetup Group's home page https://www.meetup.com/southhertshikers/ see What we're about > Read More
For our policy on dogs on our hikes, please see our FAQ page, http://southhertshikers.uk/faq/