Mary, Bob & Dick: North London Parks & Trails

This is a train-assisted ride, starting and finishing at Camden Road station, which is on the London Overground Mildmay Line.

We will be viewing monuments commemorating two cats, one woman, and a woodland sprite, as well as visiting several lovely green parks and trails.

We will ride from Camden Road into the centre of Islington, with a brief stop on Islington Green to see the cute statue of Street Cat Bob https://londonist.com/london/features/street-cat-bob-statue-islington-green-angel. Then we ride on towards Stoke Newington to see the controversial statue for Mary Wollstonecraft on Newington Green https://artreview.com/why-is-maggi-hambling-mary-wollstonecraft-statue-so-weird/ . After crossing Clissold Park, we reach Finsbury Park where we will stop in the café for refreshments https://www.finsburyparkcafe.co.uk/ .

Our afternoon ride takes us along the beautiful Parkland Walk from Finsbury Park to Highgate, https://www.parkland-walk.org.uk/ , a disused railway track which is now a nature reserve, and home to the mysterious Spriggan statue https://londonist.com/london/art-and-photography/the-fairy-bodyguard-of-north-london . The trail is unsealed, gravelly in places, and is a gentle incline.

Reaching Highgate, we have an easy ride down to Archway for a final stop to view Dick Whittington’s Cat https://alondoninheritance.com/london-parks-and-gardens/whittingtons-stone-and-whittington-park/ , before continuing down to Parliament Hill Fields and through quiet back roads back to Camden Road.

Ride starting/finishing at Camden Road station. Visiting several statues & monuments around North London.

Quieter roads where possible, some busier roads. Shared paths through parks. 3km on unsealed track, gravelly in places.

Stops to view statues & monuments. Lunch stop in Finsbury Park.

Lock for your bike. Money/card for cafe and rail fare.

First-timers welcome!