London Muswell Hill & Highgate (WITH CUES)

March 28, 2025

London, England, United Kingdom

Easy

Distance 5.38 km
Est. duration -
Elevation Gain 72 m
Elevation Loss 69 m
Category Walking

Description

Start with a palace, go through a park, end with a bath.

Route

Start

Alexandra Palace
51.57820, -0.11340

This grand Victorian-era Peoples Palace is the de-facto cultural hub of north London, hosting big-name music gigs, exhibitions and an in-season ice rink and street food market. Alexandra Palace Way; www.alexandrapalace.com.

Slight Right
51.57683, -0.11256

Keep right

Right
51.57650, -0.11269

Turn right onto Mount View Road

Bethnal Green to Mile End
51.52380, -0.06260

Shoreditch gets all the name cred in the global atlas of boho cool, but its boundaries are as blurry as the night out youre sure to have. So its worth a short saunter east to Bethnal Green and beyond to Mile End, where you can still get a world-class cocktail but it comes garnished with a more authentic slice of London life.

Redchurch Brewery
51.52530, -0.06170

Housed in a railway arch down a narrow street lined with faceless blue rolldown shutters, Redchurch Brewery guarantees a convivial night out with punters milling amongst beer tanks and brewing equipment, or up on the mezzanine level playing darts or picking out the next vinyl for the record player. Beers are named after local micro-hoods: Bethnal Pale Ale, Old Ford Export, Hoxton Stout. 275-276 Poyser St; www.redchurch.beer; 5pm-midnight Thu and Fri, 2pm-midnight Sat.

East London Liquor Company
51.52520, -0.05700

This former glue factory turned distillery really sums up the essence of east London, and its the first distillery to take up residence in the area – once an epicentre of booze production – in more than 100 years. Copper stills gleam from behind the bar, where cocktail shakers and their masters whip up concoctions from the menu or bespoke to your tastes. Unit GF1, Bow Wharf; http://eastlondonliquorcompany.com; 5-11pm Tue-Thu, 5pm-midnight Fri, noon-12.30am Sat, noon-11pm Sun.

Chiringuito
51.52430, -0.06180

An unhurried Spanish beachside bar might seem like a false promise for distinctly urban and decidedly landlocked Bethnal Green, but thats the vibe that Chiringuito guarantees. In true east London fashion, the building is actually a repurposed public toilet, now with floor-to-ceiling windows to bear it all. Upstairs is a rooftop terrace, especially perfect in summer for watching life hurry on by. Museum Gardens, Cambridge Heath Rd; www.chiringuito.co.uk; 9am-10pm Mon-Sat, 9am-8pm Sun.

Satans Whiskers
51.52800, -0.06350

With its slatted blinds and darkened interior, Satans Whiskers comes off as something of a mafia hangout from the outside. But enter below the neon sign and let your eyes adjust to the flickering tabletop candlelight, and feel welcomed by a daily-rotating cocktail menu, walls decked out in vintage French posters and fresh taxidermy, and a class hip-hop soundtrack. Give the devil his due. 343 Cambridge Heath Rd; 5pm-midnight.

London Buddhist Centre
51.52680, -0.06070

The real purpose of this ornate repurposed Victorian-era firehouse, on an otherwise nondescript stretch of Bethnal Green Rd, is given away only by the colourful fluttering prayer flags. The London Buddhist Centre brings an authentic side of the Far East to east London, and its a tranquil space to meditate or set about realigning your chakras. 51 Roman Rd; www.lbc.org.uk; 10am-5pm Mon-Sat.

Renegade Winery
51.52380, -0.05780

Hidden behind a second-hand furniture store, Renegade Winery takes up residence on the lesser-known side of Bethnal Green Rd, calling itself east Londons first urban winery. It gathers grapes from around Europe before then barreling and fermenting the wine right here in this railway arch. Arch 12, Gales Gardens; https://renegadelondonwine.com; 5-11.30pm Wed-Fri, 2-11.30pm Sat, 2-11pm Sun.

E Pellicci
51.52250, -0.05940

Opened in 1900, this beloved greasy spoon is still run by the same family. 332 Bethnal Green Rd, London E2 0AG; 020 7739 4873; 8am-4pm Mon-Sat.

Snap
51.52610, -0.05840

If youve fallen head over heels in love with east London, adorable Snap is a must-stop for a neighbourhood souvenir. E3, the local postcode, adorns everything from greeting cards to clothing. The ubiquitous silver nitrous oxide canisters usually found out on the street are used to decorate the window displays. 465 Roman Rd; https://snap-store.com; 10.30am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm Sat.

Stoke Newington
51.55480, -0.07880

Magnetic Stoke Newington clings on to its quirky charm, thanks in large part to the fact that most of the area is just slightly too far away from a Tube or train station, sparing it from most of the redevelopment of other nearby trendy east London neighbourhoods. Wonderful community-centric local shops, bars and restaurants crowd Stokeys high street and make this nook feel more like a village than part of the chaotic capital.

Castle Climbing Centre
51.56230, -0.06890

Some 450 colour-marked rock climbing routes clamber up the walls inside this elegant former Victorian water pumping station, one of the largest climbing walls in London. Skill levels from total newbie to somewhere near free solo are catered for, and the routes, which can reach up to a vertigo-inducing 12.5m (41ft), are regularly reset. Green Lanes; www.castle-climbing.co.uk; noon-10pm Mon-Fri, 9am-7pm Sat and Sun; £13.

Woodberry Wetlands
51.56370, -0.07300

Built in 1833 but closed to the public until just recently, the reed-lined Woodberry Wetlands were finally opened by celebrated naturalist and worlds favourite grandpa David Attenborough. Its a serene habitat for birds, bats and plant life – a happy coexistence, considering the city of nearly 10 million on its doorstep. Walk the southerly path around the reservoir for a quintessentially contrasting London view of cat tails poking out of the reed beds with towering blocks of luxury flats in the background. Lordship Rd; www.woodberrywetlands.org.uk; free.

Abney Park Cemetery
51.55830, -0.08070

A sister cemetery to Highgate, Abney Park is an enchanting urban ruin, where narrow paths meander among woodlands dotted with barely legible headstones. It was the burial ground for dissenters, including influential Presbyterians, Quakers and Baptists, such as Salvation Army founder William Booth. Dont miss the abandoned Gothic chapel; sign up for a guided tour if you want to poke around the interior. 215 Stoke Newington High St; https://abneypark.org; 8am-dusk; free.

Original Sin
51.55510, -0.07910

A cocktail den from the master mixologists at Happiness Forgets in Hoxton, named one of the top 50 bars in the world in 2017 and 2018, Original Sin is a brooding basement bar with unsurprisingly top-notch tipples. The drinks are complex without being complicated and are presented with understated elegance to imbibers sunk deep in the plush booths. 129 Stoke Newington High St; http://originalsin.bar; 6-11pm Sun and Mon, 6pm-midnight Tue and Wed, 6pm-1.30am Thu-Sat.

The Haberdashery
51.55590, -0.07830

A Stoke Newington brunch institution, The Haberdashery dishes out endless breakfasts and lunchtime cafe fare as if it were your nans kitchen: food is infused with love and presented on mismatched vintage plates to hungry diners surrounded by walls covered in immaculate Victorian fireplace tiles. 170 Stoke Newington High St; www.the-haberdashery.com; 020 3643 7123; 9am-5.30pm.

The Good Egg
51.55770, -0.07810

Working Londons culinary trend of the moment – Levantine food meets modern European cuisine – the Good Egg, with its long opening hours, is many things to many people: a family-friendly cafe, a trendy restaurant and the best place in Stoke Newington for brunch. The trick is that it consistently delivers. Expect queues, especially at the weekend. 93 Stoke Newington Church St; www.thegoodegg.co; 020 7682 2120; 10am-11pm Tue-Sun, 9am-4pm Mon.

Wapping and Rotherhithe
51.50480, -0.04430

Its easy to dredge up boatloads of maritime history in these two waterside neighbourhoods sandwiching the River Thames. Current residents are much tamer than the notorious slave traders and drunken sailors of yore: nearly every warehouse has been converted into modern living space after the industrial docks shipped out in the 1970s.

Mayflower
51.50420, -0.04600

Londons oldest Thamesside pub, the 16th-century Mayflower is where the eponymous ship set sail for the New World. You cant get closer to the river without going in it: the tidal Thames laps at the shore just below the Mayflowers back terrace. The atmosphere is always cheerful, complemented by an open fire in winter. 117 Rotherhithe St; www.mayflowerpub.co.uk; 11am-11pm Mon-Sat, noon-10.30pm Sun.

Brunel Museum
51.50150, -0.05150

On this spot in 1843 was the worlds most popular tourist attraction: the first underwater tunnel, brainchild of engineer Marc Isambard Brunel (father of famous engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel) who suggested it as an alternative to a bridge crossing on the boat-choked Thames. In 2016, the former entrance shaft of the Thames Tunnel became accessible again and now regularly doubles as a live music venue and pop-up bar, just as it did when it first opened. Railway Ave; www.brunel-museum.org.uk; 10am-5pm; £6.

Thames Path
51.50500, -0.04800

The River Thames is only now recovering from years of pollution. This almost 300km (186 miles) path starts in the bucolic meadows and pristine rural villages of Oxfordshire before wiggling through the centre of London. The section through Wapping (or even better, a small detour through Shad Thames to Rotherhithe on the south side of the river) has the best urban aesthetic: traipse unhurried along cobbled streets, where small-scale old industrial cranes still dangle overhead. https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/walking/thames-path.

Tobacco Dock
51.50600, -0.05300

This huge 19th-century brick vaulted warehouse was once used to store imported tobacco. It was abandoned by the 1980s, when developers tried in vain to transform this area into the Covent Garden of the East End (apparently the ceiling level – equivalent to the height of two bales of tobacco – is too low to be of much use). Although Tobacco Dock still hasnt found another permanent job, it hosts pop-up street food festivals, live music, raves and film screenings. Tobacco Quay, Wapping Ln; https://tobaccodocklondon.com.

Wiltons Music Hall
51.50790, -0.05030

One of the last surviving Victorian music halls in the world, shabby-chic Wiltons still hosts a wide programme of theatre, opera and comedy shows in a grand space with original cast-iron pillars, crumbling plasterwork, exposed brick and a beautiful carved balcony. The exterior was originally five separate Victorian-era houses. Even if youre not here for a show, get lost in the labyrinthine corridors in search of a cocktail. 1 Graces Alley; www.wiltons.org.uk.

Wapping Old Stairs
51.50580, -0.04790

Wappings foreshore is full of stairways leading directly into the Thames, which are eerily half-visible at high tide. Once busy transferring people and cargo to shore, they are now mostly abandoned, crumbling into the river. Wapping Old Stairs are thought to be the site of Execution Dock where pirates and smugglers received the Grace of Wapping – being tied to a stake and left in the river until the rising tide washed over three times.

Yurt Cafe
51.50310, -0.05010

Run by a social enterprise, this welcoming tent has become a permanent neighbourhood fixture and a community staple. By day, freelancers lap up flat whites; evening events range from yoga and poetry readings to Philosophy on Tap. Yurt Cafe has also started a trade school of sorts in which teachers lead classes on a bartering basis. 2 Butcher Row; https://precinct.rfsk.org/2-2/yurt-cafe; 9am-5pm.

Right
51.57371, -0.12084

Turn right

Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre
51.50490, -0.05530

Get down and dirty with this neighbourhoods defining characteristic in the historic Shadwell Basin, one of the few docks in the former Port of London that hasnt been landfilled. Kayaking and sailing are on offer, plus climbing and high ropes for landlubbers. 3-4 Shadwell Pierhead; www.shadwell-basin.co.uk.

Right
51.57379, -0.12105

Turn right onto Crouch Hill, A1201

Left
51.57402, -0.12121

Turn left

Slight Left
51.57401, -0.12137

Keep left

Right
51.57332, -0.12447

Turn right

Left
51.57335, -0.12448

Turn left

Left
51.57331, -0.12512

Turn left onto Hornsey Rise Gardens

Right
51.57194, -0.12742

Turn right onto Sunnyside Road

Left
51.57208, -0.12763

Turn left

Left
51.57203, -0.12779

Turn left

Right
51.57149, -0.12877

Turn right onto Hazellville Road

Left
51.57163, -0.12898

Turn left onto Cheverton Road

Sharp Left
51.57033, -0.13288

Turn sharp left onto Cressida Road

Right
51.57027, -0.13279

Turn right onto Harberton Road

Right
51.56841, -0.13602

Turn right onto Pauntley Street

Left
51.56854, -0.13612

Turn left

Left
51.56868, -0.13639

Turn left

Right
51.56863, -0.13660

Turn right onto Archway Road, A1

Left
51.56894, -0.13684

Turn left onto Waterlow Road

Right
51.56790, -0.13924

Turn right onto Highgate Hill, B519

Parkland Walk
51.56850, -0.14010

This 4km (2.5-mile) stroll rambles along an abandoned railway line before emerging into Victorian suburbia with views of the distant skyscrapered horizon, and then ducking back into an ancient woodland. The gloriously overgrown tunnels and train platforms are still in situ, now splashed with street art. Start at the top of Muswell Hill or in Highgate Wood. www.parkland-walk.org.uk.

Slight Right
51.56927, -0.14243

Turn slight right onto Highgate Hill, B519

Slight Right
51.56951, -0.14291

Keep right onto The Bank

Left
51.57025, -0.14461

Turn left onto Cholmeley Park

Right
51.57013, -0.14475

Turn right onto Highgate Hill, B519

Left
51.57076, -0.14786

Turn left onto South Grove

Right
51.57060, -0.14831

Turn right onto Pond Square

Left
51.57100, -0.14958

Turn left onto Pond Square

Slight Right
51.57078, -0.14982

Turn slight right onto Pond Square

Left
51.57084, -0.15025

Turn left onto Highgate West Hill

Right
51.56738, -0.15385

Turn right onto Merton Lane

The Flask
51.56640, -0.15510

If you havent had enough with the otherworldly in Highgate Cemetery, this pub is supposedly haunted by the ghost of a barmaid who hanged herself in the cellar (where you can now sit and sip a pint). 77 Highgate West Hill; www.theflaskhighgate.com; 11.30am-11pm Mon-Sat, noon-10.30pm Sun.

Slight Right
51.56591, -0.15682

Turn slight right onto Boundary Path

Left
51.56556, -0.15814

Turn left

Left
51.56552, -0.15812

Turn left

Highgate Cemetery
51.56530, -0.15750

Stuffed with ivy-choked headstones, shroud-covered urns and solemn statues, this moody Gothic graveyard is the final resting place of Karl Marx, Douglas Adams and George Michael. Swains Ln; https://highgatecemetery.org; 10am-5pm Mar-Oct, to 4pm Nov-Feb; East Cemetery £4, West Cemetery (guided tour required, incl East Cemetery) £12.

Slight Left
51.56482, -0.15708

Keep left

Slight Left
51.56451, -0.15660

Keep left

Slight Right
51.56404, -0.15682

Turn slight right

Left
51.56399, -0.15690

Turn left

Slight Left
51.56329, -0.15545

Keep left

Slight Left
51.56239, -0.15571

Keep left

Slight Right
51.56120, -0.15490

Keep right

Slight Left
51.56097, -0.15458

Turn slight left

Slight Right
51.56094, -0.15415

Keep right

Muswell Hill and Highgate
51.56070, -0.15330

The idyllic northern neighbourhoods of Muswell Hill and Highgate may well have tumbled out of a picturesque olde-worlde English storybook, reality given away only by the views of Londons modern skyline rising like glassy exclamation points to the south. The heart of Highgate is still called the village, evidence enough of its independent attitude.

Right
51.55942, -0.15211

Turn right

Left
51.55884, -0.15320

Turn left

Left
51.55845, -0.15322

Turn left

Hampstead Bathing Ponds
51.55800, -0.15300

Rain or shine, devoted wild swimmers can be found bobbing in the murky waters of leafy Hampstead Heaths three ponds. Dont be put off by the waters tawny tone: its routinely tested for quality. Hampstead Heath; 020 7485 5757; from 7am, closing time varies by season; £2.

5.38 km

Finish

DateDistanceElevation GainElevation LossDurationAuthorMap
03/28/20255.38 km72 m69 m-

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