Take in Abney Park as you walk the famous Capital Ring
What is the Capital Ring?
Launched in 2003, the Capital Ring is one of the most well-known walking trails in England. Supported by Transport for London, the walk takes you through 50 green spaces and encircles London. It covers 78 miles in 15 sections and takes you into many places of interest within a 7-mile radius of the city.
The Capital Ring Route
For an overview of the Capital Ring route, you can visit the TFL website.
Planning your route including Abney Park
You can walk sections 12 and 13 of the Capital Ring, both of which incorporate Abney Park.
Section 12
Starting to the west of Abney, you can make your way from Highgate station. From there you can follow the Ring onto the Parkland Walk, a disused railway line turned nature reserve, into Finsbury Park. After that, you will be able to walk in to Woodberry Wetlands, and from there you will reach neighbouring Clissold Park. Walking along Church Street, you will find yourself at the Church Street gates to Abney Park. These are the original gates to Abney House the 18th-century manor house.
Once inside the Church Street gates, you walk on the left-hand path, passing the memorial to William and Catherine Booth. After you pass the Bostock lion on your right you will reach the main path intersection. You turn right here to get to Abney Park’s Dissenting Gothic chapel.
In Autumn 2021 the National Lottery Heritage Funded works have begun. These will restore the chapel and provide new amenities in the park. More details are here including a talk from the architect and his slide show.
Once you have marvelled at the architecture of Abney’s chapel, you will walk past the chapel and follow the path until you reach the Egyptian Revival gates at the Stoke Newington High Street Entrance.
If you want to spend more time in Abney Park, there are a selection of self-guided tours you can find online as well as information on the heritage and ecology of Abney Park:
Section 13
Section 13 leads on from the Stoke Newington High Street Gates at Abney Park and finishes at Hackney Wick.
Cross the road and walk down Cazenove Road. Follow the signs down Kyverdale Road on the left, and then Filey Avenue on the right. Turn left when you reach Upper Clapton Road and cross at the zebra crossing. Turn right onto a road simply called Springfield and walk down until you reach the gates of Springfield Park.
After taking in the breathtaking views of the Marshes, walk down towards the River Lea and cross the bridge so that you reach the Springfield Marina. Turning right, you follow the River Lea walk for 3 miles. The path passes Walthamstow Marsh on the left with the river on the right.
After walking for some time you will cross Homerton Road and find the Wick Woodland on your left. This is towards the end of section 13 – and we invite you to wander around and get lost in the amazing wooded area.
Find out more
For more information about the Capital Ring please follow these links:
TFL, for maps and descriptions: https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/walking/capital-ring
Colin Saunders’ website, for more info and to buy the guide book: https://www.colinsaunders.org.uk/capital-ring/
Map from “The Capital Ring”© Aurum Press Ltd/Colin Saunders