Parkland Walk

The Parkland Walk is a three-mile stretch of disused railway line that cuts through North London like a green ribbon, connecting Finsbury Park in the south to Highgate Wood in the north. It's a proper gem if you're after something different from the usual London park circuit - not a destination in itself, but a brilliant way to move between two decent green spaces without battling traffic.

What you're walking through is largely overgrown rail corridor with trees and wildflowers reclaiming what the trains left behind. There are benches at intervals, and the path itself is well-maintained and flat, which means pushchairs work fine and older legs won't suffer. The whole route takes about 50 minutes at a reasonable pace. It's less about stopping for views and more about the journey - urban wildlife, the sound of actual birdsong instead of sirens, and that strange feeling of being removed from London even though you're squarely in it.

Walkers and birdwatchers will get the most from this. Kids are fine for the first mile, less enthused after that - it's not dramatic enough to hold their attention unless they're genuinely into nature spotting. The beauty is it's completely free and there's no entrance fee or time restrictions to worry about.

If you're staying at Lee Valley near Edmonton, the walk is fairly accessible and gives you a proper sense of North London beyond caravan parks. It's the sort of thing you do on a decent day when you want exercise without the performance of a major attraction.