Mill Hill Meander Ride Report 26th July 2009

Seven of us met at Kingsbury Station with 2 guests from Spokes a cycling group from South West Herts area who fancied a trip to Brent. We headed up through Kingsbury to the Welsh Harp where in 1841, after 7 days of continuous rain, the dam head collapsed killing a number of people. We had also missed the first mechanical greyhound races, which started there in 1876, and the famous incident of the bear which escaped from a menagerie in the mid 19th century.

 

Across the A5 and under the A41 into Hendon Park (formally Steps Fields), which boasts one of the largest Japanese Maples in London, then through the back streets cycle route of Hendon, popping out at Greyhound Hill/Church Lane Alms Houses.

 

The fine St Mary's Church gold weathervane of a lamb and flag came into view, in whose grounds are buried Sir Stamford Raffles, founder of Singapore, and Herbert Chapman, the manager of Arsenal in the 1920's/1930's. Bram Stoker may have had the church's graveyard as his model for "Kingstead", the uneasy resting place of Lucy Westenra in his book Dracula.

 

A grand view in Sunnyhill Park where we sailed down to the café ,elevenses was taken on the grass while watching two suspects with a long reach pruner collecting plums. Under the A1and through Coptall,  down the Mill Hill East abandoned railway line where David on his 1970's cycle had a sudden handlebar wobble which looked like metal fatigue in the stem, we pushed the stem into the head tube as a temporary fix as pulling it out could have meant not going any further.

 

Around to the excitement of  the 13 arches of the Dollis Viaduct (1867) on the Dollis Road which is the highest part of the present London Underground at 24.3 mt (80 ft) with 9.1 mt (30 ft) arch spans.

 

We headed up Partingdale Lane towards Mill Hill village where the British armed forces post office is located (moving summer 2007) in the Mill Hill Barracks, which was bombed by the IRA in 1988.

As well as Partingdale Lane secret Bunker which was one of the four London regional war rooms and has been disused since 1958.

 

Next The Ridgeway where a third of the conservation land is used by religious or educational buildings such as the Mill Hill Missionaries/Mill Hill School/Watch Tower/the Order Of The Daughters Of Charity At St Vincent De Paul and the imposing building of the Medical Research (which was used in a Batman film).

The High Street has the Nicole Almshouses erected in 'ye year of our lord 1696' at Mill Hill village,

 

Past Sheepwash Pond and Mill Hill School, which was built by non-conformist merchants and ministers because of "dangers both physical and moral, awaiting youth while passing through the streets of a large,crowed and corrupt city..."

 

Opposite Belmont School is an open piece of park with fine views of London past the Mill Hill Observatory below and Wembley Stadium in the middle distance. We stopped at the Three Hammers for lunch which is an Ember Inn where we all had a fine spread at a very reasonable price which we would recommend. After lunch we boarded our bikes opposite the Grade 2 listed buildings which are some of the 260 unusual brick/weatherboard houses around The Ridgeway - some of these used to be a post offices and butchers shop.

 

One of the Spokes group headed off for Watford while the rest of us free wheeled down into Mill Hill to pick up our return route.

 

26km (16 miles) done.

1 mechanical (not ride ending)

No rain  

 

Our next outing is a ride to Harpenden on 30^th August.

We catch the train to Harpenden Station then cycle through the Hertfordshire countryside in a clockwise direction stopping for lunch before returning to the train home.

Meet: Cricklewood Station at 09:35 for the 9:47

Total Distance: 23 Miles (38K)

Ride Leader Using OS Landranger Map: 166

 

Regards

Paul