16/02/19 - Clissold Park and Abney Cemetery Geocaching

Distance - 5.5 Miles
Geocaches - 6 found, 2 DNF
Walk Inspiration - City Walks, London, Walk 5
Start - Finsbury Park Tube
Finish - Manor House Tube


A flying visit to the Smoke and how to entertain myself before the pubs open?

I know, a walk and some Geocaching.

Not many trails in the centre of London but there's always a high density of unfound ones, somewhere accessible by tube.    A look at the Geocaching map and Stoke Newington seems a good bet.

I don't want to make the walk completely random, so a look through guide books shows a route that can be adapted.   At least I'll get a feel for the area.

The first set of caches are around the perimeter of Clissold Park - a typical London Green Space full of people completing increasingly bizarre exercise routines.   You'll always get one using a fallen down tree trunk inappropriately or doing that slow motion Tai Chi mime dance.   I think I was only muggled by one tramp on a bench but he looked like he'd been on a week long Spice bender, so I'm sure the integrity of the cache remains.

They don't just run in London.   They run over mountains of bark chippings

Stoke Newington Church Street provides an urban distraction.   I've walked it before at night on the Capital Ring and its a pleasure to be back in the day.   Refreshment choices more limited to street accessible serving hatches selling artisan bread.   I kind of prefer it when the best Irish Pub this side of Dublin is open.

The Church in Church Street

You must visit the Auld Shillelagh

The next few Geocaches are in Abney Cemetery.   It's quite a unique Ground Zero.   I've never cached amongst the dead before.

And no-one does Death quite like the Victorians.

Agnes is watching

The cemetery is one of London's so called Magnificent 7.  Highgate is probably more well known.  No household names here but it was sobering to walk between so many WWI graves, marked with regimental emblems.

The cemetery is a public park now.  Plenty of dog walking muggles, but they were all on their phone.  Probably receiving orders to pick up £7 loaves of bread on the way home.

The caches are off piste and you see nature reclaiming the grave sites and the tumbledown headstones.

Would make a good night time caching location.  At Halloween.

Victorian Death Opulence.

Meets a Travel Bug Drop off

The map isn't clear but there is no northern exit, so a full loop of is required before tracing my steps on the cemetery's exterior to pick up the new river and West Reservoir at the Castle.

Victorian Folly Pumping House

The Tube at Manor House will whisk me to the City, where I am sure the pubs will be open.