Woodberry Wetlands and the New River
Finsbury Park to Angel
It was a cloudy but dry day when 11 of us met at Finsbury Park Station ready to set off at 11 am. We headed through the park, up towards the café and lake, then following the lake to the right headed off for the New River Path. The New River now officially finishes at Woodberry Reservoir/wetlands, where we stopped at the Coal House Café for lunch. A heron briefly graced us with it’s presence across from our table and we saw cormorants in the distance. As we left the café some of us thought we saw an otter in the stream near the bridge/walkway, though it was so quick and brief we were a little unsure.
We then carried on following the old route of the River down to the Castle Climbing Centre. We then cut through Clissold Park (with lovely crocuses) to get to Petherton Road, where the river runs under the footpath in the centre of the road. On the left I spotted a former garage – Barnes Motors (the original name board is still there with a phone number CAN 6573 dating it to pre 1970s) – which is now a restaurant, and gives new meaning to the ‘greasy spoon’.
We carried on down to Canonbury Station where 3 members opted to leave us. In places the river was previously filled in as London got built up, but some of this has then been opened up since around the 1950s with later improvements in the 1990s. In some parts the river is more of a stream and in others there are rock gardens or gardens following the route. There’s also the odd Blue Plaque, or their London forerunners, dotted around, including one for the Headquarters of the Social Democratic Federation in 1926-1937. Who knew the Social Democrats were around back then! It all makes a pleasant walk to Angel, and just beyond to Myddelton Square, named after the main architect/planner of the New River and very close to the New River Head building where the river originally finished before being filtered to supply Londoners with drinking water. We considered popping up to Islington Green to see a statue of Sir Hugh Myddelton, but the feet voted for the station and home.
The length of the walk was approximately 5.5 miles.
Richard, 23rd February 2026
In Clissold Park
Pochard and Tufted Ducks in Finsbury Park
Swan, Canada Goose and others in Finsbury Park
The Watch House on the banks of the New River
Photos by Madeleine and Trevor