Community Forest: London/Eastern England

Watling Chase

New woodlands on the northern edge of London 18,650ha/46,080 acres

Woodlands, country parks, open spaces and nature reserves between Hatfield and St Albans in Hertfordshire and the edge of north London at Stanmore and Barnet. A greenways network and a Timberland Trail from Elstree to the edge of St Albans are currently under development. Managed as a Community Forest since 1991. and now a partnership between Hertfordshire local authorities and the Countryside Agency, supported by the Countryside Management Service. For more information about walks in the forest, please contact CMS (see below).

 A number of the country parks, open spaces and walks within the Forest have disabled access. Contact the Forest office or individual sites for more details.

Local Authorities Barnet, Harrow, Hertfordshire

Principal open access sites

  • Aldenham Country Park Extensive lakeside site near Elstree
  • Bricket Wood Common
  • Moat Mount and Scratchwood Historic woodlands and open space north of Edgware, now designated as local nature reserves. Tel 020 8359 4429
  • Monken Hadley Common Large green space adjoining a pretty village north of Barnet, still managed by the commoners and site of the Battle of Barnet.
  • Otterspool on the Colne Valley near Watfrod
  • Shenley Park
  • Stanmore Country Park and Stanmore Common Woodlands, open space and commons, including a local nature reserve. Tel 020 8424 1754

Promoted routes Dollis Valley Greenwalk (see London LOOP), London LOOP, Pymmes Brook Trail, Timberland Trail, Ver-Colne Valley Way.

Tourist Information Centres

Public transport. The area is served by WAGN trains from London Moorgate and King's Cross to Welwyn Garden City and Stevenage, stopping at Hadley Wood, Potters Bar and Brookmans Park in the east; by Thameslink trains from Brighton, London Bridge and King's Cross to Luton and Bedford via Elstree, Radlett and St Albans; and by Silverlink trains on the branch line from Watford to St Albans Abbey in the northeast of the Forest with several intermediate stops, with connections at Watford for London Euston, Milton Keynes and Birmingham. To the south there are London Underground connections into central London from Stanmore on the Jubilee Line and Edgware, Mill Hill and High Barnet on the Northern Line. There are also good bus services in most parts of the Forest area. See our Public Transport for Walkers page for more about transport in London and how to find detailed information on services and fares.

Explorer maps 173, 182
Landranger maps 166, 176

Contacts

Parks and countryside in London | Walking In London | Parks Index | Information Index