Highgate circular to Alexandra Palace

Come out of the Priory Gardens exit to Highgate station. Turn immediately sharp left up a very steep passageway to Wood Lane. At the top turn left to cross Muswell Hill Road at the pedestrian controlled traffic lights, then go right to enter Highgate Wood (A) by the entrance just past the bus stop. Take the path ahead and, passing an enclosed playground on your left, cross the sports field to the cafe on the far side. Pass to the right of the cafe and pick up the path behind the café. Follow this path to a drinking fountain where you turn left. Turn right just before the Bridge Gate directly ahead of you and exit the park through the Cranley Gate. There are toilets at the rear of the cafe on the sports field which can be accessed from the path even if you do not wish to enter the cafe itself. To avoid the very steep path on exiting the station, go back into the station and follow the exit signs to 'Archway Road via Escalator'. As you exit from the station at the top of the escalator turn immediately right and walk to the junction. Turn right into Muswell Hill Road and after a few metres cross the road at the pedestrian controlled traffic lights; then turn right and enter Highgate Woods a few metres on your left past the bus stop.

Turn left down the slope and then right under the road onto the Parkland Walk (North) (B). Follow this for about half a mile to enter Alexandra Palace Park up a covered walkway. Take the path ahead of you which takes you past the Grove Café and then fork left down to the back of a car park. Keep on the path as it goes down a dip and up the other side to Alexandra Palace (C). Go in through the Palm Court entrance to see the interior and then come out again and walk along the terrace anti-clockwise round the building past the BBC Tower and the ice rink entrance. If the doors are locked you can also get into the Palm Court via the pub on the corner.

Passing the main entrance to the Ice Rink on your left follow the building round, passing through the parking area until you reach a barrier. Go through (round) the barrier, and then a second one. Continue on this path which takes you past the lake and another café and then curves steeply down. Take the second fork left (the first left fork leads downhill to Gate 1 which you do not want) a short distance before the main road to descend to meet the road further along to the left (Gate 2). Keep going in the same direction to cross the road at the traffic island and then come back along the road to the lay-by on the corner. Cross at the traffic island as you cannot see the traffic coming round the corner. If you miss the point where the 'path turns left away from the sports area' you can continue to the park gate (but do not go through it) and then follow the edge of park round using a well marked narrow footpath. This also leads to the same small car park and main exit gates as described in the main route.

At the end of the lay-by go down the gated road to the left of the building and take the footpath forking right. When this path turns left away from the sports area, continue ahead and right over the grass alongside the boundary ditch and climb up to the track on the other side. Go left along this track and left past the small car park to join the road down to the main exit gates. Cross the traffic lights and head along Park Road.

Opposite Park Avenue South, turn right along the Greenways footpath. Cross Wood Vale to pick up the footpath again into Queens Wood. Climb up the path to the right of the information board. Just past a seat, turn left and head for the road. Cross the road and walk down a tarmac path next to a red dog bin. Follow this down and up steeply on the other side to Priory Gardens. Turn right along here to return to Highgate station.