142-497: The Parkland Walk is a 3.1-mile (5.0 km) linear green pedestrian and cycle route in London , which follows the course of the railway line that used to run between Finsbury Park and Alexandra Palace , through Stroud Green , Crouch End , Highgate and Muswell Hill . It is often mistakenly described as 4.5 miles long, but even taking in the gap between the two sections it still only totals 3.1 miles (5.0 km). The route follows
284-468: A Bronze Age bridge were found on the south River Thames foreshore, upstream from Vauxhall Bridge . Two of the timbers were radiocarbon dated to 1750–1285 BC. In 2010, foundations of a large timber structure, dated to 4800–4500 BC, were found on the Thames' south foreshore downstream from Vauxhall Bridge. Both structures are on the south bank of the Thames, where the now-underground River Effra flows into
426-617: A brown roof , climbing plants on walls, and areas of planted grassland, wild flowers and woodland. Bowlers Nursery moved into the new building in August 2012 and Ashmount School moved to the site in January 2013. Building operations at the Cape were finally completed in February 2013, two years and four months after the contract to carry out the work was signed by Islington Council. The Crouch Hill Project received
568-412: A penalty fare . Owing to the lack of ticket barriers and the difficulty of ticket verification when trains are crowded, the line has historically had a high level of fare avoidance . Under Silverlink most stations lacked any ticket purchasing facilities. In theory, passengers could purchase tickets from the conductors on the trains, but it was not always possible to do this. Following the introduction of
710-408: A 2012 BREEAM award. Factors behind this award include the use of rain water harvesting , natural ventilation systems to keep the school building cool in summer and the setting up of an "energy centre" in the blockhouse which by means of combined heat and power provides district heating both for the whole site and for social housing near the site, as well as generating electricity. The main fuel used
852-412: A consequence the line took on a new strategic significance as a bypass, relieving load on other lines by allowing passengers to travel between north and east London directly. The Railways Act 2005 abolished the franchise and gave the operation of passenger services to Transport for London (TfL). During 2005, TfL started funding a small number of additional peak time and late evening services to relieve
994-491: A cutting as the land rises north-westwards. The route continues beneath overbridges carrying Mount View Road and Crouch Hill . Immediately after passing under Crouch Hill to the left, a large block house can be seen; this was originally built to house switchgear for the Northern Heights project, as part of the plans to incorporate the line into the tube system. This has been redeveloped by adding extensions, cantilevered off
1136-529: A larger area, similar in size to Greater London, although some outer districts are excluded and some just outside included. The Greater London boundary has been aligned to the M25 motorway in places. Further urban expansion is now prevented by the Metropolitan Green Belt , although the built-up area extends beyond the boundary in places, producing a separately defined Greater London Urban Area . Beyond this
1278-504: A long history as a 'spot' where well known graffiti artists decorate tunnels", seen as a positive by some local residents and the Friends of Parkland Walk. In 2020, artist Ben Wilson was invited to produce a series of miniature artworks on blobs of chewing gum along the Walk. Council funding was initially mooted for the project, but when this fell through Wilson went ahead anyway. Subjects depicted on
1420-403: A population density of 802 per acre (325 per hectare). In addition to the growing number of stores selling goods, such as Harding, Howell & Co. —one of the first department stores —located on Pall Mall , the streets had scores of street sellers . London's overcrowded conditions led to cholera epidemics, claiming 14,000 lives in 1848, and 6,000 in 1866. Rising traffic congestion led to
1562-549: A population of 7,172,036 in 2001 and a population density of 11,760 inhabitants per square mile (4,542/km ). The extended area known as the London Metropolitan Region or the London Metropolitan Agglomeration, comprises a total area of 3,236 square miles (8,382 km ) has a population of 13,709,000 and a population density of 3,900 inhabitants per square mile (1,510/km ). Modern London stands on
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#17328524924021704-542: A temperate oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ). Rainfall records have been kept in the city since at least 1697, when records began at Kew . At Kew, the most rainfall in one month is 7.4 inches (189 mm) in November 1755 and the least is 0 inches (0 mm) in both December 1788 and July 1800. Mile End also had 0 inches (0 mm) in April 1893. The wettest year on record is 1903, with a total fall of 38.1 inches (969 mm) and
1846-418: A wide range of animals. Twenty two species of butterfly have been recorded. Hedgehogs benefit from the proximity of adjacent homes and occasional feedings from homeowners. Foxes are plentiful and muntjac (a small species of deer) are seen occasionally. A colony of slowworms thrive along the grassy embankment. More than sixty species of bird have been seen along the walk and many breed here. Parkland Walk
1988-641: Is 1,049.8 millibars (31.00 inHg) on 20 January 2020. Summers are generally warm, sometimes hot. London's average July high is 23.5 °C (74.3 °F). On average each year, London experiences 31 days above 25 °C (77.0 °F) and 4.2 days above 30.0 °C (86.0 °F). During the 2003 European heat wave , prolonged heat led to hundreds of heat-related deaths. A previous spell of 15 consecutive days above 32.2 °C (90.0 °F) in England in 1976 also caused many heat related deaths. A previous temperature of 37.8 °C (100.0 °F) in August 1911 at
2130-554: Is agreed that the name came into these languages from Common Brythonic ; recent work tends to reconstruct the lost Celtic form of the name as * Londonjon or something similar. This was then adapted into Latin as Londinium and borrowed into Old English. Until 1889, the name "London" applied officially only to the City of London , but since then it has also referred to the County of London and to Greater London . In 1993, remains of
2272-528: Is formed of two tiers: a citywide, strategic tier and a local tier. Citywide administration is coordinated by the Greater London Authority (GLA), while local administration is carried out by 33 smaller authorities. The GLA consists of two elected components: the mayor of London , who has executive powers , and the London Assembly , which scrutinises the mayor's decisions and can accept or reject
2414-515: Is gas, but there is also provision for the use of biomass in the form of woodchips. The architects were Penoyre & Prasad and the contractors were Willmott Dixon . 51°34′27″N 0°07′28″W / 51.5742°N 0.1245°W / 51.5742; -0.1245 London London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom , with a population of 8,866,180 in 2022. The wider metropolitan area
2556-738: Is headquartered in Thames House on the north bank of the River Thames and the foreign intelligence service ( MI6 ) is headquartered in the SIS Building on the south bank. Crime rates vary widely across different areas of London. Crime figures are made available nationally at Local Authority and Ward level. In 2015, there were 118 homicides, a 25.5% increase over 2014. Recorded crime has been rising in London, notably violent crime and murder by stabbing and other means have risen. There were 50 murders from
2698-513: Is heavily used by freight as it provides part of an orbital route around London, connecting with many radial routes and the North London Line at Gospel Oak. Freight services are operated by DB Cargo UK , GB Railfreight and Freightliner . Other services use parts of the line infrequently, or as a diversionary route, but do not stop at most stations: The line has an active users' group, "The Barking–Gospel Oak Rail User Group". Except at
2840-572: Is held by an independent . The ministerial post of minister for London was created in 1994, however as of 2024, the post has been vacant. Policing in Greater London, with the exception of the City of London , is provided by the Metropolitan Police ("The Met"), overseen by the mayor through the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC). The Met is also referred to as Scotland Yard after
2982-553: Is known as London . It is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England by convention rather than statute. The capital of England was moved to London from Winchester as the Palace of Westminster developed in the 12th and 13th centuries to become the permanent location of the royal court , and thus the political capital of the nation. Greater London encompasses a total area of 611 square miles (1,583 km ) an area which had
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#17328524924023124-405: Is known to be an important site for bats in the London context, providing important foraging habitat and an excellent dark commuting route. A significant bat roost is known to exist in the vicinity. Along the walk just before the disused platforms at Crouch End, a man-sized green spriggan sculpture by Marilyn Collins has been placed in one of the alcoves of the wall at the footbridge before
3266-648: Is the largest in Western Europe , with a population of 14.9 million. London stands on the River Thames in southeast England, at the head of a 50-mile (80 km) estuary down to the North Sea , and has been a major settlement for nearly 2,000 years. Its ancient core and financial centre , the City of London , was founded by the Romans as Londinium and has retained its medieval boundaries. The City of Westminster , to
3408-523: Is the vast London commuter belt . Greater London is split for some purposes into Inner London and Outer London , and by the River Thames into North and South , with an informal central London area. The coordinates of the nominal centre of London, traditionally the original Eleanor Cross at Charing Cross near the junction of Trafalgar Square and Whitehall , are about 51°30′26″N 00°07′39″W / 51.50722°N 0.12750°W / 51.50722; -0.12750 . Within London, both
3550-512: The 2012 Summer Olympics . London is an ancient name, attested in the first century AD, usually in the Latinised form Londinium . Modern scientific analyses of the name must account for the origins of the different forms found in early sources: Latin (usually Londinium ), Old English (usually Lunden ), and Welsh (usually Llundein ), with reference to the known developments over time of sounds in those different languages. It
3692-529: The Black Death in the mid-14th century, London lost nearly a third of its population. London was the focus of the Peasants' Revolt in 1381. London was a centre of England's Jewish population before their expulsion by Edward I in 1290. Violence against Jews occurred in 1190, when it was rumoured that the new king had ordered their massacre after they had presented themselves at his coronation. In 1264 during
3834-520: The Canary Wharf development. This was born out of London's increasing role as an international financial centre in the 1980s. Located about 2 miles (3 km) east of central London, the Thames Barrier was completed in the 1980s to protect London against tidal surges from the North Sea . The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986, leaving London with no central administration until 2000 and
3976-648: The Corn Laws in 1846 was specifically aimed at weakening Dutch economic power. London then overtook Amsterdam as the leading international financial centre. With the onset of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, an unprecedented growth in urbanisation took place, and the number of High Streets (the primary street for retail in Britain) rapidly grew. London was the world's largest city from about 1831 to 1925 , with
4118-553: The Georgian era , new districts such as Mayfair were formed in the west; new bridges over the Thames encouraged development in South London . In the east, the Port of London expanded downstream. London's development as an international financial centre matured for much of the 18th century. In 1762, George III acquired Buckingham House , which was enlarged over the next 75 years. During
4260-609: The King's Road , Chelsea and Carnaby Street . The role of trendsetter revived in the punk era. In 1965 London's political boundaries were expanded in response to the growth of the urban area and a new Greater London Council was created. During The Troubles in Northern Ireland, London was hit from 1973 by bomb attacks by the Provisional Irish Republican Army . These attacks lasted for two decades, starting with
4402-600: The London Ambulance Service (LAS) NHS Trust , the largest free-at-the-point-of-use emergency ambulance service in the world. The London Air Ambulance charity operates in conjunction with the LAS where required. Her Majesty's Coastguard and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution operate on the River Thames , which is under the jurisdiction of the Port of London Authority from Teddington Lock to
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4544-518: The London Stock Exchange , London remains a European economic powerhouse, and one of the world's major financial centres . It hosts Europe's largest concentration of higher education institutions , some of which are the highest-ranked academic institutions in the world: Imperial College London in natural and applied sciences , the London School of Economics in social sciences , and
4686-698: The Mediterranean was normally through Antwerp and over the Alps ; any ships passing through the Strait of Gibraltar to or from England were likely to be Italian or Ragusan . The reopening of the Netherlands to English shipping in January 1565 spurred a burst of commercial activity. The Royal Exchange was founded. Mercantilism grew and monopoly traders such as the East India Company were founded as trade expanded to
4828-594: The New Model Army entered London in 1647, and they were levelled by Parliament the same year. London was plagued by disease in the early 17th century, culminating in the Great Plague of 1665–1666, which killed up to 100,000 people, or a fifth of the population. The Great Fire of London broke out in 1666 in Pudding Lane in the city and quickly swept through the wooden buildings. Rebuilding took over ten years and
4970-554: The New World . London became the main North Sea port, with migrants arriving from England and abroad. The population rose from about 50,000 in 1530 to about 225,000 in 1605. In the 16th century, William Shakespeare and his contemporaries lived in London during English Renaissance theatre . Shakespeare's Globe Theatre was constructed in 1599 in Southwark . Stage performances came to a halt in London when Puritan authorities shut down
5112-590: The Old Bailey bombing . Racial inequality was highlighted by the 1981 Brixton riot . Greater London's population declined in the decades after the Second World War, from an estimated peak of 8.6 million in 1939 to around 6.8 million in the 1980s. The principal ports for London moved downstream to Felixstowe and Tilbury , with the London Docklands area becoming a focus for regeneration, including
5254-637: The Second Barons' War , Simon de Montfort 's rebels killed 500 Jews while attempting to seize records of debts. During the Tudor period , the Reformation produced a gradual shift to Protestantism . Much of London property passed from church to private ownership, which accelerated trade and business in the city. In 1475, the Hanseatic League set up a main trading base ( kontor ) of England in London, called
5396-568: The Stalhof or Steelyard . It remained until 1853, when the Hanseatic cities of Lübeck , Bremen and Hamburg sold the property to South Eastern Railway . Woollen cloth was shipped undyed and undressed from 14th/15th century London to the nearby shores of the Low Countries . Yet English maritime enterprise hardly reached beyond the seas of north-west Europe . The commercial route to Italy and
5538-502: The Suffragette line is a railway line in London. It is 13 miles 58 chains (22.1 km) in length and carries both through goods trains and London Overground passenger trains, connecting Gospel Oak in north London and Barking Riverside in east London. The line is part of Network Rail Strategic Route 6 , and is classified as a London and South East Commuter line. On 15 February 2024 Transport for London announced that
5680-543: The Thames , its primary geographical feature, a navigable river which crosses the city from the south-west to the east. The Thames Valley is a flood plain surrounded by gently rolling hills including Parliament Hill , Addington Hills , and Primrose Hill . Historically London grew up at the lowest bridging point on the Thames. The Thames was once a much broader, shallower river with extensive marshlands ; at high tide, its shores reached five times their present width. Since
5822-637: The Tower of London ; the site featuring the Palace of Westminster , Church of St. Margaret , and Westminster Abbey ; and the historic settlement in Greenwich where the Royal Observatory defines the prime meridian (0° longitude ) and Greenwich Mean Time . Other landmarks include Buckingham Palace , the London Eye , Piccadilly Circus , St Paul's Cathedral , Tower Bridge , and Trafalgar Square . The city has
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5964-521: The Victorian era the Thames has been extensively embanked , and many of its London tributaries now flow underground . The Thames is a tidal river, and London is vulnerable to flooding. The threat has increased over time because of a slow but continuous rise in high water level caused by climate change and by the slow 'tilting' of the British Isles as a result of post-glacial rebound . London has
6106-418: The slam door trains were replaced by Class 150 units in 2000, which improved reliability significantly. There were minor improvements in station facilities (such as CCTV and information points) but no major investment to upgrade the line and boost capacity, and the stations remained unstaffed. During the opening years of the twenty-first century, many lines within London were running at full capacity, and as
6248-554: The 11th century, London was clearly the largest town in England. Westminster Abbey , rebuilt in Romanesque style by King Edward the Confessor , was one of the grandest churches in Europe. Winchester had been the capital of Anglo-Saxon England , but from this time London became the main forum for foreign traders and the base for defence in time of war. In the view of Frank Stenton : "It had
6390-494: The 18th century, London was said to be dogged by crime, and the Bow Street Runners were established in 1750 as a professional police force. Epidemics during the 1720s and 30s saw most children born in the city die before reaching their fifth birthday. Coffee-houses became a popular place to debate ideas, as growing literacy and development of the printing press made news widely available, with Fleet Street becoming
6532-467: The City of London and the City of Westminster have city status . The City of London and the remainder of Greater London are both counties for the purposes of lieutenancies . The area of Greater London includes areas that are part of the historic counties of Middlesex , Kent , Surrey , Essex and Hertfordshire . More recently, Greater London has been defined as a region of England and in this context
6674-476: The Greenwich station was later disregarded as non-standard. Droughts can also, occasionally, be a problem, especially in summer, most recently in summer 2018, and with much drier than average conditions prevailing from May to December. However, the most consecutive days without rain was 73 days in the spring of 1893. Gospel Oak to Barking Line The Gospel Oak to Barking line , since November 2024 known as
6816-579: The Labour and Liberal Democrat parties, by the Ashmount School governors, by Ashmount school parents and by Bowlers Nursery. When the council carried out a consultation amongst residents, two thirds of the respondents were in favour of the scheme. The project was also closely scrutinised by the Mayor of London whose consent was required as the land is specially protected Metropolitan Open Land and further examined by
6958-588: The London area. This called for the Corporation of the city to extend its jurisdiction and administration over expanding areas around the city. Fearing an attempt by the Crown to diminish the Liberties of London , coupled with a lack of interest in administering these additional areas or concern by city guilds of having to share power, caused the Corporation's "The Great Refusal", a decision which largely continues to account for
7100-609: The Mayor wrote to the Secretary of State for Transport to seek a way forward, and "she committed her officials to support work with TfL, Network Rail, train operators and other industry parties to see if a viable way can be found to bridge the funding gap." During November 2012, the magazine Modern Railways reported that the Department for Transport had ruled out the work on the basis of an estimated cost of £ 90 million, in contrast to an estimate of £40 million by TfL. In June 2013, it
7242-567: The Midland and Great Eastern joint line at South Tottenham and the Forest Gate and Barking line at Woodgrange Park. The section west of South Tottenham was built as the Tottenham and Hampstead Junction Railway , which opened in 1868 but had not been commercially successful as a stand-alone railway. Although the route between Upper Holloway and Woodgrange Park has been constant, several stations have been
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#17328524924027384-505: The Northern Heights Plan ), but the onset of World War II stopped the work at an advanced stage. After the war, the development plan was abandoned but passenger trains continued to run on this line until 3 July 1954, when British Railways (the successor to the LNER) ended such services permanently. The Alexandra Palace branch closed completely in 1957, but the link from Finsbury Park to Highgate and East Finchley remained open to freight traffic until 1964. Even after freight traffic had ceased,
7526-401: The Overground service will be renamed as part of a strategic rebrand with the new name in use since November 2024. For much of its existence the line has played a minor role in London's transport system; however, in recent years it has received significant investment to increase its capacity, including full 25kV AC overhead electrification , completed in 2018. At the eastern end of the line,
7668-412: The Parkland Walk which crossed over the railway. It was retained after the line's closure and now connects Haslemere Road in Haringey to Crouch Hill Park in Islington. At this point, the still extant but partly overgrown platforms of Crouch End station remain. The route passes under the site of the former station building, and the road bridge over the cutting carrying Crouch End Hill , at the far end of
7810-407: The Parkland Walk, from a public footpath called the Vicarage Path and from pedestrian entrances to the south and west of the park. A new building within the park contains Ashmount School , a community primary school, and Bowlers Community Nursery , which is a separate charity-run voluntary nursery. Beyond the site of the new school building, and just before Crouch End station, is a footbridge across
7952-403: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who could have chosen to call the project in and hold a public inquiry but despite requests to do so, did not. Objections to the project were made both to Islington, to the Mayor of London and the Secretary of State. An application for judicial review was threatened, but in the event did not materialise. Further, a formal complaint against
8094-425: The Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove for permission to cease to use the old site for a school, permission was refused, and the site was requisitioned, without compensation to Islington Council, for use by a Free School . In order to conform with the rules for building on Metropolitan Open Land , the footprint of the new school building did not exceed that of the demolished buildings. The design includes
8236-409: The Thames. Despite the evidence of scattered Brythonic settlements in the area, the first major settlement was founded by the Romans around 47 AD, about four years after their invasion of 43 AD. This only lasted until about 61 AD, when the Iceni tribe led by Queen Boudica stormed it and burnt it to the ground. The next planned incarnation of Londinium prospered, superseding Colchester as
8378-415: The United Kingdom's population and over 16% of England's population. The Greater London Built-up Area is the fourth-most populous in Europe, with about 9.8 million inhabitants as of 2011. The London metropolitan area is the third-most populous in Europe, with about 14 million inhabitants as of 2016, making London a megacity . Four World Heritage Sites are located in London: Kew Gardens ;
8520-405: The Viking incursions formally agreed by the Danish warlord , Guthrum and the West Saxon king Alfred the Great in 886. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that Alfred "refounded" London in 886. Archaeological research shows this involved abandonment of Lundenwic and a revival of life and trade within the old Roman walls . London then grew slowly until a dramatic increase in about 950. By
8662-418: The administrative area of Greater London , governed by 33 local authorities and the Greater London Authority . As one of the world's major global cities , London exerts a strong influence on world art , entertainment, fashion , commerce, finance, education , healthcare , media , science, technology, tourism , transport , and communications. Despite a post- Brexit exodus of stock listings from
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#17328524924028804-408: The age of 104, was known as “The Last Suffragette” due to her great age. The line will be coloured green on the updated network map; green , along with white and purple, was one of the colours of the Suffragette movement. On 23 January 2020, a freight wagon derailed between Leyton Midland Road and Walthamstow Queen's Road stations, causing extensive damage to more than 2.5 miles (4 km) of track;
8946-449: The bridges and cuttings of the line, but avoids the closed surface section of Highgate station and its adjoining tunnels, which are closed to walkers for safety reasons. The walk is almost all in Haringey , but a short stretch between Crouch Hill and Crouch End Hill is in Islington and this section incorporates Crouch Hill Park . The walk is a local nature reserve and a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation . It
9088-437: The centre of the British press. The invasion of Amsterdam by Napoleonic armies led many financiers to relocate to London and the first London international issue was arranged in 1817. Around the same time, the Royal Navy became the world's leading war fleet, acting as a major deterrent to potential economic adversaries. Following a fire in 1838, the Royal Exchange was redesigned by William Tite and rebuilt in 1844. The repeal of
9230-425: The city's metropolis. The City of London at its core once comprised the whole settlement, but as its urban area grew, the Corporation of London resisted attempts to amalgamate the city with its suburbs , causing "London" to be defined several ways. Forty per cent of Greater London is covered by the London post town , in which 'London' forms part of postal addresses. The London telephone area code (020) covers
9372-412: The city, to intimidate the inhabitants. In 1097, William II began building Westminster Hall , near the abbey. It became the basis of a new Palace of Westminster . In the 12th century, the institutions of central government, which had hitherto followed the royal English court around the country, grew in size and sophistication and became increasingly fixed, for most purposes at Westminster , although
9514-419: The class 710 units entered service. However, six trains are needed to be able to run a full service, so from 15 March 2019 (the day the last Class 172 units left London Overground) the frequency on the line was halved to two trains per hour. Increases in passenger numbers led to severe overcrowding at peak times, but it was not possible to increase peak frequencies without reducing the number of goods trains, as
9656-443: The combined revenue expenditure by London councils and the GLA amounted to just over £22 billion (£14.7 billion for the boroughs and £7.4 billion for the GLA). The London Fire Brigade is the statutory fire and rescue service for Greater London, run by the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority . It is the third largest fire service in the world. National Health Service ambulance services are provided by
9798-405: The comprehensive University College London . It is the most visited city in Europe and has the world's busiest city airport system . The London Underground is the world's oldest rapid transit system. London's diverse cultures encompass over 300 languages. The 2023 population of Greater London of just under 10 million made it Europe's third-most populous city , accounting for 13.4% of
9940-441: The council for proceeding with the project was made to the Local Government Ombudsman by the "Ashmount Site Action Group" (ASAG) but was not upheld. In the council election of 2010 all three councillors elected for the local ward, in Islington, Hillrise, (two Liberal Democrat, one Labour) had publicly declared their support for the scheme. The project was financed by Islington Council under a number of budget headings recognising that
10082-500: The creation of the Greater London Authority . To mark the 21st century, the Millennium Dome , London Eye and Millennium Bridge were constructed. On 6 July 2005 London was awarded the 2012 Summer Olympics , as the first city to stage the Olympic Games three times. On 7 July 2005, three London Underground trains and a double-decker bus were bombed in a series of terrorist attacks . In 2008, Time named London alongside New York City and Hong Kong as Nylonkong , hailing them as
10224-542: The creation of the London Underground , the world's first urban rail network . The Metropolitan Board of Works oversaw infrastructure expansion in the capital and some surrounding counties; it was abolished in 1889 when the London County Council was created out of county areas surrounding the capital. From the early years of the 20th century onwards, teashops were found on High Streets across London and
10366-462: The current ticketing arrangements, ticketless travel fell from an estimated peak of 40% under Silverlink, to 2% in March 2008. The number of paying passengers has increased very significantly since London Overground assumed the line's management. This is the passenger volume for the years beginning April 2002 to April 2023. Until 2010 London Overground operated six Class 150 two-coach diesel units on
10508-499: The delay caused timetable cutbacks and continued overcrowding, TfL offered a month's free travel, financed by the manufacturer Bombardier , to compensate passengers for the months of disruption they experienced. The line was extended southeast by 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) from the terminus at Barking to serve the Barking Riverside regeneration area, a brownfield site with permission for around 10,800 new homes. Proposed in
10650-543: The delivery of these trains was delayed by the manufacturer; at one point, officials were not even willing to divulge an anticipated service date for the Class 710 sets. Due to the Class 172 units being needed by West Midlands Trains , three Class 378 units (378 206, 378 209 and 378 232) were moved from other parts of the London Overground and shortened down from five to four carriages to provide an interim service until
10792-713: The driest is 1921, with a total fall of 12.1 inches (308 mm). The average annual precipitation amounts to about 600mm, which is half the annual rainfall of New York City . Despite relatively low annual precipitation, London receives 109.6 rainy days on the 1.0mm threshold annually. London is vulnerable to climate change , and there is concern among hydrological experts that households may run out of water before 2050. Temperature extremes in London range from 40.2 °C (104.4 °F) at Heathrow on 19 July 2022 down to −17.4 °C (0.7 °F) at Northolt on 13 December 1981. Records for atmospheric pressure have been kept at London since 1692. The highest pressure ever reported
10934-486: The early 1990s by Class 117 and 121 units. Initially part of British Rail Network SouthEast , the line was privatised in 1994, the track being owned by Railtrack (subsequently Network Rail ) with the passenger service provided by the North London Railways franchise. This passed to National Express in 1997, which operated the line under the brand name Silverlink until November 2007. Under Silverlink,
11076-491: The electric wires could be turned on so that Class 710 trains could run. Although the line was completely electrified by mid-January 2018, delays prevented the introduction of new electric trains until 2019. The line was electrified using the NR Series 2 OLE (Overhead Line Equipment) range. On account of the completion of electrification in 2018, new electric Class 710 trains were supposed to run from March 2018. However,
11218-408: The ends of the line. Kentish Town , St Pancras , Gospel Oak and Moorgate (via St Pancras) have all been the western termini. East Ham was an alternative eastern terminus for some time. Some trains were extended beyond Barking to destinations such as Southend and Tilbury . There was a regular boat train service between St Pancras and Tilbury. A connection to Gospel Oak was added in 1888, but
11360-552: The existing building of the Bowlers Nursery and the Crouch Hill Recreation Centre, and their replacement with new building containing the relocated Ashmount School , a community primary school, and a new Bowlers Nursery. It also involved the rebuilding a blockhouse originally built to house switching gear for the never completed Northern Heights plan, and subsequently used to house a youth project. The whole project
11502-460: The extension to the Barking Riverside regeneration site opened on 18 July 2022. The line is mostly an amalgamation of lines built in the 19th century. The main section, between South Tottenham and Woodgrange Park, was built as the Tottenham and Forest Gate Railway , a joint project between the Midland Railway and the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway . This opened on 9 July 1894, linking
11644-603: The first Muslim mayor of a major Western capital. The mayor's statutory planning strategy is published as the London Plan , which was most recently revised in 2011. The local authorities are the councils of the 32 London boroughs and the City of London Corporation . They are responsible for most local services, such as local planning, schools, libraries, leisure and recreation, social services , local roads and refuse collection. Certain functions, such as waste management , are provided through joint arrangements. In 2009–2010
11786-628: The former Crouch End station. According to a local urban legend, a ghostly 'goat-man' haunted the walk in the 1970s and 1980s. Local children playing out in the evenings would 'dare' each other to walk the Parkland Walk from the Crouch End Hill bridge to the Crouch Hill bridge in the darkness. It has been suggested that the sculpture, and the Parkland Walk generally, provided the inspiration for Stephen King 's short story " Crouch End ". However, as
11928-459: The interchange stations, staffed ticket offices were withdrawn by BR in the late 1980s. With operations transferred to London Overground, self-service ticket machines were introduced in November 2007. Oyster- and contactless-card validators (for touching in and out) are at all stations. The ticket machines can be used to load credit onto Oyster cards. Passengers are required to buy tickets, or touch in with their Oyster or contactless cards, or else face
12070-525: The last fifty years. Most arrived naturally ( oak , ash , birch , hawthorn , cherry , apple , holly , rowan , sycamore and yew ), but a few additional species have been planted ( field maple , hazel , black Italian poplar and white poplar ). More than three hundred species of wild flowers have been recorded on the Parkland Walk. They range from commonplace to exotic. Species sighted include Michaelmas daisies , goldenrods , buddleia and Guernsey fleabane . The great variety of plant life sustains
12212-421: The line are operated by Arriva Rail London as part of the London Overground network under contract to TfL. There are four trains per hour in each direction, running from around 06:30 to 23:30 on Monday to Saturday, and around 06:30 to 22:00 on Sundays. There is a single weekday morning service from Woodgrange Park to Willesden Junction , calling at all intermediate stations except for Gospel Oak. The line
12354-424: The line continued to be used to transfer empty tube stock between lines; this ceased in 1970, because of the poor condition of some of the intermediate bridges, and the track was lifted in 1972. After the track was lifted, most of the platforms and station buildings were demolished. The sections of the line from Finsbury Park to Highgate and from Highgate to Alexandra Palace, excluding the intermediate section through
12496-476: The line could accommodate only eight trains per hour in each direction. The two-coach Class 172 diesel trains in use between 2010 and 2019 were incapable of handling the increased number of passengers experienced after the incorporation into the London Overground. Between 2016 and 2018 the line was electrified by Network Rail; this work was delayed due to a number of design, track works and delivery problems. At
12638-547: The line to J. Murphy & Sons . There were part closures (at weekends and from South Tottenham to Barking) from June to late September 2016, followed by a full closure from October 2016 to February 2017. In February 2017, Network Rail announced that whilst the line would re-open as scheduled, they were not able to complete all the work planned due to "incorrect" designs and late delivery of materials. Further evening and weekend works until late June 2017 were already planned, followed by around four months of commissioning work before
12780-626: The line was closed between Barking and South Tottenham stations while repair works took place, whereby 10,000 tonnes of ballast , 5,300 concrete sleepers and 39 new pieces of rail were installed. The line re-opened on 19 February 2020. The line carries both goods and passenger traffic. It is owned by Network Rail , with the exception of the Barking Riverside branch which is owned by Transport for London . It has thirteen stations, eleven of which are managed by London Overground , one by c2c and one by London Underground . Passenger services on
12922-601: The line was completed in 2018, but electric trains did not run at first as the delivery of the new Class 710 sets had been delayed. As the leases for the Class 172 came to an end in early 2019, London Overground temporarily shortened three of its Class 378s to run on the line to substitute the Class 172s until the long-delayed Class 710s entered service on 23 May 2019. All of the Class 378s were replaced by Class 710s by August 2019. The line has same-station interchanges with: There are out-of-station interchanges at: There are official TfL out-of-station-interchanges, whereby
13064-468: The line was opened on 22 August 1867, it was purchased by the larger Great Northern Railway (GNR). Branch lines from Finchley to High Barnet and from Highgate to Alexandra Palace opened in 1872 and 1873. The GNR became part of the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) in 1923. Plans were published by London Underground in the 1930s for the incorporation of these lines into the Northern line (
13206-450: The line were causing damage to their houses. As part of the extension to Barking Riverside , a station, called Castle Green, at Renwick Road on the London, Tilbury & Southend Railway was proposed. Although not built as part of the extension to Barking Riverside, the station site was safeguarded so that it can be built at a later stage. Following the plan to extend the line to Barking Riverside , there were also proposals to extend
13348-622: The line. They were replaced by eight Class 172/0 two-coach diesel multiple units (DMUs). In 2017, all trains were diesel powered as the line was not fully electrified , with only two short sections having overhead electrification , at South Tottenham, to provide a link from Seven Sisters to Stratford, and from the junction with the Great Eastern Main Line to Barking but excluding the bay platform which this service uses. These sections were used only by occasional electric trains on other routes or by goods trains. Electrification of
13490-622: The location of its original headquarters in a road called Great Scotland Yard in Whitehall. The City of London has its own police force – the City of London Police . First worn by Met police officers in 1863, the custodian helmet has been called a "cultural icon" and a "symbol of British law enforcement". Introduced by the Met in 1929, the blue police telephone box (basis for the TARDIS in Doctor Who )
13632-455: The mayor's budget proposals each year. The GLA has responsibility for the majority of London's transport system through its functional arm Transport for London (TfL), it is responsible for overseeing the city's police and fire services, and also for setting a strategic vision for London on a range of issues. The headquarters of the GLA is City Hall , Newham. The mayor since 2016 has been Sadiq Khan ,
13774-553: The mid 2010s following cancellation of the DLR extension to Dagenham Dock , the extension was approved in 2017, leading to construction commencing during late 2018. Running partially alongside the existing London, Tilbury and Southend Railway line and then a new viaduct to the Barking Riverside station , the extension opened to passengers on Monday 18 July 2022 at an estimated cost of £327m. In July 2023, Sadiq Khan, Head of TfL and Mayor Of London announced that it would be giving each of
13916-718: The most museums , art galleries, libraries, and cultural venues in the UK, including the British Museum , National Gallery , Natural History Museum , Tate Modern , British Library , and numerous West End theatres. Important sporting events held in London include the FA Cup Final , the Wimbledon Tennis Championships , and the London Marathon . It became the first city to host three Summer Olympic Games upon hosting
14058-650: The most diverse cities in the world. In 1951, the Festival of Britain was held on the South Bank . The Great Smog of 1952 led to the Clean Air Act 1956 , which ended the " pea soup fogs " for which London had been notorious, and had earned it the nickname the "Big Smoke". Starting mainly in the mid-1960s, London became a centre for worldwide youth culture , exemplified by the Swinging London sub-culture associated with
14200-411: The north and west sides of the existing building, and extending a short distance over the Parkland Walk. Now known as The Cape , it is managed directly by Islington Council and houses a community energy centre, a youth centre, a new ecology centre and Ashmount School's after-school club. There is a public cafe in the building to which there is direct access from the Parkland Walk. Passing the blockhouse,
14342-467: The old Roman city. By about 680 the city had become a major port again, but there is little evidence of large-scale production. From the 820s repeated Viking assaults brought decline. Three are recorded; those in 851 and 886 succeeded, while the last, in 994, was rebuffed. The Vikings applied Danelaw over much of eastern and northern England, its boundary running roughly from London to Chester as an area of political and geographical control imposed by
14484-479: The old trackbed has been replaced with a school and housing. The walk continues opposite, via steps down to the trackbed, towards Alexandra Palace, skirting the side of Muswell Hill. The span of the seventeen-arch viaduct over St James's Lane gives a view eastwards and southwards over London. The route ends with a pedestrian tunnel, replacing the former overbridge, which passes under the road Muswell Hill itself. At this point, Muswell Hill primary school has been built on
14626-527: The option to introduce a third coach. The service frequency was increased to four trains per hour in January 2011. During 2008, electrification was ruled out by the Mayor of London on grounds of cost and difficulty of electrifying a line with so many viaducts and bridges, but the Network Route Utilisation Strategy published by Network Rail in October 2009 showed a benefit–cost ratio for
14768-553: The passenger can continue an unbroken journey between: Two other interchanges are walkable: Except at the interchange stations, station facilities are very basic. There are small shelters, information points with recorded service information, information screens and CCTV cameras. Typically, there are one or two staff members on duty. Where there are no station buildings they operate out of container-sized portable offices. The line has some stations with step-free access, allowing wheelchairs/pushchairs etc. easy access from street level to
14910-562: The platforms, at Gospel Oak , Upper Holloway , Harringay Green Lanes , South Tottenham , Walthamstow Queens Road , Barking and Barking Riverside . As the trains do not align exactly with the platform height, wheelchair users require assistance from a member of staff to board or alight from trains. The only exception however is at the newest station on the line, Barking Riverside, built with level access. Residents in Walthamstow complained in 2012 that vibrations from goods traffic on
15052-439: The platforms. Beyond this, the cutting opens out on the northern side as the route skirts a hill, parallel to Hornsey Lane where some apartment blocks have been built. The route bridges Stanhope Road on a footbridge replacing the original structure. The route continues on an embankment to a brick-built bridge over Northwood Road, beneath which traffic can flow in only one direction at a time. The surrounding ground rises rapidly and
15194-486: The principal city of the Roman province of Britannia in 100. At its height in the 2nd century, Roman London had a population of about 60,000. With the early 5th-century collapse of Roman rule, the walled city of Londinium was effectively abandoned, although Roman civilisation continued around St Martin-in-the-Fields until about 450. From about 500, an Anglo-Saxon settlement known as Lundenwic developed slightly west of
15336-426: The project was contributing to the re accommodation of several different bodies. It also received a special grant due to its "low carbon" status. In particular it was expected that a significant part of the cost of reproviding Ashmount School would be raised by realising the value of the old school site on Hornsey Lane . However, when Islington Council, relying on the recommendations of a planning inspector, applied to
15478-462: The resources, and it was rapidly developing the dignity and the political self-consciousness appropriate to a national capital ." After winning the Battle of Hastings , William, Duke of Normandy was crowned King of England in newly completed Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066. William built the Tower of London , the first of many such in England rebuilt in stone in the south-eastern corner of
15620-624: The rest of Britain, with Lyons , who opened the first of their chain of teashops in Piccadilly in 1894, leading the way. The tearooms, such as the Criterion in Piccadilly, became a popular meeting place for women from the suffrage movement. The city was the target of many attacks during the suffragette bombing and arson campaign , between 1912 and 1914, which saw historic landmarks such as Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral bombed. London
15762-415: The rest of the cutting around Highgate Wood from Wellington Junction to Cranley Gardens station is outside the wood's fence. It is not officially part of Parkland Walk and so is allowed to stay overgrown. A further shorter section of the walk begins along Muswell Hill Road, just beyond Cranley Gardens, where the road overbridge crosses the old line. At the site of the former Cranley Gardens railway station
15904-401: The road. Stroud Green station once stood at this point, with its platforms cantilevered out over the sides of the bridge over Stapleton Hall Road. The station master's house still survives at road level, but there are no traces of the track- or road-side station buildings, which were destroyed in a fire in 1967. After crossing Mount Pleasant Villas on an overbridge, the embankment gives way to
16046-422: The route becomes a cutting at the end of which the portals of the southern pair of Highgate tunnels come into view. Vestiges of line-side electrical equipment for the planned 1930s electrification of the line and part of the structure of the old Highgate station are visible through the tunnels. The tunnels are closed to pedestrian access; consequently, the main route ends here with an exit onto Holmesdale Road. Should
16188-518: The routes via Kentish Town remained the primary ones and the Gospel Oak branch was abandoned during 1926. The connection to East Ham was abandoned in 1958. The Tottenham and Hampstead Junction Railway section of the line had stations that were closed due to proximity to other stations or for other reasons. These include Highgate Road (closed 1918), Junction Road (closed 1943), Hornsey Road (closed 1943) and St Ann's Road (closed 1942). The line
16330-454: The royal treasury came to rest in the Tower . While the City of Westminster developed into a true governmental capital, its distinct neighbour, the City of London , remained England's largest city and principal commercial centre and flourished under its own unique administration, the Corporation of London . In 1100, its population was some 18,000; by 1300 it had grown to nearly 100,000. With
16472-490: The same time, platforms were lengthened to accommodate the new four-coach electric Class 710 trains. These trains were intended to be introduced in the spring of 2018, but the delivery was delayed by the manufacturer, the first two entering service on 23 May 2019, but the existing two trains per hour service was maintained until the full timetable was restored in June of that year. The full fleet entered service in August 2019. Because
16614-749: The scheme of 2.4:1. During 2012, the Mayor of London , Boris Johnson , indicated that funding was "a matter for the Department for Transport ". In 2011, Network Rail proposed electrification in Control Period 5 (CP5), however, in July 2012, Justine Greening , the Secretary of State for Transport , stated that electrification was not included in the High Level Output Specification for CP5, and that any funds would need to be provided by TfL. In August,
16756-534: The sea. London is the seat of the Government of the United Kingdom . Many government departments, as well as the prime minister's residence at 10 Downing Street , are based close to the Palace of Westminster , particularly along Whitehall . There are 75 members of Parliament (MPs) from London; As of June 2024 , 59 are from the Labour Party , 9 are Conservatives , 6 are Liberal Democrats and one constituency
16898-471: The situation began to improve when electrification and upgrades to the line out of St Pancras (later part of Thameslink ) displaced the line from Kentish Town. A new link to Gospel Oak was built and the hourly service from Kentish Town was replaced by the current route from Gospel Oak with two trains per hour. The service remained relatively unreliable, largely due to the age of the rolling stock used, which were initially Class 115 and 108 units, replaced in
17040-478: The six Overground services unique names, relevant to the "historical contributions by minority groups" of the area the service passes through, by the end of the following year. On 15 February 2024, it was confirmed that the Gospel Oak to Barking section would be named the Suffragette line , to honour East London's major contribution to the Suffragette movement. Barking activist Annie Huggett , who died in 1996 at
17182-424: The start of 2018 to mid April 2018. Funding cuts to police in London are likely to have contributed to this, though other factors are involved. However, homicide figures fell in 2022 with 109 recorded for the year, and the murder rate in London is much lower than other major cities around the world. London, also known as Greater London , is one of nine regions of England and the top subdivision covering most of
17324-473: The story was first published in 1980 and the sculpture not erected until 1993, there can be no connection between the Spriggan and the story. It is possible that the walk may have inspired King, as he stayed with friend and Crouch End resident Peter Straub during the 1970s. No definite link between the Parkland Walk and the story has ever been proven. London newspaper Ham & High reports that "Parkland Walk has
17466-725: The theatres in the 1640s. The ban on theatre was lifted during the Restoration in 1660, and London's oldest operating theatre, Drury Lane , opened in 1663 in what is now the West End theatre district. By the end of the Tudor period in 1603, London was still compact. There was an assassination attempt on James I in Westminster, in the Gunpowder Plot of 5 November 1605. In 1637, the government of Charles I attempted to reform administration in
17608-423: The trackbed and the suburb's former railway station . The pedestrian route by-passes the primary school and leads into Alexandra Park , where further remains of the rail route can be seen. The former Alexandra Palace station building still exists and is used for community purposes. No trees were permitted to grow close to the track when the railway was operational. The range of trees found today has grown up in
17750-486: The tunnels and station at Highgate, were converted into the Parkland Walk. This was officially opened in 1984, following extensive re-surfacing and improvements to access. In the late 1980s, the park was threatened by a plan to build a road along its route but the plan was withdrawn following local opposition which was co-ordinated by The Friends of the Parkland Walk . The walk was declared a local nature reserve in 1990. The route starts near to Finsbury Park station , at
17892-691: The unique governmental status of the City . In the English Civil War , the majority of Londoners supported the Parliamentary cause. After an initial advance by the Royalists in 1642, culminating in the battles of Brentford and Turnham Green , London was surrounded by a defensive perimeter wall known as the Lines of Communication . The lines were built by up to 20,000 people, and were completed in under two months. The fortifications failed their only test when
18034-416: The walk enters Crouch Hill Park which spreads to the south of the old railway line. The new park has a triangular form covering an area of 25,730 square metres (277,000 sq ft), which is bounded by the walkway to the north and housing on the other sides; it is home to birds, invertebrates and bats, including some species locally uncommon or declining. It can be accessed from a number of access points on
18176-519: The walker choose to proceed further, they can travel uphill along Holmesdale Road which soon joins Archway Road ; continuing along Archway Road, travelling north past Highgate station , leads to the junction between Archway Road and Muswell Hill Road. The route between the northern end of the Highgate Tunnels and the Northern Line depot at Wellington Junction is used by trains entering the depot;
18318-453: The west of the City of London, has been the centuries-long host of the national government and parliament . London grew rapidly in the 19th century , becoming the world's largest city at the time . Since the 19th century, the name "London" has referred to the metropolis around the City of London, historically split between the counties of Middlesex , Essex , Surrey , Kent , and Hertfordshire , which since 1965 has largely comprised
18460-598: The western side of the East Coast Main Line , beside a foot overbridge that gives access from the eastern end of Oxford Road to Finsbury Park itself. The route rises on an embankment overlooking the back gardens of the Victorian suburban houses. The route then bridges Upper Tollington Park. The next bridge takes the walk over Stapleton Hall Road, at a point where the Gospel Oak to Barking railway line also passes beneath
18602-475: The works include a rescue dog, a jogger and a ghost station from the Walk's original railway. The Islington section of the Parkland Walk formed a part of the Crouch Hill Park project, which provided improved accommodation for several institutions and reinstated an area of previously derelict parkland to the south of the Parkland Walk as a public park and nature reserve. The project included the demolition of
18744-625: The world's three most influential global cities . In January 2015, Greater London's population was estimated to be 8.63 million, its highest since 1939. During the Brexit referendum in 2016, the UK as a whole decided to leave the European Union , but most London constituencies voted for remaining. However, Britain's exit from the EU in early 2020 only marginally weakened London's position as an international financial centre. The administration of London
18886-526: The worst overcrowding. In November 2007, TfL took full control of the line, after which it introduced improved late night and weekend services, and staff, ticket machines and Oyster equipment at all stations. The frequency was increased to three trains per hour during morning and afternoon peaks and the line was included on the Tube map for the first time. The line was closed throughout most of September 2008 for upgrade work carried out by Network Rail . Capacity
19028-1014: Was bombed by the Germans in the First World War , and during the Second World War , the Blitz and other bombings by the German Luftwaffe killed over 30,000 Londoners, destroying large tracts of housing and other buildings across the city. The tomb of the Unknown Warrior , an unidentified member of the British armed forces killed during the First World War, was buried in Westminster Abbey on 11 November 1920. The Cenotaph , located in Whitehall ,
19170-537: Was announced that £115 million of funding for electrification would be made available as part of upgrades to rail infrastructure included in the government's 2013 spending round. At the same time Transport for London announced that they had obtained a £90m commitment from the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Transport. In September 2015, Network Rail awarded the £56.9 million contract to electrify
19312-591: Was considered for closure to passengers in 1963 as part of the Beeching Axe , but local users protested and formed an action group to prevent closure. Beeching's proposals for London were not implemented for the most part, and the line remained open. Even so, it was allowed to fall into a poor state of repair and reliability, and by 1980 had been cut back to an hourly service between Kentish Town and Barking. The station canopies were gradually demolished, ticket offices closed and staff withdrawn from stations. During 1981,
19454-508: Was declared a local nature reserve in 1990 and is London's longest such reserve. Between Finsbury Park and Highgate, the path forms part of the Capital Ring strategic walking route. The route of the path between Finsbury Park and Highgate was constructed originally by the Edgware, Highgate and London Railway in the 1860s, as part of its railway line from Finsbury Park to Edgware . Before
19596-638: Was executed at a total cost of £13m to Islington Council. The project was opposed by the Friends of the Parkland Walk , the Ashmount Site Action Group the Highgate Society and the 20th Century Society all of whom favoured retention of the original school building on the original site off Hornsey Lane . It was also opposed by the Islington Green Party. The project was supported by both
19738-431: Was increased from six trains per hour to eight (four each for passenger and goods trains). By replacing the overbridges carrying Sussex Way and Albert Road, and lowering the track in some other locations, it was made possible for W10 loading gauge goods trains to operate. Electrification was not included. In 2010, eight new Class 172 Turbostar diesel trains replaced the Class 150 units, with two 23-metre coaches and
19880-437: Was once a common sight throughout London and regional cities in the UK. The British Transport Police are responsible for police services on National Rail , London Underground , Docklands Light Railway and Tramlink services. The Ministry of Defence Police is a special police force in London, which does not generally become involved with policing the general public. The UK's domestic counter-intelligence service ( MI5 )
20022-459: Was supervised by polymath Robert Hooke . In 1710, Christopher Wren 's masterpiece, St Paul's Cathedral , was completed, replacing its medieval predecessor that burned in the Great Fire of 1666. The dome of St Paul's dominated the London skyline for centuries, inspiring the artworks and writing of William Blake , with his 1789 poem " Holy Thursday " referring to 'the high dome of Pauls'. During
20164-516: Was unveiled on the same day, and is the focal point for the National Service of Remembrance held annually on Remembrance Sunday , the closest Sunday to 11 November. The 1948 Summer Olympics were held at the original Wembley Stadium , while London was still recovering from the war. From the 1940s, London became home to many immigrants, primarily from Commonwealth countries such as Jamaica, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, making London one of
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