Forty walks from Ally Pally

A practical handbook for seeking space in North London

by John Twisleton

The privilege of living in the capital is offset by a sense of constraint and overcrowding.

Many people in north London spend hours in a crowd travelling to confined work places.

This book springs from one man's seeking of space in the hours of recreation granted to a busy priest.

Forty walks from Ally Pally explores the by-ways of Haringey, Barnet and Enfield with an eye to green spaces, local history and a replenishment of the spirit. The routes, which vary in length between one mile and twenty miles, exploit the public transport network and are well designed for family outings. Very full route details are provided in the text with schematic illustrations to give the sense and feel of each walk. There are abundant references to sites of interest in an area stretching from Highbury Fields up to Trent Country Park and from Totteridge Common across to Pickett's Lock on the River Lee.

The contemplative Thomas Merton wrote, ‘one has to be alone, under the sky, before everything falls into place and one finds his own place in the midst of it all.’ In this book Fr. Twisleton has provided a handbook to help people as they seek space to gain such a perspective. Each walk is provided with a short saying to encourage a seeking of 'oxygen for the spirit', the replenishment of that inner space essential for us to come fully alive as human beings.

ISBN 1-903290-00-7 60 pages 35 maps in black and white

Published by Fiennes Print £4.50 (+£1.50 p&p) each

Available by post from Fiennes Print, 27 Gatesmead, Haywards Heath RH16 1SN.

Cheques payable to Fiennes Print.