The original plan for today was to go as far as Highgate, but my friend said it would be crazy for me to get the tube back here from Highgate as it was only around 2 miles, so what was to have been an 11.5 mile day became 13.7, with a 0.4 mile extra from the Path to Finsbury Park underground. Plus point, only 6.9 miles to do tomorrow and no tube journey first thing.

I started walking just after 8 and picked up a black coffee to go on Preston High Street. Bright and sunny and the most beautiful part was early on in Fryent Country Park, where I encountered another trig point on Barn Hill (282'). Today is the 80th birthday of the trig point, and the BBC News App had a feature on them.

Unfortunately, apart from the higher parts of Barn Hill, which also had a lovely little pond which I enjoyed in solitude, this park had the soggiest fields and the muddiest woodland paths I have encountered anywhere and I was anxious that I would not make up the time I had lost picking my way slowly across it. I had a lunch date in Queens Wood, Highgate, at 1 pm. I was glad that the next waterside path, by Brent Reservoir, was tarmac. Around this time it clouded over.

I tried to find something to love about Hendon, but failed. A very long trudge along Park Road led eventually to the North Circular, and it was hard to appreciate the beauties of Brent Park and the Dollis Valley Greenwalk with that racket nearby.

After more trudge to East Finchley I was glad to get into Highgate Wood (crushed stone paths) and then Queen' s Wood. Made lunch with 15 minutes to spare, and
afterwards we walked a few miles down to the end of the Parkland Walk and it brightened up.