Weather: Very sunny, warm and humid
Distance Walked: 21.2 km
Distance By Tube: 13.2 km
Stations Visited: 10
Fantastic Place: Mentmore Close
Most of the northern part of the line is shared with mainline services hence the stations are large and lack the traditional Underground architectural aesthetic (ooo get him!). It is not until I reached Kilburn Park at the end of this leg that I got to see a 'traditional' station building.
Harrow & Wealdstone station has an interesting mural produced by local school children marking the Millennium and all the famous events that have happened in the area. This included a record of the major train collision that happened in 1952 which led to a raft of improvements in rail safety. On the subject of the railways it is worth reading Christian Wolmar's books in particular "Fire & Steam" and "The Subterranean Railway". Both are written in an entertaining style and bring across the chaos and corruption of the early years of the industry.
Walking through light industrial units beside a busy road towards the pleasent open spaces of Kenton Recreation Ground I passed a gloriously colourful Hindu wedding party that lit up the grey drabness of area. The car parks were full to bursting and lots of people were sitting eating rather tasty looking food.
Passing Kenton Station I diverted from the direct route to visit Mentmore Close site of this classic comedy moment.
It would be easier now with the dropped kerb but he'd need to watch out for the bollards.
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| Should have a blue plaque if you ask me! |
The whole estate, in particular the nearby Northwick Circle is an attractive area. This is another of those places I'd never been to nor did I realise that Kenton and Northwick Park stations are so close together, no more than a 5 minute walk yet by tube it would take the best part of an hour and a change of trains at Baker Street!
My route then took me under the tracks at South Kenton where I had a case of deja vu - this is also the route of the Capital Ring. On to North Wembley through more nondescript suburbia and on to Wembley Central. I'll associate much of this part of the walk with the smell of bins, Friday being collection day, and the large wheelie bins parked on the pavement and in the small front yards were warming up nicely giving off that fragrant aroma you get with heated seepage at their bottom. These seepage has now been given the name farage in one of the 'urban dictionaries.'
Wembley Central has been undergoing building works for some time so I've no idea what the station used to look like hence the rather odd photo! Onwards we travel between high metal fences beside a playing field with Wembley Stadium in the distance.
Stonebridge Park is one of those places I've driven past too many times to mention as it lies on the North Circular road. As a pedestrian it is a maze of road crossings, semi-derelict office blocks and numerous railway lines. The station is up a cul-de-sac and is another of the brick shed style of buildings I've seen before on this leg, Harlesden next up is another. Leading up to Stonebridge Park you pass through the area known as Tokyngton "the farm of the sons of Toca" - not much farmland around now though.
I considered walking along the Grand Union Canal between Stonebridge Park and Harlesden but this section runs through more industrial buildings than you can shake a stick at and may not have been any more interesting than the more direct route.
After Harlesden I came across some attractive mosaics at the junction of Acton Lane and Minet Avenue.
Willesden Junction is a complicated station with lines and platforms running in all directions (which is why it is called a junction I suppose). Took me a while to work out which way to go through the station to end up at the correct exit onto the Harrow Road towards Kensal Green. Willesden Junction is the first of four completely different designs of station. In this case quite modern ticket office on a higher level above the more traditional style platforms. Kensal Green is like a wooden chalet, Queens Park a strange metal box and finally Kilburn Park the first of the traditional blood red tile constructions typical of the main part of the old Underground network.
The walk from Kensal Green to Kilburn Park started to lead into more 'upmarket' properties with gastropubs, the odd art gallery and many eateries. Portuguese restaurants were fairly common, I normally associate Vauxhall where I work with Portuguese shops and cafes but it appears there are at least two little Lisbons in London. Just before Queen's Park, the area named for Queen Victoria, there is a very pleasant park with an active local preservation group where the QPR football club started.
Next leg will hopefully be more interesting as I head through the heart of the city and out the other side.
