London Loop Section 12: Cockfosters to Enfield Lock

Weather: Warm and overcast to start, becoming very warm towards the end.
After the mud and rain of the previous leg I was hoping to start a week's holiday with a warmer and dryer walk. I was in luck. The sun was trying to poke through the clouds and a week of hot sunny weather had dried up most of the mud. Finding the start was a bit awkward but eventually spotted the gate on the far side of the car par and I was off. After the rash of golf courses in previous legs this one specialised in cemeteries, one at the start and another at the end.
After a short stroll you arrive at Trent Country park which has a very nice cafe where I stopped for a late brunch / early lunch of baked beans on toast. Avoided the rather tasty looking tray bakes and cakes and started back on the walk before the numerous walking groups that were hanging around the cafe got underway.

The week of sun has brought the crops on well. Fields of golden wheat and trees heavy with crab apples line the path as you climb into Enfield Chase. However I was jolted out of my reverie by a rather scary looking tree and a HUMAN SKULL on the ground. Thought I was seeing things until another group stopped and pointed to it. Decided to move on before it claimed another victim. Lots of more pleasant trees in the chase itself, in particular sweet chestnuts with flowers like golden fireworks covering their branches.

Once you drop down from Hadley Road you really do feel as if you are in the countryside, not within a few miles of London. Broad beans  (or poo beans as my uncultured wife calls them) in one field more wheat in the next.

Enfield Chase

Kestrels hovered over the wheat looking for small mammals before perching on the branches of dead trees catching their breath before flying off again. Signage in the next section became a bit sporadic and I could have done with changing into a kestrel to avoid a fallen willow that almost completely blocked the path. The trunk had folded over like melted toffee but the tree was still growing - tough things willows. Had to crawl under the branches on all fours as there was no way round the back.
The next field was covered with crows, at least a hundred and the next had lots of cylindrical straw bales wrapped in black plastic. I prefer them to be left unwrapped so they look like rolls of butter but I can understand why the farmers bag them up. However they do look like giant rabbit droppings!

The next section past Clay Hill and onto the New River and Turkey Brook was nice but nothing spectacular though there are a number of very attractive trees and it is always good to walk beside water. The Rose and Crown pub has the air of a good county inn  though as I was still full of beans I didn't pop in to check it out.

The route passes the old fish ponds of Elsynge Hall and there were a number of very large fish moving sedately through the murky water. Keeping a wary eye on them was a heron that was almost as surprised as me when I got within about two metres of it before it flew off in that strange way they have, dangling its spindly legs just above the surface of the water with a few languid flaps of its wings.
Two climbs over steep railway bridges are not what tired legs need but that's what you get at the end of this shortish but rather enjoyable leg of the LOOP.