COCKFOSTERS

 

The London Loop is one of the mayors of London key walking routes, which encircles Greater London it covers a total distance of around 150miles, todays official route is from Cockfosters to Enfield Lock  but I'm ending my walk at Enfield Chase. Just a short distance into the walk you stumble across a building that is not only magnificent but which also has an illustrious past. This was originally part of the hunting grounds favoured by Henry the fourth and eventually purchased by the very wealthy Sir Philip Sassoon? Cousin to the famous war poet Seigfreid Sassoon? With war looming he was renowned for the glamorous parties he held here in the twenties and thirties with guests including Charlie Chaplin, Winston Churchill and members of the royal family. Nowadays its part a Middlesex University. I've got about a mile or so walk ahead of me to Forty Hill in Enfield this area has connection with the royals that goes back centuries. My journey has brought me here to the next stop on my walk which is Forty Hall it’s a great one listed building that  now exhibits 17^th and 18^th century furniture, glass, ceramics and even the local history. What can visitors see when they come here? Well they can see the house and a collection of furniture which is of around the same age as the house. We have the hunting grounds of Henry VIII and of course Elizabeth I would also have hunted in these grounds with have connection with the Parker-Balls family, they actually lived within the house. Is it true that Walter Raleigh did lay his cape down in this particular area?” “many places say that but we believe that this is the one.” This is the spot where Sir Walter Raleigh was supposed to have laid down his cape for Queen Elizabeth. The London Loop continues over this bridge and off to the left, but that is a bridge too far for me because now I'm going to deviated from the loop and I'm going to head up here to a pub which continues the royal theme of Enfield. Now I know who runs the 'The King and Tinker', and I reckon he is the man who is going to know about the royal connection. “Hugh, what is the royal connection with The King and Tinker?” “The royal connection, King James I had been hunting in White webs Park, fell off his horse and met the tinker, he bought him a drink and the pub changed its name from The Bull to ‘The King and Tinker.” “What would you recommend is a good drink to get me back on my feet” “probably the IPA?” “Go for it”. that’s it for today, who would have thought that this part of London would have so much historic and royal connections if you want to check out more about the route I've taken today then log on to website.