It was a little over a year ago, in the depth of winter, that we last visited Horsenden Hill. On that occasion we noted, accompanied by our photos, on our facebook page the following:
‘A Sunday walk on a cold but sunny day on Horsenden Hill; (i.e. the hill – dun – of the Anglo-Saxon warrior Horsa) which is located in north-west London. Centuries-old forests and views across four counties to Windsor Castle, with a descent, encountering a strange snake, to the canal that reaches Birmingham.’
We returned to this charmed spot in London last week on a lovely, sunny day. Horsenden Hill is an open space in the London Borough of Ealing close to the boundary with the London Borough of Brent. It is one of the highest spots in our local area and rises to 276 ft. above sea level. and is made up largely of ancient woodland and some meadows and glades.
The views from Horsenden’s top are, therefore, very extensive and fine; they include Harrow on the Hill, Wembley Stadium, and extend to the Home Counties of Surrey, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.
The hill’s summit forms part of the site of an ancient Iron Age hill fort which, in 1978, was declared an Ancient Scheduled monument. It is also the site of a trig point.
To the south and east Horsenden hill is bound by the Grand Union Canal, now particularly picturesque with its line of long-boats and shady willows.
Horsenden Farm on the east side of the hill was unfortunately closed for the duration.
On our previous visit we enjoyed seeing the goats and sheep. On this occasion we merely encountered this monster carved out of a tree trunk!
We also met up with several humans all of whom I am glad to say respected the social distancing regulations which, thank goodness, are still in operation. Yet Etonian craziness is now at its peak! On the day that it’s been announced that the UK has the second highest number (32,000+) of dead from Covid-19 in the world, beating even poor Italy – which was so blamed – BJ is announcing easement of lockdown arrangements. Meanwhile MP Nadia Whittome is sacked as carer after speaking out about PPE. …
I just wish the Govt. was as wise as this fellow we met on our peregrinations on Horsenden Hill…
That there creature is apparently the Gruffalo and his friends dotted around the path that leads to the top of the hill we will do that path on our next excursion possibly this will be a gentiler climb up for younger and older ones. The return journey was truly a revelation as we came across several open fields with flat ground that reminded us of helicopter landing pads or extraterrestial spacecrafts! It was truly great to have been alle to reach the top and admire the
views on such a wonderfully warm sunny day.