Rambles Round Barnet Update 23rd December 2020

There is a serious problem for ramblers planning to travel by car to Dancers Hill before doing the following walks:

(1)  The 2-miles ‘There and Back’ route in Walk 3 of ‘Rambles Round Barnet’ Part 1.
(2)  Both routes in Walk 4 of ‘Rambles Round Barnet’ Part 1.

Dancers Lane, a turning off Dancers Hill Road about 150 yards from the roundabout connecting with the A 1081 just north of The Green Dragon Pub, is recommended as a suitable parking place for ramblers planning on doing either of these 2 walks.

In November a large sign appeared at the entrance to Dancers Lane showing it as an ‘ACCESS ONLY’ road. While this has now been removed, a much smaller, but statutory, sign with the same message is in place near to the entrance gate. Unfortunately, this means that parking anywhere in the lane by non-residents is prohibited. I cannot find any alternative parking areas nearby for the motorist. The Mimms Wash Common Nature Reserve on the walking route can still be accessed from the South Mimms Service Area on Junction 23 of the M 25 by taking the path to the left of Pizza Express. Note the current maximum waiting time of 2 hours.

The 614 bus runs from High Barnet to The Green Dragon Pub just before Dancers Hill Road with stops and times displayed on the www.tfl.gov.uk website.

Some consolation here is that, on 12th November, Mimms Wash had again flooded the footpath under the M 25, as in the photo Fig.4.2, and the once-charming 3-arch bridge of Fig.4.3 is suffering from an encroachment of ivy.

Owen Jones