Hi folks. Just been on an interesting walk, and thought you guys might know the route and know a bit about it's history? At Highgate Station on the Northern Line, there is a old railway cutting (withhout tracks) running from behing the Shepherds Pub all the way to Finsbury Park.  At the start of the route there is a pair of tunnels, blocked off with railings) leading through to Archway station.  The walk is about 45 minutes and was teeming with walkers, joggers, cyclists, naturalists and some dodgy looking people in a maze-like feature at the Finsbury Park end (no comment neccesary!).  I have a few questions which I hope the readers of this newsgroup can help me with? 1.  What line was this? (Northern?  If so does that mean that the Moorgate/Old Street/Essex Road/H&I/ Finsbury Park was once part of the Northern Line?)  Incidentally, I was told that there was 2 stations at Highbury & Islington - is this true? 2.  When and why did it the Archway to Finsbury Park line shut? 3.  There seems to be an abandoned station at Crouch End (at the top of Crouch End Hill and Hornsey Rise.  What was this station called?  Is the shop at the top of the steps the old station?  Presumably this shut at the same time as the line closed (or did it close before?). 4.  At the far end of Crouch End Station there are some arches.  Up in one of the arches is a statue of a man emerging from the wall.  It looks as if it's made of bronze or (oxidised) copper.  There are some _meta_lic leaves around it.  It looks like some kind of forest spirit.  Anyone know its history? 5.  Further along, a bridge crosses Stapleton Hall Road (also where it crosses the Crouch Hill to Harringay Green Lanes railway line).  Under this bridge there is a building (looks like it's now an estate agents?)  called Station House  Was there a station here too? 6.  The line ends at Finsbury Park but I could not see how it could _link_ with the station as it was too high up and to go downhill would have been too steep.  Was there a bridge crossing over all the railway lines going over to the other side? 7.  Who owns the land now (Harringay Council?)? 8.  Is there anything to stop it being re-opened again in the future?  Has this been mooted in the past? 9.  Are there any other interesting walks like this in North London? 10.  I know that this has been asked umpteen times before, but where is the false house again?  I was telling my wife about it and she thinks I'm nuts! Thanks folks! Stuart

8.  Is there anything to stop it being re-opened again in the future? NIMBYs. Changing traffic patterns. Cost.

10.  I know that this has been asked umpteen times before, but where is the false house again?  I was telling my wife about it and she thinks I'm nuts! You'll have to take her there, then she'll _have_ to believe you.  The address for the pair of dummy house-fronts is in Leinster Gardens, Paddington/Bayswater; it's house-numbers 22 and 23 or thereabouts.  The lack of letter-boxes tends to give it away, as does having shutters behind every window, even the fanlight window over each front door. You can view a map of the immediate area by visit the Streetmap site: http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?grid2map?X=526250&Y=181250 This indicates how the Circle Line branches from the Hammersmith & City (exactly at the right-hand edge of the sheet) at Praed Street Junction; if you trace a line between Paddington (Circle) and Bayswater stations, you cross Leinster Gardens just north of Craven Hill.  Best option is to walk from Bayswater or Queensway stations: be sure to take a walk to the corresponding place on the next street over, Portchester Terrace, where there's a high wall over which you can look to see the short open-air section of Circle Line, the cutting held up with huge steel beams, and the backs of the dummy houses. Naturally, use the Local Area map at the Underground station to remind you of the directions to follow, rather than making notes here... HTH,

Hi folks. Just been on an interesting walk, and thought you guys might know the route and know a bit about it's history? You would probably like to look at: http://www.dulwich2.demon.co.uk/waste_walk.htm if you have not seen it already.

9.  Are there any other interesting walks like this in North London? Not along track bed, but I can do you the Pymmes Brook Trail, which runs from Picketts Lock (the Lock, not Lee/Lea Valley Leisure Complex) to Cockfosters and is clearly marked. There's also the LOOP (London Outer Orbital Path), which is currently being signposted. One part runs from Elstree & Borehamwood station (Thames_link_) to Cockfosters and another part has just been opened in the Ordnance Road (ex-Royal Small Arms Factory) area. HTH, Barry

Methinks you confuse naturalists (e.g. David Bellamy) and naturists. Oh, is it _that_ way round?  Thanks for letting me know!