The Parkland Walk is a linear green pedestrian and cycle route in London, which follows the course of the railway line that used to run between Finsbury Park and Alexandra Palace, through Stroud Green, Crouch End, Highgate and Muswell Hill. It is often mistakenly described as 4.5 miles long, but even taking in the gap between the two sections it still only totals 3.1 miles (5.0 km). The route follows the bridges and cuttings of the line, but avoids the closed surface section of Highgate station and its adjoining tunnels, which are closed to walkers for safety reasons. The walk is almost all in Haringey, but a short stretch between Crouch Hill and Crouch End Hill is in Islington and this section incorporates Crouch Hill Park. The walk is a local nature reserve and a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. It was declared a local nature reserve in 1990 and is London's longest such reserve. Between Finsbury Park and Highgate, the path forms part of the Capital Ring strategic walking route. History Railway line The route of the path between Finsbury Park and Highgate was originally constructed by the Edgware, Highgate and London Railway in the 1860s as part of its railway line from Finsbury Park to Edgware. Before the line was opened on 22 August 1867, it was purchased by the larger Great Northern Railway (GNR). Branch lines from Finchley to High Barnet, and from Highgate to Alexandra Palace, opened in 1872 and 1873. The GNR became part of the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) in 1923. Plans were published by London Underground in the 1930s for the incorporation of these lines into the Northern line (The Northern Heights Plan), but the onset of World War II stopped the work at an advanced stage. After the war the development plan was abandoned but passenger trains continued to run on this line until 3 July 1954, when British Railways (the successor to the LNER) ended such services permanently. The Alexandra Palace branch closed completely in 1957, but the link from Finsbury Park to Highgate and East Finchley remained open to freight traffic until 1964. Even after freight traffic had ceased, the line continued to be used to transfer empty tube stock between lines; this ceased in 1970, because of the poor condition of some of the intermediate bridges, and the track was lifted in 1972. Creation of