Parkland Walk allows people to walk along the abandoned tube line between Finsbury Park and Highgate and has been dubbed London’s version of New York’s High Line.
The route of the path was originally built in the 1860’s to connect Finsbury Park to Edgware and was officially opened on 22nd August 1867. In the 1930’s, London Underground had planned for the route to become part of the Northern Line however the outbreak of war in 1939 halted these plans and post-war the idea was thrown out completely. Passenger trains continued to run on the line until 1954 and the Alexandra Palace branch until ’57 with freight trains using it for a further seven years afterwards. Empty tube trains continued to use the line for transportation until the train tracks were removed in 1972.
With most of the buildings demolished, it was decided to keep the section from Finsbury Park to Highgate and from Highgate to Alexandra Palace, with plans to convert the former train line into a nature reserve and walking route. Aside from the tunnels, which are locked to protect bats, the route was converted into the Parkland Walk and was officially opened in 1984 however this was threatened with demolition in the 1980’s with plans to build a road through the route but local opposition ensured it remained for walkers and cyclists and the walk was declared a nature reserve in 1990. At the former Crouch End station, the platforms still remain.
Source: Wikipedia
