12 Polyramblers joined Anna and Martin on this beautiful sunny and hot day.  We left Cockfosters station and entered Trent Country Park, once the home of the Sassoon family.  We then walked along the farmland of Enfield Chase and Hilly Fields Park.  This area was once Enfield Chase, a 12th century royal hunting forest.  Enfield’s woodland was described in the Domesday Book as providing food for four thousand swine! This was a measure of the woodland’s great size.  From the hill, we could see the Shard and other skyscrapers in the distance.  We stopped for a break at a small bridge where a sign advised us ‘No galloping’.  We had lunch at the Rose and Crown pub, Clay Hill Road, where the first floor had been reserved for us.  Martin had been raving about the bread and butter pudding so we could not leave until he, Peter and Geoffrey sampled it.

We continued our walk through the Forty Hall Estate along ponds where we could see big fish sunbathing near the surface of the water.  The ponds are next to the site of the Elsynge Palace, a favourite haunt of Queen Elizabeth when she wanted to be out of the city.  We left rural tranquillity and followed Turkey Brook through Albany Park to Enfield Lock station.  Before ending the walk, we had a short break to eat chocolate, a ‘tradition’ Martin started on the last section of the Loop.