

From Station Road walk northwards, over the New River, to Avenue Gardens, and Nightingale Gardens, coming out on Bounds Green Road where a curious obelisk required a little diversion. The obelisk is in memory of Mrs Catherine Smithies who founded ‘Bands of Mercy’, a society concerned for humane treatment of animals and said to be a forerunner of the RSPCA. However, Lewis Gompertz, as early as 1824, had founded the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and spent his life promoting the aims of the Society.

Continuing northwards to Nightingale Road and then Truro Road, diverting left up Palmerston Road before turning left again into Myddelton Road where the New River reappears from the Tunnel (or disappers into it, depending on the direction of your walk!)
Myddelton Road offered another little diversion – a street market! Here is an outdoor exercice point with very full information about the New River and the Tunnel. Then a beautiful stretch of the New River up to the North Circular Road, and to my stopping point near Palmers Green station.




You may be interested in
Walking the New River
Another New River Walk!
Lewis Gompertz & the SPCA – interesting article
Hannah Renier
What a lovely walk – I’m inspired to do it. Interesting about the Bands of Mercy. However they post-dated the inception of the English SPCA (as it originally was) by more than half a century – see the piece on Lewis Gompertz on the London Historians website.
Candy Blackham
Thank you for making the correction; I will amend post to include reference to the article. It is an interesting walk, although not endlessly beautiful. The London Historians walked the entire route in two days in 2013 – not my idea of fun anymore! I think it is one of those walks where you need to approach with the aim of active enjoyment!