black and white photography by rob gardiner.

London is famous for its abandoned Underground stations which are no longer used or open to the public. But there are also several stretches of overland railway in the London Underground network which were once thriving but are no longer in use. The 5-mile long Parkland Walk was formerly a link between Finsbury Park on the Victoria Line and Highgate on the Northern Line. Remnants of two stations, Stroud Green (built 1881) and Crouch End (built 1867), can be found along the walk.

Above, the remains of Crouch End station.

Between the platforms of Crouch End station. The actual rail lines were not removed until the early 1970s.

Above, just north of Stroud Green station which has been elmost totally removed.

Strange to think that this is exactly where thousands of trains carrying hundreds of people once travelled. Sadly, there are lobby groups trying to resurrect the line for transport.

As was was the case when I was walking the High Line in New York, some primitive emotions are invoked. Railways are impressive in the way that they tame the landscape, but even more impressive is seeing how quickly nature can reclaim the very same land. This line was built in the golden age of railways, so I wonder how the builders would have felt to know that in a hundred years time it would all be gone.

I could have sworn that this street was called Riddle Street, but it does not appear to be on any map as such. A riddle indeed.