High in Cycle Orbital's wish list of desired improvements is the completion of NCN12's 'missing link' from Clay Hill to Hadley Wood, leaving the easternmost 4 miles of the Great North Way from Clay Hill to Enfield Lock as an isolated rump.
"As explained in Spoke 1E, NCN12 is signed westbound from Clay Hill, even to the extent of a sign over a stile as the LOOP path heads off NW into farmland en route to Hadley Wood. Eastbound, there is no such encouragement."
"I suspect the long-term plan is for NCN12 to continue East from Hadley Wood on Waggon Road and then with a link track of half a mile from Cockfosters Road to the LOOP path where it turns south for Trent Park. In wintry or wet conditions the path is not passable, and there are a couple of style porterages to negotiate, so we have to wait and hope this becomes an official cycleway."
This is part of the original spoke link note. However - good news - on a westbound recce-ride (Nov 23) which had explored Trent Park to see if busy unrestricted Hadley Road could be avoided by a southern diversion, it was discovered that the LOOP path had been upgraded with a hoggin surface as part of a rewilding and access project by LB Enfield. I explored the first yards by dropping down to Salmons Brook and resolved to return the next day, travelling eastbound.
From Hadley Wood station I climbed to Waggon Road (on NCN12), then crossed Stagg Hill 0.9 straight onto the short section of footpath to meet up without incident to the hoggined LOOP path 1.5 where I left it the day before. Success! And busy Stagg Hill and Hadley Road were altogether avoided. However, this short section from Stagg hill to LOOP is a footpath, not passable in wet or wintry conditions, and yet to be adopted officially as NCN12, and for now the route is dutifully following Lancaster Ave, Stagg Hill and Penny Hill. Thereafter the new path weaves through Enfield Chase Woodland Restoration. This fascinating project was only begun in lockdown so tubes to protect saplings abound, but eventually these 60 open access hectares of trees and wetland will give us a taste of a famous medieval royal hunting ground - plus beavers, it is to be hoped!
There is a small fly in the ointment: when the Ridgeway is reached 3.2 there is a style porterage (quite easy to climb over), but crossing directly (under a sign where NCN12 has been struck out) there is a further cycle-permeable hoggin shortcut to Rectory Farm Rd, and eventually a final section (cycle-permeable) will follow Turkey Brook to meet Spoke 1E and well-signed NCN12 in Turkey Brook Park. Meanwhile climb under the railway to meet Spoke 1E eastbound at Strayfield Road 3.8 - or turn L through a final section of plastic-protected saplings to reach Spoke 1E bound for Crew's Hill.
In conclusion, I trust Sustrans' successful negotiation with landowner and LB Enfield will complete NCN12's short leg to Waggon Road, thus avoiding the busy feeder roads to nearby M25 Junction 24) altogether. Pour encourager, the alternative route is already mapped here.
