Britain's mapping agency has revealed the London hikes most enjoyed by the British public over the past 12 months.
The capital’s favourite walks were calculated by the Ordnance Survey with data collected from its app during the 2024/25 financial year.
With five million downloads in nearly 80 countries, OS Maps is the third biggest navigation app in the world, with users sharing more than 12 million routes totalling 300 million miles.
The latest figures reveal that there was a 23 per cent decrease in activity across the UK over the winter compared to summer.
However, journeys that started within the Greater London boundary were 2.4 per cent higher between October 2024 to March 2025 (17,127) than April 2024 and September 2024 (16,718).
An OS spokesman said: “Although nationally we see a drop in walking over the winter in London we’ve actually seen an increase suggesting that people are staying more local to get outside rather than venturing into the countryside.
“London is packed with greenspaces and parks making it an ideal city to explore from people’s home or work. “
David Jones, a senior press officer at Ordnance Survey, describes the five most in-demand routes in London…
Parklands Walk
Start: Finsbury Park Station
Distance: 5 miles
Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Map: OS Explorer 173
A route popular with the capital’s joggers and podcast listeners, this green finger through north London is a wonderful antidote to city life. The first section from Finsbury Park to Highgate is flat and lined both sides by trees higher than a cathedral roof. The path invites a natural break to pause for coffee in Archway Road. Continue through residential streets and then navigate beneath oak trees raining acorns in the Queen’s Wood Local Nature Reserve and Highgate Wood before ascending to Alexandra Park, where the reward of southward views over London from the majestic vantage point outside the front of Alexandra Palace is impossible to ignore.
Totteridge and Mill Hill Walk
Start: Mill Hill East Station
Distance 4.5 miles
Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Map: OS Explorer 173
A tranquil journey through some of London’s last traditional rural countryside, this walk blends natural beauty with some literary history. Starting near Mill Hill, the route winds through quiet lanes, hay meadows and conservation areas, along a path rich with meadowsweet, buttercups, and hawthorn and blackthorn hedgerows. Totteridge Fields, managed by the London Wildlife Trust, are a highlight — home to rare beetles and spiders. There are some great elevated views of London up here. The walk traces the steps of 19th century Mill Hill teacher Sir James Murray, who was responsible for creating much of the first Oxford English Dictionary.
Farnborough Village and High Elms
Start: Chelsfield Station
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Map: OS Explorer 147
This circular route from Farnborough village in Bromley is a chalky ramble that offers an escape from the city into ancient woodland and meadow edges. The walk is part of a collection of nature trails that stretch back from the North Downs. There are no stiles here or steep climbs, just a few steps and one road crossing to navigate. Starting from Tye Lane by the village church, the path winds through quiet woods and fields. The finale is a treat: towering conifers and landscaped remnants of the High Elms estate, once home to Victorian scientist and Darwin confidant, John Lubbock.
Hampstead Heath Circular
Start: Hampstead Heath Station
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Map: OS Explorer 173
A walk across Hampstead Heath is a timeless escape into one of London’s wildest green spaces. Starting from Parliament Hill, the route opens with sweeping views of the skyline before dipping into woodland paths and grassy meadows, famously roamed in the past by writers, poets and painters. The terrain undulates gently, with occasional muddy patches and plenty of opportunities to veer off into quieter corners. The route passes historic landmarks like Keats House and Burgh House, where the legacy of Hampstead’s spa-town past still lingers. Continue toward Kenwood House, nestled among ancient trees, where the neoclassical façade and surrounding lawns invite a pause for coffee. Near the end, South Hill Park offers a darker footnote in British history — the site of the Magdala Tavern, where Ruth Ellis committed the murder that led to the end of capital punishment in the UK.
Old and New in Docklands
This walk through London’s Docklands on the north bank of the Thames is a journey between centuries, where Victorian warehouses and tidal wharves meet glass towers and quiet promenades. Starting in Wapping, the route traces the Thames past historic police stations and converted warehouses, with the stillness of the river often at odds with the city’s pace. The Marine Support Unit building, still in use, is a reminder of the tragic side of river life — each year, dozens of bodies are recovered from these waters. Continue east past cobbled streets and old docks once patrolled by the world’s first river police, founded in 1798 to combat piracy and theft. The walk passes Execution Dock, where pirates like Captain Kidd met their end, and ends in the gleaming heart of Canary Wharf, where the skyline rises from the river like a modern fortress. It’s a route of contrasts. Quiet, reflective, and rich with stories that ripple through London’s maritime past.
Start: Tower Hill Station
Distance: 3.5 miles
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Map: OS Explorer 173
