Hillingdon Trail

The Hillingdon Trail is 29.69 km, or about 20 miles, so most hikers complete it in a full day of roughly 6 to 8 hours of moving time. Because the route is split into six signed sections from Cranford Park to Harefield, it also works well as a 2-day outing or a series of shorter day walks.

The Hillingdon Trail runs across the London Borough of Hillingdon from Cranford in the south to Harefield in the north. The signed sections begin at Cranford Park and continue through Bulls Bridge, Yeading Lane, the A40, Ruislip Lido, Harefield Church, and on to Springwell Lock near Harefield.

The Hillingdon Trail links a long list of named landmarks across west London. Highlights include Cranford Park, St Dunstan’s Church, the River Crane, the Grand Union Canal, Yeading Brook, Golden Bridge, Gutteridge Wood, Ickenham Green Open Space, the River Pinn, Ruislip Lido, Copse Wood, Mad Bess Wood, Harefield Church, the Jacobean Almshouses, Old Park Wood, and Springwell Lock.

The Hillingdon Trail is generally considered easy, with 312 m of total elevation gain spread over 29.69 km. That modest climbing, combined with the route’s section-by-section layout through parkland, canal towpath, woodland, and open space, makes it manageable for many walkers who are comfortable covering the distance.

Yes. The Hillingdon Trail is officially divided into six waymarked sections: Cranford Park to Bulls Bridge, Bulls Bridge to Yeading Lane, Yeading Lane to the A40, A40 to Ruislip Lido, Ruislip Lido to Harefield Church, and Harefield Church to Springwell Lock. Those shorter stages range from about 2 to 5 miles, making the route practical as a series of day walks.

Yes. At 29.69 km with easy overall grading, the Hillingdon Trail is a strong option for a weekend hike, especially split over 2 days. A common approach is to cover the southern sections around Cranford, Hayes, and Yeading on one day, then continue through Ruislip Woods and the Harefield stretch to Springwell Lock on the next.