1. Start of the route at Walthamstow

About 9-10 minutes walk from the start of route 34 is Walthamstow Village, where you can find the Ancient House, over the road from St Mary’s Church and the Vestry House Museum. The Ancient House is possibly the oldest house in London, having been built around 1435. It’s now a private dwelling so it’s not possible to go inside, although it had been on the rental market not so long ago. Over the road is St Mary’s Church and Manoux Almshouses. Again, it’s not possible to go inside but the church is quite magnificent even from the outside. Look around and you can see some very old graves, scattered among the gardens of the almshouses as well as the extensive churchyard.

The Vestry House Museum is nearby and is free to visitors. It’s a small museum but is steeped in the history of Walthamstow. The building was constructed in 1730 to house the parish workhouse, and was later used as a police station, an armoury, a building merchants and a private home. Descriptions of the creation and the closure of the workhouse are posted on the walls and there is a magnificent oak fireplace in one of the rooms. Upstairs are displays of Waltham years gone by, all beautifully laid out and easy to see.

2. Pymmes Park

Walk back to Walthamstow bus station to pick up the start of the number 34 and stay on the bus until Pymmes Park bus stop. It’s a lovely walk along Pymmes Brook, with ducks and other birds in profusion. Enfield council has created Pymmes Park Wetlands, to filter and clean the rain which runs off the roads in the area, which can contain oils, tars and sediments further polluting the lake and brook.

3. Millfield Theatre

Just two stops away on the 34 is Millfield House and Theatre. The house, in Silver Street, Edmonton, is grade II listed and has been a private dwelling, home to the German Ambassador (in 1796) and a school for London workhouse children. During World War I, it was used to house Belgian refugees and also was run as a hospital for epileptics. It’s now an Arts Centre and the nearby Theatre puts on productions throughout the year.

4. Arnos Grove

Back on the bus to Arnos Grove station to see this grade II listed building. It opened in 1932 and has a circular drum-like ticket hall of brick and glass panels. On the night of 13 October 1940, during the Blitz, a lone German aircraft dropped a single bomb, causing the north end of the westbound platform tunnel to collapse. Not far from the station is Arnos Park, once part of the Arnos Grove Estate. Pymmes Brook also runs through the park and the grounds themselves are worth a walk – or even a run – around.

5. Spencer Road

The next stop to alight from bus 34 is Spencer Road, to get to New Southgate Cemetery. One of the most famous burials here is of Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahai Faith. According to their tradition, as he passed away in London, he therefore had to be buried within an hour’s travel of that spot, and the New Southgate Cemetery was selected. The cemetery dates back to 1856 and now has several sections including Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Caribbean communities.

6. Dinsdale Gardens

From Spencer Road stop, stay on the bus to Dinsdale Gardens in Barnet and walk round to Greenhill Gardens. The gardens’ main feature is an ornamental lake with a wooded island, which attracts many birds, and it also has a grassed area with scattered mature trees.

7. Barnet Church

From here, get back on the bus to its final stop at Barnet Church. Round the corner from the stop is The Tudor Hall, originally part of Queen Elizabeth I free grammar school, granted charter in 1573. Like many medieval halls, the interior was originally open to the roof. As its now part of a college, it’s not open to the public. However, a few paces away is Barnet Museum, a free local history museum. The building is an attractive early Georgian house in Wood Lane in Barnet. It has displays on topics including the Battle of Barnet, Barnet Fair and Barnet Market. It is a centre for local and family research and has knowledgeable staff to answer any questions.

Finally, round the corner from the museum is the Old Courthouse Recreation Ground which is a bit of an oasis away from the busy High Street of Barnet and also St John the Baptist church. The church dates back to before 1272 and still has some of the original walls and arches. The tomb and bones of Thomas Ravenscrofte, a local benefactor who had died in 1630, were moved from the chancel of the old church to a new chapel built for the purpose. There are some beautiful stained glass windows and a font made from ancient marble.