Hampton Court and Bushy Park Short Walk T=Short.3
Distance: Approximately
4 miles or 7 km for those more metrically minded
Difficulty: 1 out of 10
Travel: 18:12
South Western Train Shepperton bound train from London Waterloo,
arriving at Hampton Wick at 18:43. MAKE SURE YOU TAKE THE CORRECT SHEPPERTON
TRAIN STOPPING IN HAMPTON WICK (NOT Hampton).
Return trains run every fifteen minutes until 23:30.
This has proved to be a real cracker of an
evening walk the past two years at this time of year. Plenty of magnificent
beasts starting the annual rut! The walk
meanders through a combination of the public grounds of Hampton Court Palace
and neighboring Bushy Park with its resident deer population. The grounds are
varied with pretty gardens and water features. Please ensure you keep a safe
distance from any deer spotted in Busy Park and do NOT feed them – they are potentially dangerous wild animals!
Post walk refreshments and possibly a meal can be
had at the Foresters Arms, open until 23:00 with kitchen open until 22:00.
More information about the route can be found here.
Enjoy the walk!
3 comments:
No comments published from the Thursday posting but I did the walk today - Sunday- a little trip down memory lane visiting my old student haunt. (I got off the train at Kingston). There is no option to enter Hamton Court Grounds as the gate to cross the bridge has I believe been locked for years. The enclosed path to the main road is now the only onward route so the written instructions need to delete the Hampton Court Grounds bit and the gpx route amended. Some splendid bellowing from the red stags in Bushey Park with a couple I spotted attempting to dress their antlers with reeds and marsh plants to make them more intimidating. Appalled that the Park authorities allow dogs to run free during autumn but the deer seem pretty forgiving and I myself passed within a few feet of a hind and some yearlings. I skirted round a large stag though as it was in full voice. A lovely autumn amble.
Just 2 initially emerged from the crowded train with a third appearing just as we were about to set off....Not much later, just as we approached Hampton Court Park, we met a fourth....The fallow deer were out in force with some young males practicing their jousting skills...We met number n=5 just outside Bushy Park...where the red deer were out in force lots of bellowing which in the w=dark-twilight was very spooky. A few truly magnificent beasts passed quite close by us but seemed more focused on other matters....Our fantastical journey finished by a gate and lamppost from where we all sojourned to the pub for drinks and/or food.
A fab night -- definitely one of the best evening walks with quick frequent trains, vast varied and wild parkland and a convenient pub -- what else could you want or need....
I am restraining myself from a huge rant about the Historic Royal Palaces "Trust" but the gates at Hampton Court Gardens have been closed since the start of the pandemic and they are now charging £26 (the palace entry fee) even to get into the bits of the gardens that used to be open to the public. A massive kick in the teeth to local walkers - OK I've started ranting now . . .
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