Hampton Court Circular
Distance: 12-13 km (8 miles)
Map: Greater London A-Z; Explorer 161 London South. Also see here
Walk surveyed and described by Bert Neale, based on Ken’s walk.
Description checked by David Slater.
Where – Circular walk from Hampton Court Railway Station via the Thames Path and Bushy Park.
Terrain – level walking on good paths and no stiles.
Getting there – South West Train Service from London Waterloo or Bus R68 from Richmond.
Eating and Drinking – Hampton Court pubs and Hampton Court Palace Tilt tearoom. Cafés and pubs in Kingston. The Pheasantry café in Bushy Park.
Start:
From the Station Car Park at the road turn right to walk across Hampton Court Bridge over the River Thames. Turn right at the end of the Bridge (1) on to the Thames Path. Note Hampton Court Palace on your left hand side. Follow the path until you come out onto the road at the end of Kingston Bridge. (For cafés and pubs in Kingston turn right and walk over Kingston Bridge) This is the midpoint of the walk, and recommended for the lunch break.
To continue the walk, cross the road by means of the zebra crossing and turn left to turn right into Church Grove (2). After approximately 100 yards, enter Bushy Park through the Church Grove Gate (3) onto an enclosed path with playing fields on your left. Pass through the gate at the end of the enclosed path, and walk round the outside of the sports field and cricket ground. In front of you will be the Millennium Wood where you should turn right and then left to follow the outer wall of the park until you come to the Hampton Wick Gate (4).
Here pick up the Cobblers Walk, a tar macadam path signposted to The Pheasantry going off to the left. Follow the Cobblers Walk, bearing left over a stream into open parkland. You will notice ponds on your left hand side and after just under a mile will come to Chestnut Avenue, the main road through the park (5). Cross the road slightly to the right, and enter the road sign posted to The Pheasantry. After a short distance, ignore the road to The Pheasantry on your left and pick up a wide grass path going straight ahead off the road to the car park. Keep the car park to the right of you and make for a round plantation in the distance, eventually ending up with the round plantation on your right (6).
As you approach the plantation you will cross a gully. After a few yards take the next path to the left (your back should now be to the plantation) which is tree lined and is heading for a gap between two enclosed plantations (7). Entering the gap take the gate into the left hand plantation. Follow the stream through till you see the tearoom on your left. Take the bridge crossing the stream and turn right to The Pheasantry for the Visitor Centre, toilets and tea.
Leave The Pheasantry complex through the café, crossing the stream and going left on the path to go out through the gate into the main park. Walk ahead on a gravel path, and where this turns left through 90 degrees leave on a narrow path going left at 45 degrees heading through a row of trees, across a panoramic view going away to the right, to come to the Diana Fountain roundabout (8). Go round this in an anti-clockwise direction to turn right down the road leading to the Hampton Court Palace. Cross the main road into Hampton Court Gardens by means of the Zebra Crossing to the left of the gate.
Immediately after entering the gardens turn right past the maze. Follow the path round to the left to pass through an opening on the right, just past the ice cream kiosk. Turn sharp left and continue down the path and across the front of Hampton Court Palace to the Thames Path. Turn right and then left on to Hampton Court Bridge for the Station.