Whilst most of the time the official Thames Path route is both the obvious and the best route, there are occasions when it’s worth detouring away: not necessarily to save miles but to enjoy something else en-route. In any case, it’s sometimes good to have a break from the river and enjoy a change of scene. In this series, we feature some of the best detours. Today, we feature the Bushy Park detour:
The Official Route
From the bridge at Hampton Court the Thames first turns south east and then north to arrive back at Kingston. There are nice views of the back of Hampton Court Palace through a gate at the start but this soon turns into a view of a golf course.
The Detour
A more direct and more interesting alternative is via Bushy Park (see black route in map). Walk along the main road northwards passing Hampton Court on your right. Turn right onto Hampton Court Road (the maze is on your right). Bushy Park opens up on your left and you can walk up Chestnut Avenue to Diana Fountain. From Diana Fountain head right along a path through the park which takes you to Hampton Wick where you rejoin the Thames.
Impact on Distance
The alternative route is 1.7 miles (from Hampton Court Bridge to Kingston Bridge). The official route is 3.0 miles. Thus total distance saved is 1.3 miles. Bit of a no brainer really – unless you’re a purist!
A further alternative, completely independent of the above detour, is to cross the Thames by ferry at Hampton. You can then walk through Bushy Park arriving at Diana Fountain. The price of the ferry is £2.00 per person and conveniently deposits you outside the Bell Inn. There are other shops, restaurants and a train station nearby.
The only drawback with this alternative is you must now detour slightly to get a good view of Hampton Court Palace.
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