Day 20 - Hampton Court Palace to Richmond

 30 April 2024

Yay!  Finally we found a day of promised sunshine and an unflooded section of Thames Path, can't believe it's almost May and we've just done our first walk of 2024!

Today our walk was from Hampton Court Palace to Richmond about 8 miles along The Thames Path.

We drove to Richmond and parked on a driveway with the Just Park app, which cost £14 for the day, and from there caught an Uber (£20) to Hampton Court Palace which took just over 30 minutes.

(Note: toilets and cafe are at the station just over the bridge - useful tip!)

The Thames Path starts here on the 5km long Barge Walk, named after all the barges that used to park along here. Until the 18th century all arrivals to the Palace arrived in state barges, and when Queen Victoria opened it to the public many came on pleasure boats.

There are so many amazing trees along this stretch, it felt very green, banks of cow parsley and some last flurries of blossom.

We arrived at Kingston, here you cross over the bridge to the south side of the river to continue the walk. (ignoring the urge to enter the huge John Lewis!)

There has been a bridge here across the Thames since at least the 12th century, and it was the only fixed crossing between London Bridge and Staines Bridge a further 14 miles upriver, until Putney Bridge was built in 1729.

The bridge shown here was completed in 1828, built in Portland Stone, with five elliptical arches, it now carries the A308 across the river.

Another beautiful stretch of the path under the trees on the south side.

Just here you can catch a boat to Hampton Court Palace or Richmond from Turks Pier.

Dreamy House - we spotted plenty of wisteria clad houses 💜

Through Canbury Gardens and on towards Teddington.

Teddington has the largest lock complex on the River Thames, with three separate locks.  And this is where fresh water changes to salt water. The first lock here was built in 1810. 

The stretch of river between here and Kew is known as The Arcadian Thames, which forms a unique collection of views, ornamented buildings, and designed parkland, places that have inspired architects and artists for over 500 years.

We were ready for lunch and crossed the bridge to The Anglers pub for some food.  We sat outside and enjoyed the sunshine.  We had walked almost 5 miles, our strolling along had taken 2 hours.

After lunch it was a short walk to spot the stone pillar that marks the 'Thames Conservancy Lower Limit 1909'  this marks the boundary line between the Environment Agency's jurisdiction over the river and that of the Port of London Authority.

On the other side of the river is Twickenham, but we couldn't see it due to Eel Pie Island.

Named after a dish served on the island from the 16th century, sampled by Henry VIII.  (eels baked in a pie with a squeeze of lemon, mixed herbs, fish stock and pepper).  The island is 2 acres, one of the largest on the Thames and featured in Charles Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby, where he writes of a 'cold collation, bottled beer, shrub and shrimp and to dance in the open air to the music of the locomotive band'.

In the 1950s and 1960s the hotel was popular for it's concerts featuring the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who and Eric Clapton and other rock, pop and jazz groups. George Melly worked at the hotel, as did Mick Jagger!

It became quite a loud and noisy island, with the sound carrying across to Twickenham, so in the end it lost it's drinks licence, and eventually the hotel was closed and demolished.

Today 300 people live on the island with a rich artist community.

It is only open to visitors a couple of weekends a year, usually July and December through the Open Studios scheme.

If you have a cool £2million you could buy this house

Next we were in the Ham Lands Nature Reserve, where we kept spotting and hearing the shrieking green parakeets.

Soon after here we came upon Ham House, a beautiful National Trust property, built in 1610.  We had our membership cards and thought it would be a great place to stop for tea and cake!

The Cafe was round the back, with the wall clad in gorgeous wisteria that smelt so sweet and lovely, we were sat in a walled garden with produce starting to grow for the season.  Afterwards we walked around the lawns and back of the house, such a perfect and peaceful spot.

Back on the path, we could see a huge building, called The Star & Garter on Richmond Hill, across from Petersham Meadows.  It was built in the early 1920s to provide accommodation and nursing facilities for over 180 seriously injured servicemen. Formally opened by George V and and Queen Mary in 1924.

It was sold in 2013 for £50million to be turned into apartments. 

Through Buccleuch Gardens and we found ourselves at Richmond Bridge, by several cafes and boats for hire - we had finished our Thames Path walk for the day.

(Just a short walk through the town centre back to find our car).