Walton-on-Thames to Hampton Court Palace

The last section of our walk starts is 11.1 miles. It starts at St Mary's Church at Walton-on-Thames and takes in the Thames Path, Hurst Park, Hampton Ferry, Hampton Village, Bushy Park, Hampton Wick, Kingston-upon-Thames and follows the Thames Path upstream to finish at Hampton Court Palace.

This walk is part of a multi-day hike: The Freedom Trail

Technical sheet

13072135
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 17.86 km
  • ◔
    Calculated time: 5h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: No
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 9 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 19 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 23 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 4 m

Description de la randonnée

(S) Cross over Church Street via the pelican crossing and turn right. After a few yards, turn left into Manor Road. Follow Manor Road and after 400 yards turn right into Manor Road and soon past Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre.

(1) Just after Riverhouse Barn go through a gate and into a small park. Turn left in front of a large red house and follow the path as it then turns right. At junctions of paths, turn left and soon down steps to the river. Turn right along the towpath. You are now on the Thames Path (at 0.4 miles).

We have now joined the Thames Path National Trail and will follow this for the next 3.2 miles to Hurst Park, where we catch the Hampton Ferry across the river. The path is very easy to follow, so I won't be giving many instructions for this 3.2 miles, but I will mention some of the places we pass. At 1 mile, stay straight on along the towpath.

(2) At 1.25 miles, we pass the Weir Hotel. At 1.45 miles, we pass Sunbury Lock Cut Bridge. At 1.56 miles, we pass Sunbury Locks. At 2.1 miles, Sunbury Court Island is to the left and behind this is Sunbury Court. At 2.2 miles, the wall to the right hand side is that of the Molesey Reservoirs.

(3) At 3 miles the River Thames splits around Platt’s Eyot. At 3.2 miles, at the junction of paths, stay left and along the towpath through Hurst Park.

(4) After another 0.4 miles, catch the ferry across the river to Hampton (now at 3.6 miles).
NOTE: Please check The Hampton Ferry time on their website before you start the walk. If the ferry is not operating cross or you are unable to cross the river using via the ferry, then you’ll have to divert via Hampton Court Bridge.

Once across go through the small car park and veer left up to the road (Thames Street). At this point (3.73 miles) those who took the alternative route via Hampton Court Bridge re-join from the right. Go straight over the zebra crossing and turn right past The Bell Inn. Soon after The Bell turn left into the grounds of St Mary's Church. Stay left past the church and then turn right down the side of it.

(5) At a junction of paths turn left and soon exit the churchyard via a gate and onto Church Street. Go straight on along the left hand side pavement. After 90 yards, by small church, cross over using traffic island and continue along Church Street. in another 160 yards High Street joins from the left and Church Street becomes High Street. Continue north along High Street for another 330 yards.

(6) Then turn right onto a path between The Dukes Head (closed 2012) and a garage and signed Public Footpath to Hampton Wick. After just a few yards go through a black metal gate with sign "Duke's Head Passage". The enclosed path (or passage) crosses a bridge over the Longford River after 350 yards, then 170 yards later goes through a wooden gate and out into Bushy Park. Go straight on along the metalled road/footpath.

(7) After 475 yards, at the junction with the road, turn right. You can either walk on the road or the left hand side grass verge. Soon after the lane, veer left towards the trees (at 5 miles) and then along a well-defined path along the grass and parallel to Cobbler's Walk. You can, if you wish, choose to follow the path along the edge of the trees as it goes in a semi-circular loop.

At 5.2 miles stay straight on past the Cannon Gate entrance to Bushy House on your left hand side. For the next 100 yards follow this wide path, then turn left, keeping the fence to your left hand side. For the next 320 yards follow the wide path in a straight line (north) with the fence to your left hand side.

(8) The path then veers turns right to a road after another 120 yards (Chestnut Avenue). Cross straight over the road and past a park gate (Teddington Gate) to your left hand side. Once over the road go straight on, through a small parking area for Gate House, and along a wide gravel path. After 0.25 miles, where a path forks off to the left, go straight on for just 3 or 4 more yards, then stop. Look hard right (about 110 degrees), and on the ground, 90 yards away, and between two tall pine trees and in front of a copse of other trees, is a fenced off, low-lying, brick structure. Head straight across the grass towards it. There is a worn path across the grass, but it's not well-defined.

(9) At the United States Army Air Forces Memorial, turn left, along the line of pine trees, on a worn path for 100 yards (past 4 pine trees) then turn right, on another worn path towards a tall white flag pole (reached in 60 yards). Next to the flag pole is the SHAEF Memorial, marking the exact spot of Eisenhower's tent. Stay straight on for another 340 yards until you meet a wide metalled path / narrow road (Cobbler's Walk).

(10) Turn left along Cobbler's Walk. After another 500 yards, we pass Leg of Mutton Pond to our right hand side and soon after this Cobblers Walk veers right and over a small stream (at 6.5 miles).

(11) 250 yards later follow the main path as it veers right and past Hampton Wick Gate. Follow the main path as it continues south for 200 yards, then right and left around ground of Hampton Wick Royal Cricket Club.

(12) By "the nets" at the south-western corner of the cricket ground, turn left off the main path and along a well-defined path across the grass. The path soon merges with a larger path (at 7 miles). Stay straight on and through a gate onto an enclosed tree-lined avenue between fences. After 300 yards, exit "Church Grove Gate" to leave Bushy Park. Once through the gate cross straight over using the zebra crossing and turn right along the pavement.

(13) At the junction, turn left after passing the Kingston Bridge House and for 100 yards to The White Hart Hotel. Cross over the zebra crossing in front of The White Hart, then turn right and follow the pavement over Kingston Bridge.

(14) Immediately over the bridge, turn left to take the steps down to the River Thames. At the bottom turn left to follow the path under Kingston Bridge and along the riverside. 200 yards after Kingston Bridge stay straight on over footbridge at Charter Quay and soon past the beer garden of The Ram. After another 120 yards and just after a set of black metal railings turn left and along an alley away from the river, soon past a weatherboarded white house and onto High Street.

(15) Turn left along the pavement. After 40 yards stay straight on past the roundabout to your right hand side. Continue on, past the Rose Theatre and for another 35 yards stop at the Clattern Bridge. Cross over High Street using zebra crossing and turn leftover Hogsmill River. Turn right towards the Guildhall and then right again to the Coronation Stone. Go past the entrance to the Guildhall and along High Street.

(16) Cross over Eden Street vis zebra crossing and go straight on into Market Place. Walk on the left hand side. Go past the Market House (to your right hand side), then turn right past the entrance to the Market House and then left and through a gate and into the grounds of All Saints Church. Follow the path around the church and then north and out onto Clarence Street. Turn left along Clarence Street staying on the left hand side pavement and soon over the entrance to Thames Street. When the pavement divides stay on the right and cross Kingston Bridge.

(17) Immediately over the bridge, turn left into Barge Walk, signed Thames Path (at 8.35 miles). You can walk along the road, but there is a footpath next to the River Thames which does re-join the road as it narrows. We follow the Thames Path upstream for 2.7 miles to Hampton Court Palace. You can follow the main track of this large bend in the river, but at times there are options to follow a narrow path next to the river. I'll let you choose.

(18) At 11 miles we pass the Little Banqueting House, then 150 yards later turn right, through a gate, to finish at the front door of Hampton Court Palace.(E)

Waypoints

  1. S : km 0 - alt. 23 m - Walton-on-Thames
  2. 1 : km 0.52 - alt. 14 m - Riverhouse Barn
  3. 2 : km 2.01 - alt. 11 m - Weir Hotel
  4. 3 : km 4.84 - alt. 10 m - Platt’s Eyot
  5. 4 : km 5.77 - alt. 5 m - Ferry
  6. 5 : km 6.14 - alt. 17 m - Junction of paths
  7. 6 : km 6.73 - alt. 16 m - Path
  8. 7 : km 7.72 - alt. 14 m - junction with the road
  9. 8 : km 8.8 - alt. 15 m - Path veers right
  10. 9 : km 9.4 - alt. 12 m - United States Army Air Forces Memorial
  11. 10 : km 9.87 - alt. 11 m - Cobbler's Walk
  12. 11 : km 10.69 - alt. 10 m - Hampton Wick Gate
  13. 12 : km 11.17 - alt. 8 m - Hampton Wick Royal Cricket Club
  14. 13 : km 11.7 - alt. 12 m - Junction
  15. 14 : km 12.02 - alt. 15 m - Steps down
  16. 15 : km 12.53 - alt. 10 m - Pavement
  17. 16 : km 12.81 - alt. 12 m - Eden Street
  18. 17 : km 13.43 - alt. 10 m - Barge Walk
  19. 18 : km 17.81 - alt. 12 m - Little Banqueting House
  20. E : km 17.86 - alt. 13 m - Hampton Court Palace

Practical information

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of the author.