Kingston Loop: A Perfect Sunny Day Walk

It’s Sunday, it’s sunny and you don’t want to stay home? I’ve got the perfect walk for you: a loop around Kingston passing by Bushy Park and Hampton Court Palace. I took one of my friends on this walk back in September on a perfectly beautiful and hot day.

It’s a fairly easy walk in the London area. You can easily find groups organising this walk. Note that parts of the path are on concrete, so you might want to take a pair of trainers with you rather than hiking boots.

Disclaimer: London-based hiking groups may offer the same or similar walk across Bushy Park and Hampton Court. For more information on these groups, please check here.

Logistics for the Kingston Loop Walk

Highlights of the Kingston Loop Walk

Kingston Loop Walk

So now we covered the basics, let’s get to the walk!

Kingston – Upon – Thames

We start our walk in the ancient market town and now a borough of Greater London, Kingston upon Thames. The town is accessible by train from London Waterloo (25 minutes). Its history traces back to 838AD and is well known as the place where ancient Saxon Kings were crowned. The town is now famous for being the home of Kingston University.

We walk through the city centre which has one of the most famous British retail centres welcoming 18 million visitors per year. Passing by the iconic Toppling Telephone Boxes sculpture, we then make our way to the riverside walk. We cross over the Kingston Bridge and enter Bushy Park on the other side.

Bushy Park

Bushy Park is London’s second-largest Royal Park. It spreads across 445 hectares. The park is a Grade I listed park and is designated a Site of Scientific Interest. We walk through the park passing by the Heron Pond, the Woodlands Garden, Chesnut Avenue and the Diana Fountain.

Hampton Court Palace

As we exit Bushy Park, we join the Thames Path. We immediately come face to face with the majestic Hampton Court Palace. The Palace building started in 1524, commissioned by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. However, in 1529, as Wolsey fell out of favour with Henry VIII, he gave the palace to the monarch in a bid to repair their relationship. Soon the palace became one of Henry VIII’s favourite residences. It is one of the only two surviving residences he owned alongside St James Palace.

Back to Kingston and reward drinks

As we continue on the Thames Path, we have a glimpse at the magnificent Hampton Court Gardens. We then continue on the Thames Path and arrive back in Kingston. We cross Kingston Bridge the other way around and go down the staircase to join the riverside walk. Here we find plenty of options to sit and relax. We opt for the famous restaurant chain Bill’s and order a well deserved Aperol and refreshing ice cream. Bon appetit!

Additional Information

• Public toilets accessible in Bushy Park

Looking for more walks in London? You might be interested in

A Walk Accessible By Tube: Epping Forest

Easy Walk From Orpington to Knockholt

Circular walks in Essex: 3 loops in Epping Green