Home Park is the name given to the area of Hampton Court Palace park which is open to the public…read more It is a large expanse of parkland (over 550 acres) and a perfect place to get some exercise and fresh air, and escape the urban bustle of west London. I've always found it surprisingly quiet - less busy than adjacent Bushy Park or Richmond Park. It is easily accessible from either Kingston-upon-Thames (a 10 minute walk) or Hampton Court railways stations (5 minutes). The area has been a royal hunting ground for centuries, but it was Henry VIII who enclosed the area to form the park as it is now. In 1639 Charles I created the Longford river to bring water to the park, and in 1661 Charles II created the main feature, the "Long Water", effectively a wide ornamental canal, over half a mile long, flanked with a double row of trees on each bank. It was in the park that William III had his riding accident in 1702 (when his horse stumbled on a molehill) from which he died shortly afterwards. The park was opened to the public in 1893 and the golf course opened in 1895. The area south of the Long Water is mostly occupied by the golf course: the park is otherwise a mixture of small wooded areas, ponds and small lakes, and uncut acid grassland; this grassland is home to a wide variety of insects and attracts many different bird species as well as colonies of bats. The park also contains 7,000 trees (including a nationally important concentration of mistletoe, growing on lime trees) and a herd of 300 fallow deer. It is therefore protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Access is through various gates: the closest to Hampton Court is a 5-minute walk along the river bank from the end of Hampton Court Palace bridge. There are also gates along Hampton Court Road and close to Kingston Bridge. There are paths for walkers and cyclists: vehicles are only permitted for those members driving to the golf course. if you are walking in winter, the paths can get very muddy, so waterproof walking boots are advisable. Visitors are advised to stay at least 50 metres from the deer, and to keep dogs on leash when in their vicinity (it is an offence to let dogs approach or chase the deer, and the park noticeboards record a number of prosecutions of dog owners for this, as a warning). Fishing in the ponds and Long Water is strictly by permit only. The park is closed at sundown - closing times are posted on gates, and also on the park website.

Conveniently located bowling alley right next to heathrow airport. Was staying at ibis and it was…read moreliterally a two minute walk. Affordable prices and a decent bar/restaurant. Worth it if you're in the area

This is the best bowling alley I have been to, to date…read more Its got a lot of lanes, it has a McDonalds, it has a pub that really does look like your local. You have a trocdero at this place as well, so that meant arcade games and pool tables. Their is entry fee of a £1 and they have late games after a certain time and it gets cheap as well with it being £2;50. I dont think their is a bus stop outside the bowing alley apart from a big carpark. Its a shame if I lived nearer I would like to still come here but I dont, but hey I won the first game so cant go wrong.

This is the place to be. the urban youth stae of west london. this place is trely reppin what the…read moreyouth culture is about and its time more people hear it.

Ideal for children under 9. It is not only a farm, but it took over Syon Park's collection of…read morereptiles and other smaller tropical animals. This means it has snakes , tortoises, owls . 3 times a day, the staff do a half hour show of the birds, chinchillas, snake, iguana , giant spider etc. There are also sheep, donkeys , goats etc to walk round and feed. There are swings, slides and pedal car tractors , trampolines included in the admission cost. For an extra £3 there is a bouncy castle and inflatable slide in the summer holidays. Cafe available. It makes a lovely children's day out with lots of activities for them . When we went there was a huge tortoise ambling freely around the place. It is, in effect a mini zoo. A further attraction is the planes which are so close to landing at Heathrow that you can read all the writing on them. I cannot understand the previous review.

I recently discovered the delightful park and gardens down by the riverside in Twickenham which are…read morepart of York House, previously owned by Sir Ratan Tata and now part of the Civic offices of Richmond Borough Council. It's the perfect place for a short stroll or to sit and enjoy some peace and take in the lovely surroundings. It's also home to a spectacular and quite unexpected fountain which wouldn't look out of place in Florence!

My daughter and I had a ton of fun here. The roller coasters were tremendous and there were other…read morethrilling rides. This is definitely not a kid's theme park. The only issue I saw was the lack of cleanliness at some of the places we ate at, especially the KFC. If you go here, try the Walking Dead ride, very unique.

We had a very nice day here overall!…read more The roller coasters were fun, but the rides are quite short overall, compared to other theme parks. Many snack bars were closed, but that was not a bad thing. Still, there were no long lines. There is hardly any good/healthy food. The themes are randomly thrown together and the park has no guideline (more). It seems like they have lost their concept. The theme was Oktoberfest and it was poorly executed. The employees who drove around in cheap costumes in a kind of rickshaw and played (Romanian) music, rather made fun of the other nationality (German). Apart from the fact that this is not ethical and discriminatory, it was in bad taste.

Jurassic Kingdom Exhibition…read more My first tip, a big one, is arrive early. We arrived at 10.30 am to find the car park in Osterley Park filling up quickly. We had a few hours of wandering amongst the exhibits without be pushed from pillar to post. When we left, at 1.30 pm the queues at the entrance were long and the carpark almost full. Warning over, the reasons for this overcrowding will be explained in the following review. We were overwhelmed by this exhibit. Initially we wondered if it would be interesting for we 'oldies' and wondered where we could hire a couple of ankle-biters so we would not feel out of place. Our children being of the older age group. Even my grandchildren are 18+. However, those worries disappeared. Seeing those life size animatronic dinosaurs was, I hate the word, awesome. It was great seeing the reaction of the smaller members of each family. They were enthralled. An easy, well signposted, walk around with ample 'educational' signage at each model. We learned that the names had changed over our lifetime. Very interesting to see where in the world, as we know it now, each dinosaur was found. Half way round there was a refreshment area selling hot dogs, noodles, drinks etc etc. A very welcome break for a coke. But carrying on to see more of those wonderful 'models', I was getting to the point of thinking of them being real (think it was the sun and no hat, Sunday was a hot day). At the end there, again, was a watering area and we decided to something to eat. I decided to treat my partner to an al fresco meal. Least I could do. We sat on the grass eating our burgers LOL. I was pleasantly surprised at the prices. Not a fiddle for the captive audience but reasonable prices. Guys, this exhibition will be travelling the UK. Well worth a visit, especially if you have young ones. Prices are reasonable especially the family tickets. Make an effort but, REMEMBER, go early to avoid the rush and enjoy the exhibition. www.lovepopupslondon.com #lovepopupslondon www.jurassickingdom.uk

Osterley Park and House is a National Trust historic property situated near Isleworth about 30mins…read moreaway from Heathrow airport. This fantastic (originally Elizabethan) Georgian House and garden stand in a large parkland. The House was refurbished by the architect Robert Adam in the middle of the 18th Century and claims to be one of the finest examples of his work in the United Kingdom. The house still has original furniture, really amazing ceilings, objects d'art from China and Japan, a fine collection of paintings from the Venetian school. You can walk through the meadow at will or use the paths that have been mown through it and see butterflies, grasshoppers, beetles, etc.. it is very relaxing and particularly enjoyable on a sunny day, There is also a large area of parkland with a lake and some marvellous old trees. They have a cafe and shop onsite also. There is a small admission fee to see the house and the gardens.