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.

Sunbury Walled Garden is a little gem hidden away inside Sunbury Park…read more I am quoting the local council website below as they summarise better than I do, but in brief there is a beautiful reconstructed walled garden, a new cafe, and outside the walls some 26 acres of wild Sunbury Park. highly recommended and with easy parking either in its own car park or off the Avenue. Do try the cafe cakes - they are legendary and the ladies who bake are very competitive! The garden has been designed on formal lines and includes various styles of garden types from past centuries, including knot gardens, parterres and a Victorian rose garden. There are also four large areas of island beds in which are displayed collections of plants from all parts of the world, and representing numerous plant families and species. The knot garden is a style of gardening popular around the 15th and 16th centuries and the intricate inter-weaving of the dwarf hedges displays evidence of Italian influences on English gardens at that time. In a similar manner the French influences around the 17th century can be seen in the parterres, which are areas of geometrically designed flower beds, enclosed by clipped dwarf hedges. The Victorian Rose garden is composed entirely of rose species and varieties which were either introduced or widely planted during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). Generally speaking, these roses have a shorter flowering period than our modern introductions, but are renowned for their classic flower form and strong fragrance. Varieties especially worthy of mention are the Bourbon Rose, Souvenir de la Malmaison and the Damask Rose, Marie Louise. In contrast the modern rose garden contains many of the varieties which have proved to be firm favourites with the home gardener in recent years. Established roses like Peace and Iceberg are joined by the first ever 'Rose of the Year' Mountbatten, and a number of its successors. One variety worthy of special note is Violet Squire, named after the wife of Mr D J Squire, of Squire's Roses, Shepperton, who very generously donated all the roses within this section. The garden contains two architectural features of local interest and significance, the Lendy Memorial, and the 'portico' of the now demolished Benwell House. The Lendy Memorial is a re-creation of structure which until destroyed during World War II, stood on the riverside in Sunbury. The Benwell House 'portico' was preserved following the demolition of the house in 1984, and now frames the northern gate of the garden. Do visit - they also have concerts in summer and a summer picnic.

A lovely little park over looking the River Thames. It has a play ground on one end with a small…read morecafe to purchase simple food. Took my niece there so she could learn to use her roller blades on the the path that surrounds the park. Defo go back there

Really large park, good for after lunch walk. It takes me some time to find the deers. They are not…read moreafraid of people at all.

very nice park with loads of nice trees and a big park wgich is great for kids…read more nice to walk around, very big

This is the place to go if things are getting you down. You can't help but think...'oh my, life is…read moregood'...when you wander around here for a bit. It is also the ideal place to go for a summer picnic, a spot of deer watching and some quality time with your ipod. The woodland gardens are a hidden treat, the sort of place that im sure fairies MUST reside in.. It is truly magical and breath-taking. Oh Bushy Park, i love you.

Bushy Park is my local, so I know it well. In the warmer months I grab my bike and tool around the…read morepath that links around it. Listening to my i-pod, passing deer grazing, watching people whose activities range from the idle lying in the grass, to the Kenyans running team who live near by and train here for marathons; you can't get much better then this. As parks go, it is big, but doesn't seem overwhelming. I can cycle around it in just over an hour. One of my favourite things to do is visit the almost secret woodland gardens within the park, which are towards the Hampton entrance. The Willow Plantation and Waterhouse Woodland gardens are particularly lovely, with little ponds and streams. Note that you can't bring dogs into these gardens. The rest of the park is a fantastic place for dogs though. It is also my dog's favourite park by the way. Do remember to keep them away from the deer - the autumn months are when the stags start fighting, and you really don't want you or your dog to be walking near them. There are plenty of sports sections within the park as well. There are two cricket grounds, on either side of the park, and a couple of areas that are designated for footie or rugby. There is a great kids section as well, this is where the only toilets in the park are. I wish there were more here!

One of my favorite tourist sites to visit when back in the UK…read moreKnown as King Henry VIII palace it is such a great place with lots to see and obviously a ton of history Do the headset tour the first time you visit so you know all the rooms and what you're looking at I especially love the old kitchen area and the gardens , the garden maze was always a fun area as a child Staff are all super nice and helpful Lovely day out

Love this place. We live fairly close and have bought a season pass so we can enjoy the palace in…read moreall its glory. It's nice that the palace gets decorated for Halloween. The haunted garden round the back is also great to bring kids. Love it!

Marble Hill House in Twickenham is such a lovely spot. The house itself is free to explore, with…read morebeautiful history and charming gardens all around. The surrounding park is perfect for a stroll, with plenty of space for picnics, walks, and dog walkers. A quiet, pretty spot!

Marble Hill House is an elegant 18th century villa which borders on the Thames very near to…read moreRichmond.It has been recently transformed with hand painted Chinese wall paper in its dining parlour.The property was originally built for Henrietta Howard the mistress of George 11.

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!