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.

For a map of section 5 visit MapMyWalk. The map can be downloaded as a GPX or KML file.

If you just want to print out the "Route Instructions" of section 5 of this walk, without all the blurb on the website, you can download this as a Word Doc by clicking on the blue button below. 

Start at St Mary's Church in Walton-on-Thames. Grid Ref: TQ 10163 66545  Postcode KT12 2QS  See Map of start. 

To read about the history of St Mary's Church and of the town of Walton-on-Thames see the last few pages of the previous section of this walk.

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.

Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre opened in 1989. This 18th century barn has been converted to an arts centre with a "sensory garden" containing some interesting features. It is managed by the Walton-on-Thames Community Arts Trust and is largely run by volunteers from the local community. The centre is open all year round and it hosts many drama, music, arts and other shows There are arts and crafts classes for all ages, and over the years it has been supported by many famous people such as Julie Andrews, Bernard Cribbins and Hannah Gordon.

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).

The large red house is is River House and during the late 19th Century was home to composer Sir Arthur Sullivan (part of the famous duo Gilbert & Sullivan). The small park is River House Gardens and if you look up, on the wall of the house is a blue plaque An interview with the composer at the house in 1897 can be read by following the link. 

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.

The Thames Path is one of fifteen National Trails in England and Wales. We have already walked parts of it on sections 1, 2 and 4 of this walk and we will rejoin it towards the end of this stage. According to National Trails website:

"The Thames Path is a long distance walking trail, following England’s best known river for 184 miles (294 Km) as it meanders from its source in the Cotswolds through several rural counties and on into the heart of London. On its way the Trail passes peaceful water meadows rich in wildlife, historic towns and cities and many lovely villages, finishing at the Thames Barrier in Woolwich just a few miles from the sea."

As you walk along the towpath the riverside chalets on the opposite side are continuous. Whereas our side is dominated by the towpath with the odd path or road leading away to the right,

At 0.6 miles, steps to the right lead up to Felix Road Recreation Ground and across the river is a weir, marking the upstream end of Wheatley's Eyot.  

After another 200 yards is Walton Rowing Club. Its members have won many awards including a gold medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 by Steve Trapmore in the men's eight. The stretch of the river from here to near Walton Bridge is known as "The Walton Mile" (see photo). It's mainly straight, it's wide and many regattas have been held here since the 18th century. 

Next is a small grassy picnic area, slightly elevated above the towpath and hidden behind it is an oil storage depot.

At a mile stay straight on along the towpath.

A path to the right leads to Waterside Drive and the Elmbridge Leisure Centre. This is set back from the river was originally opened in 1976. It was rebuilt in 2006 and renamed The Elmbridge Xcel Leisure Complex. Past this is the recently built Elmbridge Xcel Sports Hub. This is an impressive facility with football pitches, a running track and a pavilion. It is home to Walton Casuals Football Club. and Walton Athletic Club.

At 1.16 miles the main stream of the river disappears over Sunbury Weir is to the to the left. On the upstream side of the weir is Wheatley's Eyot and on the downstream side is Sunbury Lock Ait. Wheatley's Eyot is joined to the north bank of the river by both foot and road bridges. It is owned by the Environment Agency, has a few houses, some works, and there are plans to redevelop it and make a foot crossing of the river here. 

Soon after this we pass The Weir Hotel, with its pleasant beer garden which looks out across the river to Sunbury Weir. The pub sign may not look anything like its local weir, but it is tasteful and painted by a well-known local artist.

After the hotel we continue along Sunbury Lock Cut. At 1.45 miles we pass Sunbury Lock Cut Bridge which gives foot access to Sunbury Lock Ait. According to the River Thames website:

"The lock island existed before the widening and deepening of the lock cut (navigation). It was for centuries known as "Sunbury Church Ait" until the City of London Corporation purchased it to build the lock. The footbridge and old lock house are where the lock originally sat, upstream of the present locks. The Island is home to the Middle Thames Yacht (motor boat) Club and a private boat mending yard. "

The Old Lock Keeper's House is on the right just after the footbridge and after another 140 yards Sunbury Locks are to the left. The original lock on this site was built in 1812 with the newer, smaller lock added in 1925. There is also a "Lock Keeper's Cottage" on the towpath next to the locks. According to the River Thames website:

"The Queen’s Swan Uppers begin their annual journey ‘Royal Swan Upping’ up the Thames here, every July, recording the swan population. Sunbury Lock is mentioned in Jerome K. Jerome's book Three Men in a Boat. Visit at weekend during the summer and you find a tea shop on the lockside.  As it is inaccessible from the road it has become a haven for wildlife with swans often nesting. You can spot other birdlife such as Egyptian geese and you might even see the pipstrelle, Britain’s smallest bat."

In the video below you can watch the Swan Uppers enjoying a stiff drink outside The Weir Hotel in 2014 as they prepare to start their journey up the river.

Across the river from here is Lower Sunbury. This is a pleasant village with the oldest part spread out along Thames Street which runs parallel to the river. It was originally just named Sunbury, but changed to Lower Sunbury to distinguish it from it's more modern part Sunbury-on-Thames which is actually set a mile back from the river.

Sunbury as a settlement dates back to at least the Bronze Age. Evidence comes from funerary urns and other artifacts found here dating from about 1000 BC. It is also obvious the Romans had influence in the area due to the important Roman settlement of Ad Pontes just upstream on the River Thames at Staines. However, after the Romans left this island in around 450AD things became more hectic. The original inhabitants the Britons had to fend for themselves against the Irish, the Scots and the Picts. The Britons (made up of the Angles, the Jutes and the Saxons) chose to settle in areas of fertile land where they could grow and harvest their crops. The Saxon Chief Sunna chose to establish himself next to the Thames at Sunbury. This place took on the name Sunnanbyrig (or Sunna's burgh, meaning Sunna's stronghold) and it is from here the name Sunbury is derived.

During both the 9th and 10th centuries the residents of Sunbury would have looked on to see Viking long boats make their way up the River Thames, on their way to pillage the nearby influential Benedictine Abbey at Chertsey.

In late Saxon Times came a document entitled, The Sunbury Charter. This dates from 962AD and is in Latin. It uses Anglo-Saxon place-names and is now preserved in Westminster Abbey.

It seems with all this history there must have been a ferry operating here from a very long time ago. However, the oldest record I can find is at British History Online. It states:

"A ferry was conveyed with the manor in 1604 (fn. 14) and there were two ferries near Thames Street in 1956 which by means of the lock foot-bridge gave access to the Surrey shore. "

As you pass the lock, through the trees to the right, is a large field at Apps Court Farm. The farm was once the site of a large manor house which owned most of the lands in this area. There is access to the via a gate soon after the lock, but it is not easy to spot.

The manor of Apps Court  is mentioned as far back as 675 AD at British-History Online - there are lots of mentions of it at the link. A large house and was originally built in 1332 by the Lord of Apps. In 1602 it was bought by Francis Leigh who turned the estate into a deer park and enlarged the house. In the Hearth Tax records of 1664, it was recorded the house had 39 rooms with fires - this gives an indication to its size. The estate passed through several hands including Robert Gill who bought Apps Court in 1871. He was involved with George Stevenson in the construction of the Manchester to Leeds Railway; he was also the president of the Great Western Railway of Canada. The estate was acquired in 1899 by the Southwark and Vauxhall Water Company who pulled down the house and excavated most of the estate to construct the Knight and Bessborough reservoirs. Apps Court Farm is open to the public and now holds many activities including archery, car boot sales, camping, classic car rallies and more. 

200 yards after the lock an enclosed footpath go off to the right. This fenced in path goes on for 0.4 miles between the Walton Water Works and Apps Court Farm. It leads to the  A3050 (Hurst Road) and just east of the entrance to Apps Court Farm. The two large reservoirs I mentioned above are immediately north of Hurst Road.

On the opposite side of the river,  for the next third of a mile is Rivermead Island. It is uninhabited and joined to the north bank by two footbridges and a ford. It's open to the public for everyone to enjoy. Up until 1980 there an open-air swimming pool on the island. The Sunbury Amateur Regatta, established in 1876, is held on the river here in August each year. 

Immediately downstream of Rivermead Island (at 2 miles into the walk) is Sunbury Court Island. This is a river community with 35 private dwellings. The island is reached by a footbridge from the Middlesex side and is named after the large mansion house which overlooks it. Sunbury Court (see photo below) was built in 1723 by John Witt. Subsequent residents included George Fermor, 2nd Earl of Pomfret, and Jack Needham, the Lord Kilmorey. In 1921 it was purchased by the Salvation Army who turned it into a conference centre and it was here their first Army High Council was held in 1929. Today it is a Grade II* listed building, still owned by the Salvation Army and it is where they elect their General each year.

To the right of the towpath look out for a coal and wine tax posts (or "coal post"). Mostly they are white painted metal posts, but this one is stone, marked with the City of London arms and '14&15 VIC C146', a reference to the Act of Parliament under which the tax was imposed.

Soon after this a large wall towers above on the right. The wall hides the Molesey Reservoirs and water treatment works. They were built around 1900 and for the last few years have been used for gravel extraction rather than storing water. Soon they will be decommissioned and turned into a wildlife sanctuary. 

At 2.5 miles a small community of houseboats line the bank. It's good to see that many have solar panels on their roofs.

Soon the pleasant houses, on the other side of the river, give way to sailing boats and 250 yards later the dark building next to the River Thame is Aquarius Sailing Club. Behind the sailing club is the Sunnyside Reservoir, built in 1896. Some of its extractions dumped on Platts Eyot, which we pass very soon in this walk.

When the wall, to our right stops, the houses of Hurst Park / West Molesey start.  As you walk along keep your eyes peeled for a fine piece of topiary overlooking the river.

At 3 miles the River Thames divides around Platts Eyot. If you look downstream along the left channel you'll see a green suspension bridge which joins the island to Lower Sunbury Road, Hampton on the north bank.  Platts Eyot, like many other island on the Thames, was used to grow osiers. In the 1860s it became known for its boatbuilding, which still continues today. The island is part of the River Thames Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation and part of it is listed as green belt. The current owners wish to develop the site, but because of its status permission is almost impossible to attain. Also, I mentioned earlier that some of the extractions from Sunnyside Reservoir were dumped on the island. However, they were only dumped on the upstream end and this explains why the island has a hill at one end.

At 3.2 miles, at junction of paths, stay left and along the towpath through Hurst Park.

Hurst Park was once a racecourse but now has given way to a housing development. Luckily, it was designated for the houses to be built back from the river and lots of open space be left for recreational purpose for people to enjoy. 'The little race-course at Hampton' was where a scene from Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby was set. 

'THE LITTLE RACE-COURSE at Hampton was in the full tide and height of its gaiety; the day as dazzling as day could be; the sun high in the cloudless sky, and shining in its fullest splendour. Every gaudy colour that fluttered in the air from carriage seat and garish tent top, shone out in its gaudiest hues. Old dingy flags grew new again, faded gilding was re-burnished, stained rotten canvas looked a snowy white, the very beggars' rags were freshened up, and sentiment quite forgot its charity in its fervent admiration of poverty so picturesque.'

Horses were raced here from the early 18th century to the last race held on 10th October 1962. All that remains of the race-course is the four tall brick pillars and black gates on Graburn Way which were once used to close off the road to create a straight 7 furlongs for the horses to race on - see Google Earth. You can watch some footage of the racing at Hurst Park from 1946 in the first half of the video below, or a History of the course by ITV at Twitter.

'The Hurst' (see photo below) as it was called was also well known for many other sports which were played here including cricket, bare-knuckle boxing, pistol duels, golf, archery, rowing, ballooning and cockfighting.

Cricket has been played here since the early 18th Century. One of the earliest recorded includes Kingston versus Surrey in 1731. In 1733 Hampshire just beat Surrey in a game attended by Frederick, Prince of Wales. He was so enthralled by the game he gave each man a guinea. On 1st August the same year, at Molesey, he awarded a silver cup to a combined Surrey & Middlesex team for beating Kent - this is the first record of a trophy (other than money) being awarded in cricket. At this time the game was often played by royalty and gentry and many such games took place on The Hurst. The first LBW (Leg before Wicket) decision ever recorded was here in 1795 when England beat Surrey by two games to one. On 11th September 1889 Hurst Park Club played Australia, they defeated the Australians by 34 runs. Although the current East Molesey Cricket Club ground is opposite Tagg's Island and the older Hurst Ground was situated a few hundred yards up the river, this match was basically repeated many years later when East Molesey played Australia on 26th April 1953. East Molesey also played New Zealand here in 1949 - they were very unlucky to lose. The latter two games were attended by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

After another 0.4 miles catch the ferry across the river to Hampton (now at 3.6 miles).

For over 500 years a ferry has carried passengers across the Thames at this point. Today the Hampton Ferry still operates from near The Bell Inn on the north side of the river. If the ferry is running (8-10am and 4-6pm on weekdays during British Summer Time, and all day weekends), ring the bell hanging on the ferry landing post. 

Directly across the river the Parish Church of St Mary dominates the village of Hampton. Left of this is Hampton Sailing Club. It was built in 1962 on Benn's Ait, and connected to the riverbank by a hand operated chain ferry. Before they acquired the island, their clubhouse was a boat moored on the Middlesex bank. To the right, and just a short distance downstream is Garrick's Ait. It was once, like all other islands along this stretch of river, covered with willows and osiers used for the local basket making industry. Although some willows still remain, in the 1920s the island was divided up into plots and developed as residences. There are now about 20 houses on the island and many boats surrounding it. On the north bank, behind Garrick's Ait and set back from the river, is Hampton House (aka Garrick's Villa). This is where actor David Garrick retired to in 1754. He employed the Adam Brothers to improve the house on two distinct phases (1755-6 and 1772-4). Capability Brown was consulted over the grounds and suggested building the still existing, grotto-like tunnel under the road joining the house to the riverside gardens (now Garricks' Lawn). In 1755-6 the octagonal Temple was constructed to entertain visitors and as a tribute to Shakespeare, Garrick commissioned Louis-Francois Roubiliac to make a statue of the Bard to be housed in the Temple. In 1779 Garrick died and was buried next to William Shakespeare in Westminster Abbey. Nowadays the Temple is open to the public and contains a replica of the statue (see video). The original is in the British Museum.

Moored immediately downstream of Garrick Lawn is The Astoria,  the grand houseboat built for Fred Karno in 1913.  Fred John Westcott was born into a working-class family in Exeter in 1866. He had ambitions to be an acrobat and went to London to train. He paid for this by busking in the streets and on occasions went to Molesey to play to a captive audience of boat passengers as they went through Molesey Lock. He enjoyed the peaceful and pleasant setting and hoped that one day he would be able to afford to buy a houseboat on Tagg's Island. He changed his name to Fred Karno and at first was careful with his money. He went on to form a small troupe and eventually his own Fred Karno's Army. His success was due to his ability at spotting talent before they became well known and hiring them. Some of the acts he is credited with discovering include Charlie Chaplin, Stan Laurel, Will Hay and Max Miller. The 1992 movie Chaplin features Robert Downey Jr. in the main role as Chaplin and John Thaw as Fred Karno. The movie credits Karno as the first person to have given Chaplin a job. You can watch a trailer of the movie on YouTube.

By 1903 Karno had acquired enough money to buy his houseboat. He prospered greatly by forming more and more troupes and his fame and fortune grew. In 1912 no one with enough money was interested and he was persuaded to take over the lease on the island. He also decided to build the biggest and grandest houseboat on the river. In 1913 it was completed and moored at the island. He named it the Astoria and as you will see later is still moored close by today. In the same year he knocked the old hotel down and built a magnificent new one in its place called The Karsino, where he would entertain and dine the rich and famous from all over Europe. The island resort was a great success and he ploughed money in to develop more facilities to entertain his guests.

Unfortunately, in 1914 war soon broke out in Europe and, although it was much used by the forces, its wealthy clientele decreased. After the end of World War I in 1918, with the advances in technology, there were many new things available to keep people occupied and entertained. Business didn't pick up enough to save Karno's dream, He was declared bankrupt in 1927 and the lease was taken over by his creditors. He moved back to the West Country where he ran a wine shop and died at Poole in Dorset in 1941 with very little money.

Around the time Karno was declared bankrupt the Astoria was sold to Vesta Victoria, a music hall singer and entertainer who made "Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow-Wow" famous (listen at link). She lived in it till her death in 1951. It was then sold to a businessman who didn't like all the attention the houseboat attracted, so he moved it the short distance up the river to where it is moored today. In 1986 the Astoria was bought by Pink Floyd guitarist Dave Gilmour and turned into a recording studio. He may had previously seen it whilst doing a gig with Pink Floyd at the Karsino in his early days with the group. A lot of the later Pink Floyd work was recorded here as well as some of Gilmour's own work. His solo album "On An Island" was recorded here in 2005, plus later recording by Pink Floyd and himself. To the left of the houseboat is the entrance to Garrick's grotto-like tunnel which has now been closed off by a large gate. 

If you don't cross the river using via the ferry and instead take the alternative route, via Hampton Court Bridge, you will pass Garrick's Ait, The Astoria and Tagg's Island. There is a lot to see. If you do cross via the ferry, you may still want to walk just a extra half mile downstream, and retrace your steps, to enjoy these three points of interest.

As for The Karsino, after a few unsuccessful attempts at rebranding and relaunching the resort, the island came into the ownership of AC Cars of Thames Ditton in 1941. They used it to make munitions during World War II (1939 - 1945) and a road bridge was built from the Middlesex bank. After the war AC Cars continued to use the factory to manufacture three wheeled automobiles and novelty train carriages until 1965 when the bridge was declared unsafe.

In the 1960s Tagg's Island became a popular haunt for 'Hippies'. Many music acts played here in the late 1950s and the 1960s.  These included, Acker Bilk, Ken Colyer, Long John Baldry, Rod Stewart, George Melly, The Rolling Stones and Jeff Beck. Pink Floyd played here on 16th March 1968.

'The Billyboy gang fight' (video at link), a scene from the movie 'A Clockwork Orange' (1971), was filmed in the Palm Court Ballroom at the Karsino. The film was produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick and adopted from a book of the same name by Anthony Burgess,

The following year the Karsino was eventually demolished and the island went back to a wildlife sanctuary with a few island dwellings and surrounded by houseboats.

The day before the Karsino was demolished a band of old music hall stars held a party and salvaged many items, including parts of the stage, to remember this great resort and the enjoyment it had given to so many. One attendant was Jack Melville who was celebrating his 88th birthday that day and had joined Karno's company in 1904. He had performed on this stage many times. He proposed a toast to Karno - 'the man who put more laughs into Britain than anybody else'. The BBC made a film of the whole event. The only visible evidence remaining of Karsino today is from the Surrey side of the river, where the steps which led up to the elegant hotel can still be seen.

In 1980 one of the residents, Gerald Braban, formed Taggs Island Limited in order to protect and regenerate it. He funded a new road bridge from the Middlesex side and constructed a lagoon in the centre. He lived on the island for 23 years and died in 1993. A few years later the New Millennium Sundial was erected in Terrace Gardens next to the bridge as a memorial to him. It incorporates the eight cardinal points of the compass and a series of concentric rings representing the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, the Equator and the Polar Axes. At present there are about 60 boats moored around or on the island, twenty of these are moored on the lagoon in the middle. The island also has its own website www.taggs-island.com.  

On 15th February 2012, Taggs Island featured on the BBC's 'One Show'. To watch the relevant section of the programme visit the link at YouTube. Also, you may enjoy this silent film from 1924, 'Along Father Thames to Shepperton'. It starts at Kingston-Upon-Thames and travels upstream past Hampton Court and Taggs Island to Old Shepperton. 

In contrast to the busy Tagg's Island and Garrick's Ait, a smaller island, Swan's Nest Island or Duck Eyot, sits between them. Aptly named, it is only inhabited by swans and a few other birds.

In 2004 a tasteful "Heritage Marker" (memorial) to this area's history was built next to the towpath and near the ferry station. It gives the history from over 6,000 years ago until the present day. It records the first known name of the area as 'Herstegg' (1249), this changed to 'Mousley Hurst' in the 18th century. The present name 'Hurst Park' was adopted from the name of the racecourse in the 1960s. The Heritage Marker depicts the sports played here over the years, tells of archaeological discoveries, remembers some of the local residents and points out things of interest which can still be seen. In its centre, on the ground, is a sundial which a person can stand on and use their shadow to tell the hour.

I've put most of the plaques from the Heritage Marker below in an image carousel. from the memorial below. I made these large enough so you can read them. Otherwise you can just copy and enlarge the images. In chronological order they tell how:

• In 871 AD a large fleet of Viking longboats passed here on their way upstream to pillage Chertsey Abbey.

• The Ferry has operated continuously since 1519 making it one of the oldest in England.

• Henry VIII, in the early 16th century,  used to travel along the road through Hampton on his way from Hampton Court to Windsor Castle, set up the road on the road through Molesey to travel to Oatlands Palace at Weybridge. Boated up the river to both and used the area around here as hunting grounds.

• The history of cricket on The Hurst going back to 1731. I've written about this above.

• How horse racing was held here since 1737 and how, after the opening of Hampton Court Station in 1849 up to 100,000 would attend events such as the "Cockney Derby", most being working class people from London.

• In 1758 actor David Garrick took a boat, with friends from Scotland, across the River Thames to Molesey Hurst to play the first game of golf recorded in Surrey...

• In 1785 the pioneering balloonist James Sadler, took off from here and floated overhead for an hour and a half. Then he was blown eastwards over London and nearly ended up in the North Sea...

• By the late 1700s the area had become an infamous venue for duelling with pistols and various "affairs of honour" were settled on the "duel-stained sod of Moulsey Hurst"...

• From 1805 crowds of up to 20,000 people bare-knuckle prize-fighting. Fights were very popular nationally, and "Mousley Hurst" became known as the "Pugilistic Waterloo"...

• Regattas have been held here since 1835, and in 1867 the one year old Molesey Boat Club held the first Molesey Annual Regatta which is now held every year...

• In 1874 the great impressionist painter Alfred Sisley painted scenes of Molesey Regatta and also of the church. His paintings nowadays are estimated to be worth around a million pounds. Note: You can see some of his local paints at Wikipedia.

• In 1913 Hurst Park received international prominence when the grandstand to the racecourse was burnt down by two suffragettes...

• During the First World War the Royal Flying Corps, who were predecessors to the RAF, used the racecourse as a training airfield. In 1917 a pilot attempting aerobatics crashed his plane into the trees on the towpath by the cricket pitch. Amazingly he survived with only the loss of his dignity.

• During the First and Second World Wars fast motor torpedo boats were built 500 metres upstream from here on Platts Eyot.

• During the Second World War thousands of British, American, Canadian and other allied troops billeted at the racecourse in preparation for the liberation of Europe. Sadly many of these brave people sacrificed their lives to enable us to enjoy our freedom.

Before leaving Hurst Park I'll direct you to a couple of places where you can discover more about this area;

• There are many old pictures and lots of history of the river at Molesey that can be viewed on the www.moleseyhistory.co.uk website.

• There is a wealth of information at Friends of Hurst Park.

There's also a wonderful aerial video at YouTube from December 2016 of Hurst Park, the islands and Hampton plus views over London in the distance and Bushy Park where we are going soon. You can watch it below.

If you don't cross the river using via the ferry and instead take the alternative route, via Hampton Court Bridge then this will add an extra 2.15 miles of walking and you will rejoin the walk at Thames Street at Hampton at 3.73 miles. For details of the alternative route click on the box below.

As you cross the River Thames in the ferry, look downstream to see some of the things I have mentioned above.

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.

On reaching Thames Street, the house immediately to the left is Riverdale and dates from c1760. The house had at least two notable residents. Henry Fauntleroy (1784 - 1824) was the last man to be hanged in England for forgery. He worked as a clerk and then a partner in the London bank of Marsh, Sibbald & Co., of which his father was one of the founders. For more than a decade he forged signatures on hundreds of cheques to finance his debaucheries lifestyle. He was convicted of forgery of 170,000 pounds and was executed at Newgate on 30th November 1824. The case caused such a scandal in the press of the day, that over 100,000 people turned up to watch the execution. The bank also collapsed and was left with huge debt. May French Sheldon (1846 - 1937). She was born in the USA to affluent parents and at the age of 29 married an American banker who worked in the city of London. She travelled much through her childhood and in 1891, at the age of 41, set out on a remarkable journey of discovery through East Africa. The lady was a feminist and determined to do as she wanted in the face of much opposition from men who believed Africa was not a place for a white woman to explore. Her flamboyant dress, clever planning, respect for the natives, her huge entourage, and determined nature earned her the name "White Queen" from the tribes she encountered. She returned to Africa for further expeditions in 1903 and 1905. Sheldon set up a publishing house and wrote books on her adventures. She was often visited at Hampton by Henry Morton Stanley (1841 - 1904), another famous African explorer.

Go straight over the zebra crossing and turn right past The Bell Inn.

The Bell Inn, I assume, takes its name from the ferry bell, however the open space across the road from it and sloping down to the river (Bell Hill) takes its name from the pub. The Bell has a long history going back to at least 1557 when the then owner, Robert Hammond, bequeathed an acre of land and a dowry to fund a free school next to the church. This laid the foundations for what is now Hampton School, and since relocated to just over a mile to the northwest of here. The old inn burnt down in 1862 and was replaced by the current one. There are no records to confirm, but it seems plausible, The Bell may well have been the inn where Charles Dickens set a scene in his novel Oliver Twist (1838).

"They turned round to the left, a short way past the public-house; and then, taking a right-hand road, walked on for a long time: passing many large gardens and gentlemen's houses on both sides of the way, and stopping for nothing but a little beer, until they reached a town. Here against the wall of a house, Oliver saw written up in pretty large letters, 'Hampton.' They lingered about, in the fields, for some hours. At length they came back into the town; and, turning into an old public-house with a defaced sign-board, ordered some dinner by the kitchen fire.

The kitchen was an old, low-roofed room; with a great beam across the middle of the ceiling, and benches, with high backs to them, by the fire; on which were seated several rough men in smock-frocks, drinking and smoking. They took no notice of Oliver; and very little of Sikes; and, as Sikes took very little notice of them, he and his young comrade sat in a corner by themselves, without being much troubled by their company.

They had some cold meat for dinner, and sat so long after it, while Mr. Sikes indulged himself with three or four pipes, that Oliver began to feel quite certain they were not going any further. Being much tired with the walk, and getting up so early, he dozed a little at first; then, quite overpowered by fatigue and the fumes of the tobacco, fell asleep.

It was quite dark when he was awakened by a push from Sikes. Rousing himself sufficiently to sit up and look about him, he found that worthy in close fellowship and communication with a labouring man, over a pint of ale.

'So, you're going on to Lower Halliford, are you?' inquired Sikes.

'Yes, I am,' replied the man, who seemed a little the worse, or better, as the case might be for drinking; 'and not slow about it neither. My horse hasn't got a load behind him going back, as he had coming up in the mornin'; and he won't be long a-doing of it. Here's luck to him. Ecod! he's a good 'un!'

'Could you give my boy and me a lift as far as there?' demanded Sikes, pushing the ale towards his new friend.

'If you're going directly, I can,' replied the man, looking out of the pot. 'Are you going to Halliford?'

'Going on to Shepperton,' replied Sikes. . . ."

As we pass the Bell Inn the pavement becomes elevated above the road with views to the right, across the river to Hurst Park. On the right a railing also protects us from falling onto the road.

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.

At a junction of paths turn left and soon exit the churchyard via a gate and onto Church Street. Go straight on along the LHS pavement.

The Parish Church of St Mary was built in 1831 and sits on high ground overlooking the river. It replaced an earlier church on the same site which dated back to at least 1342. When the old church was razed to make way for the current one, so also was an ancient yew said to be over 1,000 years old. This suggests there may also have been a much older place of worship on the site, possibly going back to Saxon Times.

The first large house, to the left, we pass on Church Street is Penn's Place. It originally dated from c1500 and was home to Dame Sibel Penn. She was nurse to Edward VI, the only legitimate son of Henry VIII was crowned at the age of 9.  Edward died in 1553 at the age of 15 and she died in 1562. Her effigy sits above her tomb in St Mary's Church. She is said to haunt both the house and the church.

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.

To the right, just a few yards after the junction, is Ivy House (at 4 miles). Alan Turing (1912 - 1954), mathematician and computing pioneer, lodged here from 1945 - 47, when he worked at the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington. During World War II his work at Bletchley Park proved vital in breaking German Enigma codes. He was a very decent marathon runner and regularly trained in Bushy Park. He is recognised as one of the "Fathers of Computer Science", but committed suicide after being persecuted for his homosexuality. After a petition in 2009, Prime Minister Gordon Brown released a statement apologising and describing Turing's treatment as "appalling". A blue plaque on the front of Ivy House remembers Turing. 

Continue north along High Street for another 330 yards. 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".

To the left of the passage is Hampton Open Air Swimming Pool which sits within the western edge of the boundary of Bushy Park. It was completed in 1922 and remained opened till 1981 when Richmond Council decided to close it and give the land back to Bushy Park. However, a local community action group was formed and took ownership in 1984 under a charitable status as Hampton Pools Ltd. It remains open to the public till this day, is still run by the locals as a charitable company and has been much redeveloped under their management. The pool is heated, a delight to swim in and open 365 days a year. It is one of just a few Lido type pools within London which has been thankfully saved by the voice of the local community and not closed down because a paid public body feels it easier to stop providing a local service than to spend a few pounds and do some extra paperwork.

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.

To the left, next to the gate, is a large map of Bushy Park. I have put a photo of this below and added a yellow arrow to show where you are. You can also download a larger version of this map at This Link.

Bushy Park is the second largest of the Royal Parks, covering an area of 1,099 acres. The history of people who settled here can be traced back over 4,000 years. A Bronze Age barrow and burial mound was excavated near Sandy Lane (to the north of the park) and the contents are now in the British Museum. There are clear remains of medieval settlements. The finest example is just south of the Waterhouse Woodland Gardens, where there are traces of the largest and most complex field system of the time in Middlesex.

The park as we see today was laid out in 1529, after Henry VIII  relieved his friend Cardinal Wolesey of Hampton Court Palace for not securing permission from Pope Clement VII's for an annulment of his marriage to his first wife Catherine of Aragon so he could marry his new love, Anne Boleyn. He also took over three nearby parks, Hare Warren, Middle Park and Bushy Park, and joined them up to form a larger Royal Park where he could enjoy one of his favourite pastimes, hunting. Presently, there are about 320 deer roaming freely within its walls keeping the grass in check and the tree branches above a certain height. These include, Red Deer, the largest mammal native to the UK, and the smaller Fallow Deer (of the Bambi kind) introduced to this country by the Romans almost 2,000 years ago. Their presence helps maintain the quality of the park grasslands and the diversity of wildlife which thrives here. There are no longer hunted, but during certain times of the year they are culled to keep their numbers manageable.

Henry's successors did not enjoy his same appetite for hunting, but they did make alterations to the park, many of which are still visible today and as we pass some of them, I'll point them out.

The man-made Longford River which we have already crossed, flows through the park and is the main source which feeds all the water features. It was commissioned by King Charles I, designed by Nicholas Lane and built in 1639 to provide a source of water for Hampton Court Palace. The river flows for 12 miles, from its source, fed by the River Colne just north of Heathrow Airport, through the park, on through the palace grounds and into the River Thames, just downstream from Wren's Banqueting House. It was dug by hand and took nine months to complete at a cost of £4,000.

The route I have chosen through Bushy Park does not cover all the points of interest within the park. However, I have tried to make it easy to follow and take in those places which are relevant to the title of this walk - The Freedom Trail. I do also intend to do a separate walk entitled "Bushy Park, The Full Monty" which will include just about everything.

After 475 yards, at junction with road, turn right. You can either walk on the road or the LHS grass verge.

The road along here is named Cobbler's Walk and I'll explain why before we leave Bushy Park. Away to the left is Teddington Cricket Club, this is one of many sports clubs within the park. The rules for modern day game of Hockey are thought to have been developed by Teddington Cricket Club in Bushy Park about 1871. Some members went on to set up Teddington Hockey Club, which claims to be the world's oldest.

After 260 yards, straight on past a road to Teddington Cricket to your LHS and a car park to your RHS.

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. The alternative route is more scenic, usually has a few rabbits and gets you closer to the building below, but does add a few extra yards.

As you walk along here Bushy House will appear away to the left through a gap in the trees. Bushy House dates from at least the middle 17th century and was used as a home to the Park Keeper (and later Ranger). In 1797, the Duke of Clarence (1765 - 1837) (later King William IV) became Ranger of Bushy Park. He lived here with his mistress, the actress Dorothea Jordan (1761 - 1816), from 1797 - 1811, and seven of their ten children were born here. Jordan and the Duke separated in 1811, and in 1818 he married Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen. The temple in the grounds of the house was built by the Duke as a tribute to Lord Nelson and housed part of the main mask of HMS Victory; He had met Nelson during his teens whilst serving as an officer in the Royal Navy. It was here at 6am on 26th June 1830 he was awakened from his sleep to be told his brother George IV had died and he had become King. Apparently, he went back to bed saying, "I have always wanted to sleep with a queen". As King he made his Queen, Adelaide, Ranger of the park and ordered "free admission of the public to Bushy Palace and Park". Adelaide was granted the house after William died in 1837 and used it as her official residences. She was involved in local causes including schools and churches and eight hundred families in the area received gifts of bread and beef at Christmas until her death in 1849. The City of Adelaide in Australia is named after her. Bushy House remained empty except for a skeleton staff until 1865 when it was lent by Queen Victoria to Prince Louis, Duc de Nemours, 2nd son of Louis Philippe, Duc d'Orleans, the exiled King of France. He lived here intermittently until his death in 1896. He was a devout Roman Catholic and established a chapel at the house which was restored in the 1960s. 

In 1900 the Government, with Queen Victoria's approval, allotted the site, including the house and 30 acres of the surrounding Bushy Park for the purposes of the new National Physical Laboratory (NPL). This was completed and opened in 1902 by the then Prince & Princess of Wales. The original three aims of the NPL were:

1.  to carry out research. particularly research into the accurate determination of physical constants.

2.  to establish and maintain precise standard of measurement.

3.  to make tests of instruments and materials. 

Through the years much important work has been carried out here. The earliest experiments into radar took place in the sports fields. The wind tunnel was used to develop the Spitfire. Barnes Wallis (1887 - 1979) carried out essential tests in water tanks in developing the bouncing bomb. The Mulberry floating harbour used in the D-Day landings in June 1944, and PLUTO, the pipeline which maintained fuel supplies across the Channel were both developed here.

Over years the laboratory grew greatly and by the end of the 20th century occupied almost fifty buildings. These have mainly been replaced by a new laboratory complex with Bushy House now mainly used as a museum to its past and as a conference facility for NPL. You can read a more in-depth history of Bushy House by visiting the NPL website.

At 5.2 miles stay straight on past the Cannon Gate entrance to Bushy House on your LHS.

For the next 100 yards follow this wide path, then turn left, keeping the fence to your LHS. For the next 320 yards follow the wide path in a straight line (north) with the fence to your LHS.

Away to your RHS, through the trees, you should see cars pass on the elevated Chestnut Avenue, the straight road through the park.

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 LHS.

As we cross Chestnut Avenue, be careful of the cars, and look right to see one of the best views in London. Chestnut Avenue stretches out for a mile into the distance, past the Diana Fountain and with Henry VIII's Medieval Banqueting Hall in the backdrop. From the gate to the fountain is a little over a kilometre, with the road going in a straight line and elevated above the surrounding grassland and lines of trees. It was along here where the National Physical Laboratory used a laser to measure what was claimed to be the world's most accurate kilometre. To mark the distance, they inserted a nail on both sides of the road and at both ends and highlighted each with a small white line running perpendicular to the road. The nails are about 70 yards from Teddington Gate and 50 yards from where the road curls around the fountain. Up until ten years ago they were very easy to find and were often used by event organizers to calibrate their cycles or Jones' Wheels so they could use these to measure courses accurately. I have often cycled up and down here many times with a distance meter, so I could accurately measure the stages of my long distance run around London. However, on my most recent visits (2015), it has been really painstaking to find the nails. Maybe someday they'll touch up the white lines which mark their position.

During the second Sunday in May each year the park hosts an event called Chestnut Sunday. After Queen Victoria opened the grounds of Hampton Court in the 1830s, Bushy Park became a popular playground for the people. Visitors would come here in their droves, especially in Spring to see the chestnut blossom. This eventually led to an annual celebration, now known as Chestnut Sunday. It is timed to coincide with when horse chestnut blooms are at their best. Nowadays the event has been formalised and is much larger. It all starts at lunchtime with a procession along Chestnut Avenue from Teddington Gate. There are floats displaying history from the time of Ancient Greece, through to Henry VIII, the war years and onto modern days. Many old military vehicles remember the park's connection with the wars. There are vintage cars, bands playing music, local dignitaries, shire horses and much more. During the procession the grass areas on both sides of the avenue are lined with throngs of people. The whole event cumulates with a fair in the area near the park's main car park and to the east of the Diana Fountain. In 2009 it is estimated that over 12,000 people attended. You can watch short videos of past years at YouTube (2010) & YouTube (2107) are two examples.

The park is home to Bushy Park Time Trial (now Bushy parkrun). This is a free to enter 5 kilometre run around the eastern side of the park. It was instigated by Paul Sinton-Hewett and first took place on 2nd October 2004 with just 13 participants. Since then it has been held every Saturday morning at 9am and has grown greatly, with up to 1,500 now taking part in each event. As parkrun the organisers have extended the idea to many other places throughout the UK and even abroad. As of 2020, parkrun had around at more than 2,000 locations in 22 countries across five continents. There are also over 200 Junior events of 2 km for children under the age of 15. See Wikipedia for a history of parkrun and the number of events by country. In October 2019 parkrun celebrated its 15th anniversary and to commemorate the occasion "Here We Are Running" made this short video. 

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.

The path which forked off to the left leads to SHAEF Gate, opened in 1994 to give easy access to the war memorials here.

During World War 2 the park became the site of a large US base. It was later renamed Camp Griffiss, in memory of Lieutenant Townsend Griffiss who was killed when his aircraft was mistakenly shot down by Royal Air Force, Polish flyers, on 15th February 1942, and was the first US Airman to die in the line of duty in Europe. General Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890 - 1969), made the park Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) - the centre for planning Operation Overlord, the 1944 D-Day Invasion of France. He was based here from 5th March 1944 to 2nd June 1944. The D-Day Landings started on the 6th June 1944. The two memorials mark the sites of the European Headquarters of the US Army Air Forces and of Eisenhower's tent.

In 1994, 50 years after the D-Day landings a trail to commemorate Camp Griffiss and the Shaef was opened, with a new SHAEF Gate created just north of here. This gives easy access to the trail (link unavailable) and the memorials from Sandy Lane at Teddington, follow the link for photos of this area, (as of May 2018 the links to all five audio trails in Bushy Park, including this one, no longer seem to be available. I will update if they reappear). You can read more about the history and see some old photos of this site at SHAEF Shifters running club website and at this parkrun report from 2018.

During World War I and World War II, some of the lands in the park were used as allotments in "the Dig for Victory". The plan was to turn over as much land as possible throughout the country to grow food, as imports were blockaded by German forces and there would not be enough to feed the population during these war years. By 1918 there were 1.5 million allotments throughout the UK. This decreased during the wars, but increased again to 1.4 million during World War II. Even with this surge in home produced food the British Government had to introduce rationing during the wars and if you follow the link to read about it, you will find out how lucky we are nowadays with the selection of food on offer to us.

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). Turn left along Cobbler's Walk. 

Cobblers Walk runs for about two miles from Dukes Head Passage Gate at Hampton High Street on the west of the park to Hampton Wick Gate on the east of the park. It takes its name from a local shoemaker, Timothy Bennet. In 1734, Lord Halifax, the Ranger of Bushy Park, enclosed the park within a wall and removed much of the public access. Bennet's business was affected after this, as it meant less people passed his shop on their way to Kingston market from the west. It also meant a much longer journey for these people as they had to divert around the park. Bennet campaigned for the access to be reinstated and in 1754, instigated a legal case against Halifax. Lord Halifax was worried about being seen to be beaten by a commoner at court so submitted before the case was heard and re-opened access the park. On Bennet's death in 1756 the "Gentleman Magazine" said of him:

"Tim Bennet, the honest presbyterian cobler of Hampton Court, who obtained a free passage thro' Bushey park which had many years been with-held from the people, aged near 80."

In 1900 a Timothy Bennet Memorial was built in memory to the shoemaker just outside Hampton Wick Gate (which we pass in half a mile). It bears the inscription:

"In memory of Timothy Bennet shoemaker of Hampton Wick. By whose efforts the adjoining footpath was preserved for the use and enjoyment of the public."

After another 500 yards we pass Leg of Mutton Pond to our RHS and soon after this Cobblers Walk veers right and over a small stream (at 6.5 miles).

250 yards later follow the main path as it veers right and past Hampton Wick Gate.

Do however take time to walk outside the gate to visit the Timothy Bennet Memorial. Remember, it was he who fought to regain public access to the park and possibly the reason we are now allowed to walk here.

Follow the main path as it continues south for 200 yards, then right and left around ground of Hampton Wick Royal Cricket Club.

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.

We have now joined another long-distance path, the London LOOP. The "London Outer Orbital Path", to give its full name, is a 150 mile long distance footpath encircling Greater London. This was first proposed in 1990 and became fully open in 2001. You can read more at Transport for London and at Wikipedia. We only follow the London LOOP for 0.63 miles to just 200 yards Kingston Bridge.

After 300 yards, exit "Church Grove Gate" to leave Bushy Park.

As we leave Bushy Park, I'll direct you to  Royal Parks and Wikipedia where you car read more about the park.

Once through the gate cross straight over using the zebra crossing and turn right along the pavement.

At junction, turn left past Kingston Bridge House and for 100 yards to The White Hart Hotel.

According to The White Hart's website:

"The White Hart Hotel has been in existence since the 17th century, and has been owned by Fuller’s for over a century. In 2011 a square trading token was found making reference to “John Harris At Ye White (Hart) In Hampton Weeke.” In circulation between 1648 and 1672, this token gives us the earliest mention of the pub.

We know that the pub was being run by John Harris and John Addams who was a Barber Surgeon. At this time surgery was often practiced by barbers who were by the nature of their trade specialists in using razors!

There was in fact a barber shop in the corner of the building and there are even records of every barber who worked at The White Hart from 1832 to 1917, before the building dropped its dual identity and focused on serving drinks."

Cross over the zebra crossing in front of The White Hart, then turn right and follow the pavement over Kingston Bridge.

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. See note below.

NOTE: I think this is the first place we have had to use steps on this section of the walk.  Looking at Google Earth, there maybe a ramp down to the river just a short distance along the pavement. I'm not sure as I have only used the steps (you can help me here as I'm no-longer in thy country). There is also an alternative. If you cross the zebra crossing in front of Kingston Bridge House, about 50 yards before The White Hart Hotel and then veer left to cross Kingston Bridge on the other pavement. Then, over the bridge, there is a ramp down to the river. But if using this, turn left at the river and away from Kingston Bridge.

The present Kingston Bridge was opened in 1828 by the Duchess of Clarence (later to be Queen Adelaide). The approach road from the Kingston side was named Clarence Street in her honour. It wasn't the first bridge to be here as earlier ones existed just upstream, some claims even going back to Saxon Times. It is also believed that up to 1729, when Putney Bridge was opened, Kingston was the only bridge crossing the River Thames between London Bridge and Staines Bridge. A plaque on the bridge tells some more history, also see entry at Wikipedia.

As you walk along the promenade (Riverside Walk) there are many trendy restaurants and pubs. Also, look back for a great view of Kingston Bridge.

The first pub passed is The Bishop (formally The Bishop Out of Residence). Above Bishop's Hall Passage, on the wall of the building to the left of the pub, a plaque states “William De Wykeham, Bishop’s Palace House, 1376-1404”. This is in reference to William of Wykeham who was the Bishop of Winchester, Chancellor of England and also the founder of Winchester College. The Bishop Blog at WordPress states:

"Wykeham did in fact commission a “Palace” to be built in the spot where the plaque hangs (Bishop’s resides were known as “Palaces”), that he would live in whenever he wasn’t in his preferred residence in Esher-seeing as he was never really at his Kingston home the name the Bishop “Out of Residence” was born."

Just past The Bishop is The Gazebo. This was originally The Sun but later changed name. The pub and the two timber-framed pavilions (or gazebos) were built c1900. The gazebos are historically listed and between them is a flight of steps down to a landing stage.

Down the side of The Gazebo is a narrow alleyway named Kings Passage. It leads to Thames Street and Market Place. According to Edith's Streets this is a Medieval passage named after King John who had a drapers shop on the corner.

There are many alleyways, passages and lanes running from Thames Street, Market Square and High Street to the river. Many of these date back centuries when they lead to wharfs on the river. Most of the wharfs have disappeared, but many houseboats still line the bank of the river.

Within a short distance we cross a footbridge at Charter Quay over the mouth of the Hogsmill River as it enters the River Thames. A plaque on next to the bridge states, "This River Walkway at Charter Quay was opened by HRH Duke of Kent on Friday 29th June 2001 creating the final link in the Thames Path between Putney and Surbiton".

Continue straight on past the riverside beer garden of The Ram and for another 120 yards. Then 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. Turn left along the pavement.

The white house on the corner of the alley and High Street is only weatherboarded at the rear. It has two plaques on it. One on the chimneystack states it is historically listed, another on the front reads "CESAR PICTON c.1755 - 1836. A native of Senegal, West Coast of Africa. Brought to England in 1761 as a servant to Sir John Philipps of Norbiton, Kingston upon Thames. Later a coal merchant and gentleman. LIVED HERE 1788 - 1807". You can read more about Cesar Picton at Wikipedia or view a short narrative of his life, below at YouTube.

After 40 yards stay straight on past roundabout to your RHS.

Soon to the LHS is The Ram pub and two buildings later, a plaque on the first floor front of Barkman Computers reads "Childhood home of EADWEARD MUYBRIDGE Pioneer Photographer 1830 - 1904". 

I lived and worked in Kingston for many years, but I'd never heard of Eadweard Muybridge until I started writing this walk. His work was ground-breaking in capturing separate images and putting them together to form what appeared to be moving pictures. He is famous as the man who first showed how a horse's legs moved when running. Most of his work was done in America where he even got acquitted for his wife's lovers murder on grounds of justifiable homicide. He died in Kingston in 1904, the same year Kingston Museum opened and lots of his equipment and work was bequeathed to the museum. A building at Kingston University is named after him. You can read more and watch some of his work at Wikipedia. An hour long documentary by BBC at YouTube, entitled  "The Weird World of Eadweard Muybridge" is also worth watching. There is a huge amount of information about this man on the Internet.

Continue on, past the Rose Theatre and for another 35 yards stop at the Clattern Bridge.

This bridge over the Hogsmill River dates from c.1175 and replaced the Saxon ‘Clatrung Bridge’. According to Wikipedia (and a few other sources) there is the story about the mass, yet violent, football match held here for centuries and also on a darker side the bridge was where "scolds" were punished by the cucking stool:

"Up to the 18th century, the bridge was used as a site for the ducking of scolds with a cucking stool. The bridge also featured in the traditional game of football held in the centre of Kingston each year on Shrove Tuesday. It was the goal for one of the teams, while the nearby Kingston Bridge was the other goal."... "The game was finally displaced from the public highway in 1867, when the authorities managed to move the game to a local playing field."

The older side of the bridge, where you are now, does date back to the 12th century. The bridge has been widened a few times and still holds a full load of traffic across it. The ornamental railings on the opposite side were added in 1852. For historical purposes the bridge is classified as grade 1 listed.

A plaque on the wall of the bridge states:

"Clattern Bridge, which crosses the Hogsmill River, is one of the oldest bridges in Surrey and it is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The earliest known reference is in a deed of 1293 and the medieval name 'Clateryngbrugge' is thought to have been descriptive of the sound of horses crossing the bridge. The stone arches on the downstream side are the oldest parts of the bridge which until the 19th century was only 8ft wide."

Cross over High Street using zebra crossing and turn left over Hogsmill River.

Turn right towards the Guildhall and then right again to the Coronation Stone.

The Coronation Stone is probably the most important piece of Kingston history to have survived. It is an ancient sarsen stone (of the sort found at Stonehenge), According to Historic England:

"The stone on which the West Saxon Kings are traditionally said to have been crowned during the C10. The stone is not mentioned by Leland or Camden, but is traditionally said to have been preserved in the chapel of St Mary which fell down in 1730. It was then placed outside the Town Hall (on the site of the present Market House in the Market Place) and used as a mounting block until 1850 when it was moved to its present position. The stone is set on granite base upon which are inscribed in lead letters the names of the Kings traditionally crowned upon it. Surrounded by railings and balustrade, probably mid 19th century: seven stone piers with conical scalloped hoods and cubic capitals joined by cast iron railings in the form of intersecting round headed arches, with cubic capitals below, resting upon circles. These details match those of the adjacent Clattern Bridge. Victoria County History,Surrey, Volume III p.487."

The stone sits on a seven sided plinth next to the Hogsmill River, just upstream of Clattern Bridge. The metal railings on the bridge are painted to match the seven sets of railings around the Coronation Stone. Each side of the plinth has a name of the Saxon Kings crowned here and a plaque give the dates of the seven crownings. They were:

• Edward the Elder 8th June 900

• Athelstan 4th September 925

• Edmund 940

• Edred 16th August 946

• Edwy January 956

• Edward the Martyr 975

• Ethelred II the Unready     14th April 979

Some historian also believe Edgar “the Peaceable” (959-975) was also crowned at Kingston.

Go past the entrance to the Guildhall and along High Street. Cross over Eden Street vis zebra crossing and go straight on into Market Place. Walk on the LHS.

The Market Place is surrounded by many old buildings. The earliest record of a market dates back to the early 13th century. At present there is a market here seven days a week from 10am to 5pm. In the centre is the statue of an elegant lady balancing a pitcher on her shoulder and holding a child by the hand. This is a memorial to local banker Henry Shrubsole who served as Mayor of Kingston for three years. He died suddenly during his third year whilst attending an event for the poor in 1880. Renowned for his good deeds, the local townsfolk raised £500 to build this ornate water fountain in his memory. 

Behind this the gold statue of Queen Ann looks down over the Market Place from the Market House. According to InKingston:

"The glorious gold statue that presides proudly over the Ancient Market Place is of Queen Anne. Created by the renowned sculptor Francis Bird, the statue was erected during her reign in 1706 onto an earlier Town Hall on this site. The current Market House building was built in 1840 during Queen Victoria's reign and served as the Town Hall until Guildhall was constructed in 1935."

Also, according to Historic England:

Market House, Market Place, Kingston-upon-Thames, an 1838-40 former town hall designed in Italianate style by Charles Henman Senior is listed at Grade II* for the following principal reasons: * Architectural interest: a handsome brick and stone purpose-built town hall with rusticated arches and corner roof pavilions which also retains on the south front a 1706 statue of Queen Anne by the renowned sculptor Francis Bird commissioned for the earlier town hall on the site; * Interiors: original stone staircase, doors, and former Council Chamber with fittings inspired by the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates in Athens; * Intactness: the building has undergone few alterations and the plan of a market with a Council Chamber and Justices Room above is still readable. 

The ornate mock Tudor building at north of the Market Place dates from 1909 and was originally built as a Boots. It has statues of the first two kings crowned here, Edward the Elder and Athelstan. It also has statues of Henry, Edward III, Elizabeth and John. An open well stair at the rear of the building is lit by a large stained glass window which commemorates the crowning of the Saxon kings in Kingston. For more information see listing at Historic England.

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.

The church website is a wealth of information with a timeline of important events going back to 838. It states:

"In 838 the Saxon King Egbert held a Great Council in Kingston, possibly in a church preceding our present All Saints. This important meeting was attended by the King, his noblemen, the Archbishop Ceolnoth of Canterbury and other senior clergymen. At this Council Egbert and the Church agreed to support each other and work together.

At this time Kingston was a small group of scattered settlements. Although All Saints had not yet been built, the community was likely served by a wooden minster church.

Documents from the time describe the council as taking place at ‘illa famosa loco quae appeletur Cyningestun in regionnae sudregiae.’ This means that it was ‘that famous place called Cyningestun in the region of Surrey.’ The name suggests a royal estate, including a timber hall and a church, which would probably have sat on the current site of All Saints."

I have listed a few more exerts from the timeline below with links to the relevant sections on the website:

• 900 – 978 – As many as eight royal coronations on the site of the later All Saints Church.

• 925 – King Athelstan, first King of England, crowned in Kingston.

• 1030 – 1050 – construction of St Mary’s Chapel.

• 1120 – All Saints Church built.

• 1730 – Collapse of St Mary’s Chapel.

• 1850 – Inauguration of the Coronation Stone.

St Mary's Chapel stood for c.700 years before it collapsed in 1730. It contained the Coronation Stone which was later recovered. It is thought to be the site of a previous church and where the coronation of the Saxon Kings took place. "You can still see where St Mary’s stood in All Saints churchyard, to the south of the church, where plaques at St Marys’ four corners were laid in 1936." There are plans to move the Coronation Stone from its present site back to the original site inside the churchyard at All Saints.

At the Heritage section of All Saints there is a section entitled "Where England Began". It has a video entitled "The importance of Kingston in English history" where Professor Sarah Foot, Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Oxford University speaks on the importance of Kingston in the establishment of the English Monarchy. 

All Saints Church is open  every day from 10am to 4pm (longer if there are other events going on on particular days – see upcoming events). On Sundays it is open from 8am to 7pm. It also has a shop and the Café Where England Began (see video) which is open every day for coffee, tea, cake and simple lunches. The social enterprise café is run by students with some disability from Kingston College who are undertaking a course in catering. The Church is easily accessible for wheelchairs, equipped with a hearing loop and accessible toilets with baby changing facilities.

Turn left along Clarence Street staying on the LHS pavement and soon over the entrance to Thames Street.

When the pavement divides stay on the right and cross Kingston Bridge.

Immediately over the bridge, turn left into Barge Walk, signed Thames Path (at 8.35 miles).

We are now back on the Hampton Wick side of the bridge but on the opposite side of the road. A video I watched recently, by John Rogers on YouTube, from November 2019, is entitled  "Three Days by the Thames at Hampton Wick" is about a two night stay at The White Hart Hotel at the expense of the hotel and three day walking in the area. Some of it  covers a few places we walk on The Freedom Trail. I have watched many of his walks videos and always enjoy them.

You can walk along the road, but there is a footpath next to the River Thames which does rejoin 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.

Up to now our walk, The Freedom Trail, has followed the Thames downstream from Wraysbury, then joined the Thames Path upstream from Staines to Datchet. We rejoined the Thames Path at Maidenhead and followed it downstream to Eton, We rejoined it again at Staines and followed it downstream to Hurst Park. We now join it again at Hampton Wick and follow it upstream to Hampton Court Palace. Its been our friend on this walk and had so many stories to tell us. I hope you enjoyed its company.

As you walk along you can look across the river to see where we were earlier on the Riverside Walk at Kingston. Look back to see another view of Kingston Bridge and a small riverside community on this side of the Thames.

At 9.2 miles we pass Raven's Ait. An privately owned island used for parties, conferences and weddings. The island went into administration and closed in December 2008.  In early 2009 squatters occupied it who had the declared aim of turning it into an eco conference centre.  The squatters were evicted in May 2009. Raven's Ait is now a private island again and back hosting events. We met the eco warriors on section 4 of this walk when I first visited Coopers Hill Woods above Runnymede, but they were removed so The Queen could visit Runnymede to celebrate 800 years of sealing of Magna Carta.

After another mile we pass Thames Ditton Island. It is connected to the Surrey bank by a suspension footbridge and has 48 homes with gardens and moorings. It most famous resident was Maundy Gregory (died 1941) who lived in a house named Vanity Fair. Gregory was a British theatre producer and political fixer who sold honours for Prime Minister David Lloyd George. He was also involved in the disappearance of Victor Grayson, and the suspicious death of his platonic companion, Edith Rosse. 

To the right of the towpath and peering over a fence is a large house named The Pavillion. This is the only surviving house of four built by Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksworth for William III at Hampton Court.

At 10.8 miles the towpath joins the road by the wall of of Hampton Court. Soon after this we pass a grand, ornate gate (Tijou Screen) and through it you can see the Privy Garden and the south face of Hampton Court Palace.

At 11 miles we pass the Little Banqueting House. It was built by Christopher Wren c.1700 and the ceiling painted by Antonio Verrio .

Look upstream from here and you can see Hampton Court Bridge, which you may have crossed earlier in the day if you chose not to take the Hampton Ferry.

We are almost there, just another 150 yards along the towpath and then turn right, through a gate, to finish at the front door of Hampton Court Palace. There is so much to see here. To see it all would take a whole day, but I'll leave you with a taster in the short video below. You can also read more about the palace at another walk of mine named the London Green Belt Way.

I really hope you enjoyed this walk and all the other sections of The Freedom Trail if you have managed them.

© Sean Davis 2015 - 2022