Along the Thames to Kingston

Date: Wednesday 20th June
Route: West Ealing to Kingston-upon-Thames via South Ealing, Brentford, Kew Bridge and the Thames Path
Distance: 11 miles

With no walking last weekend, due to family visits, and the prospect of dire weather over the coming days, today dawned bright and sunny, with absolutely no excuse to stay inside - I used the opportunity to walk a route of various sections that I have walked individually before, but never consecutively.

If you're looking for a beautiful 11-mile walk by the river, I would advise that you walk from Kew Bridge to Hampton Court, using the Thames Path all the way, but since I live in West Ealing, the first three miles of my walk were down to Kew Bridge (not necessarily very scenic all the way, but making me feel quite nostalgic for the days when I used to cycle through the graveyard on my way to work).

From West Ealing, Temple Road leads on to the very quiet residential streets and parkland of Churchfield Road, Culmington Road and Church Lane before emerging at St Mary's Church, a local landmark next to the busy South Ealing road. Cut through the small car park, head right through residential streets and over a footbridge running parallel with South Ealing Road and straight on down, over Popes Lane and down the footpath to the side of the W5 pub, through South Ealing Cemetery, which can be very atmospheric/ spooky in the early morning light.

At the end of the graveyard you cross Occupation Lane and walk down to the busy A4, which you cross. A pedestrian path takes you through the Barratt housing development by the side of the road (can a building really be Art Deco if it has been built from scratch within the past 2 years?) and then a left takes you along a decidedly unpicturesque road by the tower blocks in Brentford, emerging onto the main road near the Kew Bridge Steam Museum (if you take a right here you can also take in the Musical Museum and the Watermans Arts Centre, though the only thing open at 7.30am is the McDonalds opposite the Watermans).

Once you are across the busy road, Kew Bridge is in front of you (opened in 1903, fact fans) and once you have crossed the bridge and admired the view, a right turn brings you onto the Thames Path, which you follow all the way to Kingston (or beyond, if you feel so inclined).

The path is easy to walk on, occasionally stony and sometimes puddled after heavy rain, and is popular with walkers, hearty individuals being pulled along by dogs, runners and cyclists (make sure you keep an ear out for bikes!). Along the way you will see plenty of herons, which nest in the trees to your right, as well as parakeets, ducks, geese and other waterbirds. You may well hear a woodpecker or two and spot a fox on the opposite bank (or as today, two foxes on the small island in the middle of the river near Isleworth). There are also badgers in Kew Gardens, however the chances of spotting one are pretty slim, unfortunately.

The path takes you past Kew Gardens and King George III's palace, with views over to Syon House on the opposite bank (sadly shrouded in scaffolding at the minute), before passing Isleworth to your right (pretty riverside church and pubs in photo above), Richmond Old Deer Park and Richmond Lock.

Richmond is a lovely riverside town, with lots of transport links, shops and great places to eat, plus the huge Richmond Park (setting for the infamous dog-chasing-deer Youtube clip), which boasts plenty of wide open space, ponds, bike hire and herds of deer. You can also catch boats from Richmond down to Teddington Lock three miles away, or even get the boat down here from Central London, which is a great way to spend a lazy summer Sunday afternoon. It's no surprise that this beautiful town attracts famous residents such as Mick Jagger, Jerry Hall, Pete Townsend and Richard E. Grant.

The path after Richmond is initially wider and you will see anglers in various locations between Richmond and Kingston, as well as some very grand stately houses overlooking the river. As with the Kew-Richmond section, there is plenty of greenery beside the route and a few shaded sections. 3 miles outside Richmond you come to Teddington Lock (which you can cross to), then the path continues on for another 1.75 miles to Kingston town centre, passing multiple houseboats and very desirable Thames-side properties (it's impossible to do this stretch without pangs of property envy).

The final section into Kingston takes you along the road and through the park of Canbury Gardens before a left takes you into Kingston town centre (bigger and with more shopping opportunities than Richmond) or you can carry on to the pubs and restaurants alongside the river in Kingston or if you're feeling energetic, cross Kingston Bridge and continue along the Thames to Hampton Court Palace.

I've walked sections of this walk regularly for a number of years and I'm sure I will continue to do so. If you fancy a walk in London that feels as though you are seeing a bit of country and a bit of greenery, this is a great section of the Thames Path to walk - oh, and it's flat too, which makes it nice and easy!