This section is about 12 miles. It takes in Kingston, Teddington and Richmond. I caught a number of trains to get to Hampton Court and didn’t arrive until about 13:15. I think the weather could best be described as ‘sunny intervals’ but at least it was quite warm – not ridiculously hot as it was going to get a few days later. This section of the Thames Path between Hampton Court and Kingston takes the north bank of the river. The Thames takes quite a large bend and the Thames Path follows this faithfully. On this occasion I decided I would prefer to walk through Hampton Court Park AKA Home Park to Kingston in the hope of seeing some deer. So, following the Thames Path from Hampton Court, you soon come to a heavy gate on the left which gets you into the park. This was to be my lucky day, as not only did I see deer but also baby coots – cootlets - and a heron.

 

At Teddington you have the option to walk to Kew on either the north or south bank of the river along dedicated paths. I’ve previously done both and find the south bank route much more satisfying.

 

At Petersham Meadows, I left the path briefly to climb up to Richmond Hill to admire the view of the Thames – a view that is protected by law and never disappoints. Coming down from Richmond Hill back to the river I walked through Terrace Gardens, so named for an obvious reason! In 2020 I was here in January and all the flower beds were just about empty. However, in July 2021 the gardens were a riot of colour – absolutely stunning! Well done to Richmond Council! I arrived at Kew Bridge just after 18:00. There isn’t a lot more to say about this walk; the wildlife and Terrace Gardens were definitely the highlights.

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Annoyingly, when I got home and downloaded my photos from my 'proper' camera onto my PC, I noticed that thumb marks on my lens had spoiled some of the photos - grrrr!

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