London Royal Parks Half Marathon Route

This half marathon run route starts and ends in Richmond Park. Along the way, get a wonderful view of St. Paul’s Cathedral, see a direct descendant of Isaac Newton’s famous apple tree, hear the sounds of a beautifully restored water garden, get lost (hopefully not) in Hampton Court’s Maze, and end off at the pretty in pink Isabella Plantation. No matter your interests, these sites are beautiful and sure to rejuvenate you. The route is mostly paved, with only a couple of parts along busier roads. As usual, please mind other cyclists, runners and pedestrians as parts of the route are along some tourist attractions.

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In the 17th century, Charles I designed and intended Richmond Park as a deer park. Since its inception, the park has undergone quite a few changes of hands, with some allowing and others banning pedestrians’ right of way. However, pedestrian right of way has been ensured by an Act of Parliament in 1872. In WWI, the park was used for cavalry training and a South African military war hospital which closed in 1921 and demolished in 1925.

Nearby, in Richmond Cemetery, a section contains war graves of the 39 soldiers who sadly died in the hospital and is marked with a Cross of Sacrifice and Grade II listed cenotaph. In 1938, an army camp was set up in the park with part of the park serving as land for agricultural purposes. It is now a site of national and international scientific interest and conservation and is Grade I listed. Within the park is the Grade I-listed White Lodge, which serves as the home of the Royal Ballet School and was formerly a royal residence.

King Henry’s Mound got its name from the day King Henry VIII allegedly stood upon it, awaiting the signal from the Tower of London that Anne Boleyn was officially beheaded, thus allowing King Henry to remarry. This is some hearsay, as King Henry was more likely in Wiltshire at the time of the beheading. But the name and story stuck, nonetheless. You will notice a public permanent telescope is placed here where you can view St. Paul’s Cathedral in the distance; a unique point of view. So unique that this sightline is protected and may not be obstructed by any buildings or trees. Look for the signage for “St. Paul’s View.”

Start your route on Queen’s Road, away from King Henry’s Mound behind you. At the roundabout, take the first exit onto Sawyer’s Hill and past the Royal Star and Garter Home on your left. The road becomes Richmond Hill, where you turn left onto Nightingale Lane, following its bend to the right. Cross over Petersham Road to continue along the Capital Ring, next to the River Thames. Follow this path closest to the Thames for roughly 3.8km.

Just after Teddington Lock, turn left to take the footbridge onto Ferry Road. Turn left onto Broom Road and continue straight for 1.5km.

Turn right onto Normansfield Avenue, right onto Kingston Road, then left onto Wick Road, following its curve onto Bushy Park Road to turn left. At the end of the road, turn right and follow the ramp over the railway tracks to exit and turn right back onto Bushy Park Road. Cross over Sandy Lane, through the Sandy Lane Gate for Bushy Park, and turn right.

Bushy Park is the second largest Royal Park after Richmond Park. Its history dates back to the Bronze Age, and it is said to have been an agricultural site in medieval times. The park is known for its abundance of water sources, including ponds and rivers, and was once a sporting and hunting ground in the 1500s-1600s.

Fun facts: many of the rules for modern-day field hockey were developed here, and the very first Parkrun was held here in 2004. WWI and WWII necessitated the use of Bushy Park as a hospital, a camp for undernourished children, and was the site of the planning for the D-Day landings or “Operation Overlord” in Normandy by Dwight D. Eisenhower at Camp Griffiss in the park. A memorial now stands there where General Eisenhower’s tent once was.

Follow the path over Chestnut Avenue as it turns left. Turn right onto Cobbler’s Walk that’s paved. Bushy House is to your right, where the path splits. Unfortunately, one cannot enter Bushy House to see the tree except on Open Days a couple of times in the year. Keep an eye out on their website for any updates. Continue along Cobbler’s Walk for about 850 metres, then turn right and follow the path that circles the park on its edge. You could circle the park on its edge, eventually turning left towards the Water Gardens at Upper Lodge Mews (which also extends your run slightly) or shortcut through along the pathway, as in part 5 of the screenshots below.

We all know the story of how Isaac Newton “discovered” gravity thanks to the drop of an apple on his head. Well, it isn’t entirely false. Newton was not questioning the existence of gravity, but rather how far the gravitational pull stretched and in which direction it occurs. The apple falling from the tree contributed to the principles he developed about gravity. Newton’s Apple Tree in Woolsthorpe Manor, Newton’s family home in 1666, is a direct descendant of said tree.

Several clones and descendants are now found all over the world, stretching as far as Japan, North America, and South Africa. Newton’s tree here in Bushy Park is a direct descendant of Woolsthorpe Manor’s tree and is one of eight saplings that spent six months in space! Tim Peake took these saplings into space as part of the “Pips in Space” project in the Principia mission in 2015. Upon returning, the saplings were nurtured into young trees and gifted to various winning organisations of a competition, including the National Physical Laboratory. With this many descendants, I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree…

Run around the Water Gardens, turning left away from the stepped falls onto the wider path, then right onto the pathway that curves to the left, then sharply right to follow along the Longford River.

The Water Gardens were first established in 1710 by Charles Montague for personal use. The red-bricked two-storey building was once a brewhouse serving beer to the Upper Lodge since alcohol was safer to drink than water; what a problem to have… WWI called for a camp to house Canadian troops, with Upper Lodge serving as the hospital. Later, swimming pools were placed here as part of an open-air school for impoverished boys suffering from respiratory diseases.

In WWII, the area was a US barracks eventually taken over by the Ministry of Defence for use in developing Cold War defence technology. Sadly thereafter, the area was no longer of any use and fell into disrepair and could no longer be accessed by the public. However, it was a shame to simply leave the area in such a state, hence the extensive restoration efforts performed in the mid-2000s. Today, the Water Gardens are almost identical to their original condition from 300 years ago. The Garden is free to enter and opens Tuesday to Sunday from 9 am to dusk and free to enter.

Continue following the path closest to the river on its left for about 1.1km. The path curves to the left and splits into three. Turn right until you reach a tree-lined, paved road to turn left towards the Diana Fountain. As you reach the fountain, turn right to continue the route on Chestnut Avenue.

The Diana Fountain, not to be confused with the Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park, was designed in 1637 for King Charles I to commemorate his wife, Henrietta Maria. The Bronze statue of a goddess believed to be Arethusa sits atop marble and stone and is accompanied by four water nymphs, four boys, and four shells. King Charles I paid a total of £200 for the statue in 1637, which amounts to nearly £36,000 today! The statue and fountain were placed here in 1713 and restored in 2009. Its weight and height were then confirmed to be a huge 924kg and 2.38 metres!

Cross over Hampton Court Road through the rather regal gates, keeping right to pass the Hampton Court Maze on your right. You will need a ticket to complete the maze. Just after passing the maze, turn left, then left again to reach a wider path and turn right. You will then pass the Royal School of Needlework on your right. To your left, you will see The Great Fountain Garden. Follow the path just to its left, over the short bridge and straight towards Hampton Wick Pond.

Hampton Court Maze is the UK’s oldest hedge maze, dating back to 1700. It is unique in shape: a trapezoid that is multicursal, meaning there is more than one possible route from the outside to the centre. To experience the maze, you will need to purchase a ticket for Hampton Court Palace, which you can purchase here in advance. Also, see the opening and closing times for the gardens and palace here. The average time it takes to complete is 20 minutes. Can you beat it?

The British Royal Family, or any royal family for that matter, tends to spare no expense on their clothing and regalia, often choosing handmade items. So it only makes sense that there is a whole school dedicated to the art of needlework. The Royal School of Needlework here in Hampton Court Palace was originally founded in 1872 as the “School of Art Needlework” by Lady Victoria Welby.

The first President of the School was Queen Vicotria’s third daughter, Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, known as Princess Helena to those in the School. The school was established to continue nurturing the art of needlework, which had started to fall into disuse. Additionally, it was to provide employment for educated women who would otherwise find themselves in poverty.

The school has, of course, played a major role in some of the most significant events for the Royal Family, including Queen Victoria’s funeral pall, designs on the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress, and the Robe of State for the late Queen Elizabeth II. They have also contributed to non-royal occasions, such as curtains for the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, embroidered the official logo for the FIFA World Cup in Japan and Korea in 2002, and a 6 x 4-metre embroidery for Game of Thrones. Today; anyone is welcome to learn here, whether you’d like to do a 3-year degree or a simple beginner short course.

When you reach the paved road just after passing Hampton Wick Pond, keep left then turn right onto Hampton Court Road. At the roundabout, keep right to cross over the roads at the pedestrian crossings at Horse Fair. Turn right to cross over Kingston Bridge and follow the curve of the road on Horse Fair and through the short tunnel.

After the tunnel, continue straight onto Wood Street, under another short bridge, then turn right over the intersection at the pedestrian crossings to go under the railway bridge on your left onto Kingsgate Road. Continue straight and past the triangle-shaped parking lot on your right.

Cross over the road onto Acre Road at the pedestrian crossings. After about 750 metres, turn right onto King’s Road, then left onto Queen’s Road. At the roundabout, follow the path that is just to the left of Broomfield Hill on your right. Follow this path as straight as you can to find the Isabella Plantation on your left.

The Isabella Plantation was established in the 1830s and opened to the public in 1953. The origin of its name is said to be named after the wife or daughter of a staff member; however, it is more likely from the word “Isabel”, which means dingy or greyish-yellow, which is the colour of the soil here.

It is most well-known for its evergreen Azaleas, which are in full bloom in late April and early May. Fortunately, the garden is open all year, according to Richmond Park’s opening hours. Within the Heather Garden, you will see a number of bumblebees and butterflies as there are numerous native shrubs and flowering plants. Additionally, the woodland area has a healthy variety of wildlife, including sparrowhawks, woodpeckers, treecreepers, and little caterpillars.

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Resources:

If you enjoyed this route, see our Royal Parks 10km run.

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Download the GPX file here.

Information gathered from various sources, including Wikipedia.