A Day In West London – Brompton Cemetery, Fulham Palace, Chiswick House, Thames Path

After living in London for over 6 years, I still manage to discover new places to explore. And I love it! Today, let me take you on a day trip to west London. On a beautiful, sunny day at the end of April, I visited Brompton Cemetery, Fulham Palace, Chiswick House Gardens, and enjoyed a long walk along the Thames. It was a lovely day, and I didn’t spend a penny, except for some coffee and a sweet treat, which was completely avoidable. If you’re looking for inspiration for things to do in London, away from big crowds – this post is for you.

Brompton Cemetery

I took an overground train to West Brompton station. I left the station and walked to Brompton Cemetery, located just around the corner. I would never think of a cemetery as a place for a walk, but I knew that some of the old cemeteries in London are quite popular points of interest. In fact, Brompton Cemetery is part of the Royal Parks. It’s free to visit, and there’s even a cafe at the entrance.

The cemetery is pretty huge, actually! It’s a resting place of a few famous figures, including Emmeline Pankhurst, but I also saw a few fairly recent tombstones near the south end of the cemetery.

Emmeline Pankhurst grave in Brompton Cemetery, London — A Day In West London – Brompton Cemetery – Emmeline Pankhurst Grave

Tombstones surrounded by bluebells in Brompton Cemetery, London — A Day In West London – Brompton Cemetery

There’s something calming and soothing in walking around old graveyards. Brompton Cemetery is pretty well maintained – you can walk down the main alley, but if you have more time, you can wander around, looking for the most peculiar tombstones. There’s quite a variety.

I visited Brompton cemetery at the end of April, in peak bluebell season. There were thousands of flowers everywhere! It definitely made the scenery even more stunning, if I can use that word for a cemetery. I had a busy agenda for the day, so I didn’t have time to stroll around too much – I mainly walked across the cemetery sticking to the main path in the middle. I will definitely come back one day to spend more time at Brompton Cemetery.

Countless tombstones in Brompton Cemetery, London — A Day In West London – Brompton Cemetery

Rows of tombstones in Brompton Cemetery, London — A Day In West London – Brompton Cemetery

Fulham Palace

Next, I walked towards Fulham Palace, located about 25 minutes away. Initially, I walked along a busy road, which is never ideal. Luckily, the latter stage of that walk was through a quiet, residential area. Fulham Palace – the home of the Bishops of London since AD 704 – is free to visit, with tickets available online. There are a few indoor museum rooms, a cafe, and stunning gardens outside.

Blooming wisteria outside of Fulham Palace — A Day In West London – Fulham Palace – Garden – Wisteria

A very long wall of blooming wisteria in the garden of Fulham Palace — A Day In West London – Fulham Palace – Garden – Wisteria

When it comes to the museum, the two rooms that stood out to me were Bishop Porteus’s library and the chapel, with beautiful stained glass windows and realistic painting on the walls. Then, I went to explore the gardens, and saw the most stunning wisteria display I’ve ever seen. I don’t know how long that wisteria wall is, but it’s really, really long! I’ll sound like the most average, stereotypical white girl saying this, but I absolutely love wisteria! I don’t remember seeing it before I moved to London, such a shame. Seeing the lilac of wisteria in parks and around the city makes spring even more beautiful.

I decided to have a quick break at the café, after seeing their carrot cake with pistachio cream cheese. It was delicious! There was a long queue at the café, even though it was Friday and the Palace wasn’t too busy in general. I probably waited around 10 minutes to order the cake!

A display case with bishop's attire in Fulham Palace, London — A Day In West London – Fulham Palace

State room in Fulham Palace. There's a fancy chandelier, and painted portraits on the walls — A Day In West London – Fulham Palace

Old library room in Fulham Palace, London — A Day In West London – Fulham Palace – Library

Chapel of Fulham Palace, London — A Day In West London – Fulham Palace – Chapel

Carrot cake on a plate, on a metal table, in the garden of Fulham Palace, London — A Day In West London – Fulham Palace

Thames Path walk to Chiswick

I left Fulham Palace and quickly checked out the adjacent Bishops Park – a small green space with a pond and lots of ducks and geese. Both Fulham Palace and Bishops Park lie by the Thames, so I was able to join the Thames Path – an official walking trail along the Thames. I followed the north bank of the river and walked westbound, heading towards Chiswick.

It was an enjoyable walk, initially with lots of greenery, and then leading through residential areas with a bunch of restaurants, pubs, and cafes. Suddenly, I spotted something interesting. The old Harrods building, which served as a storage for large items that couldn’t be housed at the main department store. I knew about that building before, but i never saw it in person. The domes on top of the building look very similar to the current store in Knightsbridge. Interestingly, the building was converted into residential properties. Imagine living in Harrods!

I continued the walk. About an hour after leaving Bishops Park, I reached Chiswick.

Funky purple bridge over a pond in Bishops Park, Fulham, London — A Day In West London – Fulham – Bishops Park

Colourful duck sitting on a rock on the side of a pond — A Day In West London – Fulham – Bishops Park – Duck

A footpath along the river Thames in west London. The river can be seen on one side, and a row of trees is on the other side — A Day In West London – Fulham – Thames Path

Old Harrods building in West London — A Day In West London – Old Harrods Building

A bridge over the Thames in west London. The water level in the river is really low - there's a gravel beach on the bank of the river — A Day In West London – Chiswick – Thames Path

Blooming wisteria in front of a house in Chiswick, London — A Day In West London – Chiswick – Wisteria

St Nicholas's Church in Chiswick, London — A Day In West London – Chiswick – St Nicholas Church

Chiswick House Gardens

I’ve known about Chiswick House for a while, after seeing it on Google maps every time I visited west London, but I’ve never had a chance to see it in person. Chiswick House, a stunning Neo-Palladian style villa from the 18th century, is closed until the end of May, so I wasn’t able to see it inside. But, I could still enjoy the gardens, which are really nice!

Majestic Chiswick House seen from the front — A Day In West London – Chiswick House

Chiswick House, London. Photo taken from the back. There is green grass and blue skies. — A Day In West London – Chiswick House Garden

There’s a Roman corner with a few statues, a large Kitchen Garden with lots of edible plants, and a duck pond featuring a waterfall. And of course, there’s a conservatory with lots of wisteria outside – a popular spot for Instagram photoshoots, it seems. There’s also a cafe in Chiswick Gardens. I sat down for a few moments, on a bench by the duck pond. I had a few snacks (that I brought from home) and enjoyed the sunshine, before embarking on the final – and longest – stretch of my day.

Blooming wisteria and a wooden bench, outside of the conservatory in the garden of Chiswick House, London — A Day In West London – Chiswick House Garden – Conservatory

A long path through the Kitchen Garden of Chiswick House, London — A Day In West London – Chiswick House – Kitchen Garden

Roman Garden of Chiswick House, London. There are Roman style statues of people and vases. — A Day In West London – Chiswick House – Roman Garden

Waterfalls in the gardens of Chiswick House, London — A Day In West London – Chiswick House Garden

Thames Path walk – Kew, Richmond

I decided to go back to the Thames Path, on the south bank of the river this time. To get there, I had to get to Chiswick Bridge and cross the Thames. Frankly, it wasn’t the most enjoyable walk! It took me about 30 minutes, and I was walking along a very busy road all that time. It was such a relief to finally reach the Thames Path!

I followed the path towards Kew, taking a short detour to Kew Retail Park – I really fancied an iced coffee! I then rejoined the riverside trail and enjoyed the views. This section of the Thames Path was green and quiet. There were ducks, geese, swans, and a couple of herons wading in the shallow waters.

An Egyptian goose with seven chicks, in shallow water. — A Day In West London – Thames Path Walk – Baby Geese

Woodland path with trees on both side, running along river Thames — A Day In West London – Thames Path Walk

Once I reached Kew, I had a decision to make. I could either finish my trip there, continue the walk through town leaving the riverside views, or commit to sticking to Thames Path for a longer time. The Thames Path trail runs along the outside walls of Kew Gardens, making it a rather secluded path for about 4-5 kilometres. As a young woman, that always makes me consider my safety! Should I encounter danger, there would be no escape route to a more crowded area.

Photo of River Thames taken at spring. There are green trees and bushes, and a blue sky. — A Day In West London – Thames Path Walk

I decided to take the risk, encountering a handful of other walkers and runners. I even walked past a couple of elderly ladies walking alone, so I guess it’s not that dangerous! I suppose Kew is a calmer area than East London where I live.

The walk from Kew to Richmond was nice, though some of it was in full sun, despite the trees lining the path (the sun was shining from the direction that wasn’t covered). I noticed how low the water level in the Thames was. It really doesn’t rain much in London, despite the stereotypes.

I walked past Syon House, which stands proudly on the other side of the river. I’d like to visit it one day, it seems lovely judging by the photos, but its opening hours aren’t too generous. The entire area around Syon House is private, which is why I couldn’t walk on that side of the river.

Finally, I reached Richmond Lock. From there, I headed to Richmond station and took the overground train back home.

Photo of River Thames taken at spring. There are green trees and bushes, and a blue sky. Syon House can be seen far on the horizon. — A Day In West London – Thames Path Walk – Syon House

Richmond lock and a footbridge over the Thames in London. Photo taken during spring. There are green bushes and blue skies. — A Day In West London – Richmond Lock

Final thoughts

I really enjoyed my day in west London! The entire walk was quite long, coming to 25km, but I mainly recommend the first half of it: from Brompton Cemetery, through Fulham Palace, to Chiswick House. I will certainly go back to visit those places in the future!

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