London Hampton To Richmond Long Walk – Thames Path – Active Day Out In West London

A few weeks ago, I posted about my long walk along the Thames Path in west London, between Fulham Palace and Richmond. It was a lovely day and I enjoyed walking down the peaceful trail along the river. Today, I’m taking you on another section of the Thames Path. I walked from Hampton to Richmond. I explored areas of London I’ve not been to before, and I was amazed by them. I admired fancy houses by the river, watched a bit of a rowing competition, and enjoyed a delicious coffee. It was a perfect summer day in London, and here is how it went.

Getting to Hampton

Since I live in east London, my day trip started with a bit of a commute. I took the tube to London Waterloo, and then a national rail service to Hampton. In hindsight, I should have got off the train one stop earlier, at Hampton Court. The first (luckily, short) section of my walk was along a road, and not particularly nice.

From Hampton station to Hampton Court Palace

I left the station and walked towards the Thames Path, in the direction of my overall destination – eastbound. It turned out, there was no path directly along the river for a while! I should have checked my route before I travelled.

I walked along a somewhat busy road. After about 30 minutes, I reached Hampton Court Palace. There was a pretty big crowd at the entrance! I visited Hampton Court Palace during the tulip festival a few years ago, and it was lovely. This time, I had different plans. I walked past the palace and finally reached the Thames Path. I stayed on the same side of the river (north bank) and headed east.

The river Thames in west London, in summer weather — Hampton To Richmond Thames Path Walk – Long Walk In London

Crowds at the entrance to Hampton Court Palace, London — Hampton To Richmond Thames Path Walk – Long Walk In London

From Hampton Court Palace to Kingston

Walking along the Thames Path from Hampton Court Palace, I soon left the palace behind and entered an intriguing part of London. The side of the river that I was on was a tranquil nature walk. A comfortable path with bushes and trees providing much needed shade. On the other side of the river, there were houses. Really nice houses, with palm trees and private access to the river. How is that still London?! I was truly amazed. I never knew there were residential areas like that in London. Living in such house would be pretty cool!

Just before I got to Kingston, I saw a rowing race on the river. I have no idea who was competing, but I enjoyed watching the athletes race. Rowing requires a lot of strength, and it was a hot day!

River Thames in west London. There are flowers on one side of the river, and modern houses with river access on the other side. — Hampton To Richmond Thames Path Walk – Long Walk In London

Wide River Thames in west London. There is green grass and flowers on one side of the river, and houses on the other side. Some geese are swimming in the river. — Hampton To Richmond Thames Path Walk – Long Walk In London

Houses with river Thames access in west London, seen from across the river. The houses are modern, with palm trees in the gardens — Hampton To Richmond Thames Path Walk – Long Walk In London

Rows of houses in west London overlooking River Thames, with private access to the river - seen from the other side of the Thames — Hampton To Richmond Thames Path Walk – Long Walk In London

Thames Path along the river in West London — Hampton To Richmond Thames Path Walk – Long Walk In London

Exploring Kingston

Kingston is a town in west London that I’ve heard great things about, but never actually visited. I was missing out! It has a good high street and a shopping centre, so I popped to a few shops that I don’t have near me.

Then, it was time for a coffee. Coincidentally, a few days earlier, I heard about Argonaut cafe. I ordered a cappuccino, and it came with actual chocolate flakes sprinkled on top. Yum! It was delicious.

I heard that Kingston has a good Christmas market, so I’ll definitely be back there later this year.

Rowing race on river Thames near Kingston — Hampton To Richmond Thames Path Walk – Long Walk In London

Wide river Thames seen from Kingston Bridge in summer weather. There's a rowing race on the river. Boats are parked on the side of the river, and the sky is blue. — Hampton To Richmond Thames Path Walk – Long Walk In London

A metal travel mug with a cappuccino and flakes of real chocolate — Hampton To Richmond Thames Path Walk – Long Walk In London

Old, characteristic white and brown building in Kingston, London - now home to some shops — Hampton To Richmond Thames Path Walk – Long Walk In London

Swimming in the Thames?

Armed with my delicious coffee, I continued my Thames Path walk, staying on the south bank of the river this time.

Not far from Kingston, there’s the only designated bathing site on River Thames in London. When it was originally created earlier this year, most comments online stated that people would never voluntarily bathe in the Thames. Well, the truth is, most rivers in the UK are, unfortunately, contaminated. But a designated bathing site means regular quality testing, so that’s a bit more encouraging. I’m not sure if I would swim there, but the water didn’t look too bad. It was clear, nothing like the Thames in central London.

Either way, there were plenty of people bathing there. There seemed to be a full-blown pool party too, with lots of inflatables! I also saw many people bathing in other sections of the Thames during my walk, where water quality isn’t tested at all. That’s probably a bad idea!

A pool party in the Thames in west London. About two dozen people swimming in the river with colourful inflatables — Hampton To Richmond Thames Path Walk – Long Walk In London

Teddington and familiar views

I got to Teddington lock and saw lots of boats and waterfowl. There were fewer people swimming in the Thames and more water sports enthusiasts. SUPs seem to have become really popular, and I wished I could jump on one of the boards. I’m not too interested in wild swimming, but I could see myself on a SUP! maybe next year I’ll hire one and give it a go?

I continued my walk and reached an area I was familiar with. In the past, I spent a day in west London and visited Marble Hill and Ham House. I walked past them, but stayed on the Thames Path.

A swan and rows of narrow boats on river Thames in west London, in great summer weather — Hampton To Richmond Thames Path Walk – Long Walk In London

River Thames in west London in summer weather. There are long boats parked on the side, geese swimming in the water, and a bunch of people engaging in water sports — Hampton To Richmond Thames Path Walk – Long Walk In London

Rows of small boats on River Thames in Teddington Harbour — Hampton To Richmond Thames Path Walk – Long Walk In London

Richmond hill panorama

Eventually, I reached Richmond. I could see the popular hill with a viewpoint, and decided to climb it and enjoy the view. The meadow at the foot of the hill was being mowed by a bunch of cows. Yes, it’s still London, not too far from the centre! I love seeing cows and sheep on the meadows in England. I could have walked to Richmond station from the hill, but I decided to extend my Thames Path walk to join it with the section I had walked previously. I walked downhill, back to the Thames Path.

Shortly, I got to Richmond Bridge. It was a lively area, with lots of pubs, cafes and restaurants. I bought a freshly made smoothie from a street stand, and it was just what I needed on that hot day, after walking 20 kilometres.

I continued the walk and got to Twickenham Bridge and then Richmond Lock, where I could officially finish the Thames Path walk. From there, I headed to Richmond station, and back home.

Three brown and three black cows grazing on a field in Richmond, London. The grass is dry and yellow, and the sky is blue. — Hampton To Richmond Thames Path Walk – Long Walk In London

A view from Richmond Hill in London. You can see the curve of River Thames. — Hampton To Richmond Thames Path Walk – Long Walk In London

A glasshouse and a flower bed in a small park in Richmond, London — Hampton To Richmond Thames Path Walk – Long Walk In London

River Thames in west London with lots of people in small boats. The weather is great - there's a blue sky with no clouds. — Hampton To Richmond Thames Path Walk – Long Walk In London

A bridge over the Thames in Richmond. There's a red bus on the bridge. The sky is blue with no clouds. — Hampton To Richmond Thames Path Walk – Long Walk In London

Summary of the walk

The whole walk, from Hampton station to Richmond station was around 21.5 kilometres and took me just under 6 hours. I wasn’t in a rush and took lots of photos during the day. I thoroughly enjoyed that route and will definitely repeat that walk in the future. It can be a good option for winter months too!

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