Thames - A Personal Notebook

Just a few words of explanation here; A circular walk means just that, i.e. you drive to a carpark, bus stop or station and walk a circular route of interest back to your vehicle of choice.
Point-to-point also means just that and is something that is not too easy if you are walking the Thames Path. Bus services become a real interest here and of course must sometimes be coupled with train services. I will try to solve the various problems as we go along.
This link will give an indication of the problems that exist:-
Thames Path - Public Transport Routes

Also the format here is, I agree, a little awkward and clumsy but I feel it is necessary to follow this route because of an inability to "sort" in the way I would wish. For example, the Thames Path follows from lock to lock. There are 44 of these. If not in order , chaos will rule. I will just plod on and if it is necessary to readjust the arrangement, so be it! So, let's make a start with a circular:-

Bushy Park:

From Bushy Park circular

"If that hobbit doesn't move - I'm going to give it a good prod!" (a Derek series)
Just click the picture and run either the slide show or work your own way through.....
After you click in - you might want to use the magnifier on the top right of the picture frame.

Bushy Park makes a very pleasant day out for all ages and if as a family you enjoy parkland, birds, waterbirds and deer then I would recommend adding it to your list of regular visit spots. However, there is just one thing to remember, the local fauna do not appreciate dogs and you are warned at regular intervals to keep your animals under control. A fractious stag can do severe damage to "Little Fluffy" and remember, these creatures are wild.
Bushy Park Sitemap/Picnic Planner
Bushy Park Wiki
Orientation - courtesy of Flashearth
Now you can get a feel for the scale of things. This park supports a nominal 300+ deer of both red and fallow variety and I can see no sign of stress anywhere. The setting appears completely natural as far as the fauna is concerned.....Enjoy your stay.
If you are visiting London it is feasible to make a day of it by visiting Bushy Park and Hampton Court in one busy day. Southwest Trains run to Hampton Court from Waterloo Station (usually platform 2) and provide a steady service of two trains per hour (station to station is forty minutes). Worth a visit if you can fit it in.

Hampton Court:

From Hampton Court

Pleasing proportions: Click the picture for more: (a Derek series)

Hampton Court Palace gardens are not what one might call child-friendly. As can be easily seen here, they are formal and because of this the school-trip is more of a solution than the family visit. Accept it as such, enjoy a pleasant adult day and appreciate the work and time that has produced these gardens. I do not intend to elaborate on the Palace as a whole for it is well documented and I would recommend a visit.
Internally, take your time, the Tudor kichens are impressive and worth a visit for them alone.

Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Wiki (The external links here might be of interest).
Orientation: courtesy of Flashearth
You can clearly see the extent of the grounds and their relationship with Bushy Park here. Explore and enjoy.