Walking with Keilyn: Richmond to Kingston Vale... and beyond

Sunday February 22, 2026. 

Light rain changing to clear skies, with winds up to 5 mph, 13°C (55°F).

An unplanned trip to London resulted in an epic excursion with various modes of transport used.

As there were engineering works on the Metropolitan line, resulting in trains not going further north than Harrow-on-the-Hill, a rail replacement bus service was in place. Deciding against this we took a taxi to Watford High Street station.

At Watford High street station we waited for a train to Euston. As it pulled into the station Keilyn gave the driver a wave, which he responded to with a wave and a 'toot' from the train horn. The Lioness line train whisked us off to Willesden Junction, where we changed to a Richmond-bound Mildmay line train, which took us through Acton and across the River Thames.

On leaving Richmond station we grabbed a hot drink from Costa and began our walk. 

The Quadrant brought us onto The Square and then Sheen Road. We followed this road, passing wonderful architecture and some remarkable almshouses, all the while aeroplanes flew lower as they began their approach to Heathrow Airport.

We continued heading west until we reached East Sheen Cemetery. This cemetery is home to many Commonwealth War Graves, actors, such as Roy Kinnear, along with ordinary people. The cemetery is also the last resting place of William Ellsworth Robinson (1861-1918), who the world knew as Chung Ling Soo.

Royal Parks

The Royal Observatory, Greenwich Park.

London is full of parks and green spaces, both large and small, that offer quiet areas to relax in relative tranquillity, away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

These parks stretch from the City of London out to all Boroughs and come in all shapes and sizes. Some are well known, while others are only known by those in the know.

A quiet place for contemplation.

Ruined churches, pocket parks and even cemeteries offer green spaces in which to sit and contemplate your day. Such as, Postman's Park, St Dunstan-in-the-East, Bunhill Fields and 

Holland Park.

Then there are the larger parks like Battersea, Gunnersbury, Holland, Olympic, Southwark or Victoria Parks, with their long and storied histories.

The Orangery and lake, Gunnersbury Park.

Many of these have playgrounds, for children, but others offer just peace and quiet.

However, the best known of these green spaces are the Royal Parks, of which there are eight. These Royal Parks contain memorials, ancient trees, historic buildings, flower gardens, palaces, deer, lakes and much more.

Below are the eight Royal Parks, with a little information about each one.

Bushy Park is the second largest of London’s Royal Parks and is home to wild deer and the Diana Fountain.

• Location - North of Hampton Court Palace
• Area -1,100 acres
• Date - Circa 1500s
• Open (pedestrians) - 24/7 
• Open (vehicles) - 06:30-21:00
• Rail - Hampton, Hampton Court, Hampton Wick, Teddington

The Green Park is a peaceful triangle of mature trees and grasslands and is home to the Bomber Command Memorial. It is here that you can see the Royal Gun Salute, performed by The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery.

• Location - Next to Buckingham Palace
• Area - 47 acres
• Date - 1660
• Open (pedestrians) - 05:00-00:00
• Open (vehicles) - n/a
• Rail - Green Park

A Royal Gun Salute in Green Park.

Greenwich Park is part of the UNESCO Greenwich Maritime World Heritage Site. A mix of 17th-century landscape, stunning gardens and expansive views over London, plus it is home to the Old Royal Naval College, Meridian Line, National Maritime Museum, the queen's House and the Royal Observatory.

• Location - South of the Old Royal Naval College
• Area - 184 acres
• Date - 1433
• Open (pedestrians) - 06:00-21:30
• Open (vehicles) - n/a
• Rail - Greenwich, Maze Hill, Greenwich Pier

An impressive view of London, from Greenwich Park.

Hyde Park is home to a variety of gardens, children’s playgrounds, sports facilities and historic monuments. It is also where you will find the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain, Speaker's Corner and the Royal Parks Shop.

• Location - Northwest of Buckingham Palace
• Area - 350 acres
• Date - 1637
• Open (pedestrians) - 05:00-00:00
• Open (vehicles) - n//a
• Rail - Hyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge, Lancaster Gate, Marble Arch

The Serpentine, Hyde Park.