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Kingston to Battersea
The oldest of only three royal boroughs in England, Kingston upon Thames has always held an important position on the river because it was once formidable, hence its earlier name Moreford, the Great Ford. Today, it boasts almost three miles of one of the most attractive stretches of the river. Next is Richmond, a "very rich mound" on a hill rising up from the Thames, and home to various rock stars who are proud to live in one of the most affluent neighbourhoods in England.
Kew, which is round a bend in the river, is just as congenial to Londoners with a taste for the outdoors. The Royal Botanic Gardens, which abuts the Thames, has magnificent glasshouses and extensive woodlands; it also attracts one million visitors a year.
Nearby Barnes is similarly green, in fact almost half of the district is open land: the London Wetland Centre (on the site of defunct reservoirs), a 105-acre area of lagoons, reed beds and grazing marches, is a great place for bird spotting.
Created in 1888, Putney’s embankment, a little further downriver, is still lined with lovely high-ceilinged pubs, serving the denizens of the local boating clubs and offering prime views for the annual spring Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. Battersea Park - London's second most popular movie location - is the largest park in Wandsworth filled with fountains, ponds and boating lakes and has a beautiful riverside peace pagoda.
Walking – If you want to get a sense of the visual splendor of Richmond, try walking from the station along the Thames to Ham House. Cross the road outside Richmond station and turn left. Then turn right in to Brewers Land, which delivers you into Richmond Green and, most likely, smack in the middle of a village cricket game.
On the other side of the Green, on Old Palace Lane, are the remains of Richmond Palace. With its former inhabitants Henry VIII and Elizabeth I in mind, follow Old Palace Lane down to the river. Turning left upstream brings you to two pubs in quick succession – the White Cross and Slug and Lettuce both offer excellent riverside drinking opportunities.
Your thirst slaked, carry on along the towpath upstream, past Quinlan Terry’s faux-Georgian development opposite Corporation Island. As the river bends south-westwards, behind you is Richmond Hill, the magnificent view from which is protected by a 1902 Act of Parliament.
Carry on through the bucolic acres of Petersham meadows and finish up with tea at Ham House. In the summer you may find yourself sharing the beautiful gardens with polo players and their followers.
