There is a limit of 20 people for this walk and booking is essential. Please use the email link after 3 December to book your place.
Catch the 09.12 from Waterloo, arriving Hampton Wick at 09.42. Hampton Wick and Kingston stations are in Oyster Zone 6, so use Oyster, Contactless or Freedom Pass.
We walk through Bushy Park in the morning. Lunch is in the Mute Swan at Hampton Court, after 4¾ miles, and I have reserved a table for 6. The link below shows the menu. If you want a pub lunch please email Annette by close on Monday 29 December at the very latest. There are some benches nearby for picnickers and there is a cafe next door to the pub.
It is possible to drop out at lunchtime, for trains from Hampton Court Station at 24 and 54 minutes past the hour. This station is also in Zone 6 and it has toilets.
After lunch we follow the Thames for a short distance, before turning into Home Park and continuing towards Kingston. We leave the park, to cross the river and finish at Kingston Station. There is a possibility of tea before catching the train. There are usually 4 trains an hour from platform 3. Trains from platform 2 go via Richmond and take longer to reach Waterloo.
There are some rough paths that could be muddy, so walking boots or hiking shoes with a cleated sole are essential. Trainers, sports shoes, running shoes, baseball boots, sneakers, comfort shoes, fashion boots and similar are unacceptable for this walk.
There are no toilets at Hampton Wick Station, but we pass some 1½ miles into the walk. The toilets at Kingston Station (on platform 2) should be open.
Check for ticks after the walk.
No rail engineering works are scheduled for these rail routes, according to the Christmas travel leaflet handed out at Waterloo.