Bushy Park is the great undiscovered royal park, the second-largest of them all, spreading over 1,100 acres beside Hampton Court Palace in south-west London. Wilder and quieter than its central cousins, it is a landscape of open grassland, ancient trees and free-roaming red and fallow deer.
Why visit
For a sense of the countryside within Greater London, Bushy is hard to beat. Herds of deer graze among the bracken, and the park's centrepiece, the baroque Diana Fountain and the Chestnut Avenue designed by Christopher Wren, gives it a grandeur to match Richmond.
What to see and do
Highlights include the Diana Fountain, the spectacular Chestnut Avenue, and the intimate Waterhouse Woodland Gardens, at their finest in spring and autumn. Cyclists and walkers have miles of paths to explore.
Visiting tips
The park is free and open daily; keep a respectful distance from the deer, especially in the autumn rut and spring birthing season. Hampton Court and Teddington stations are nearby, making it an easy pairing with the palace.
