Royal Park:Bushy Park

Central London, London, England Greater London

Recommendation added: 21/03/2006 16:20
By: jsimons128 (YSUK rating +93)

jsimons128 has been thanked 1 times for this contribution

"Hampton court road seperates its namesake park from less formal acres of Bushy park, an engagingly pastoral area that recreates the seeming randomness of the real countryside. With one notebale exception, that is, Sir Christopoher Wrens magnificent Chestnut Avenue. This superb double row of enourmas trees is the best seen in spring, when the candle like blooms form a frothy pink and white line that bisects the park from north to south.

Close to hampton court end of the avenue is the dina fountain, which once stood in the grounds of the great house, but now marks the junction of the chestnut way with an avenue of limes. The latter is smooth, formal highway through an otherwise wild part of the park.

North of the limes is the longford river. Although it looks entirly natural, it was in fact built on the order of charles the first to supply hampton court with water, and still feeds many of the parks water features. At one point it flows through the mature woodland and pituresque glades of Waterhouse Plantation, where it hurls itself over an artifiacl ledge in the heart of one of the most rural retreats in the country.

Most visitors to the park congregate near the criket ground and childrens playground-both well worth visiting, but not to the exclusion of all else. Bushy House, a handsome 18th century building, contains the natioinal physical laboratory."