It is an an unofficial greeenway: it combines different paths and trails through different sorts of green space so that the those in the know, such as you, gentle reader, can spend many miles of enjoyable cycling with very little recourse to car-filled roads. It also contains many sections which make great walk of various lengths, and several variations which allow a shorter loop to be done. You can also of course start the loop at many different points, and so Putney is an arbitrary point.
The loop can be done in ether direction, depending on taste. In this case we describe it in a clockwise direction, starting from the Thames at Putney, following the Beverly Brook south to Wimbledon common, turning west to go right across Richmond Park to Ham Gate, and from there past Ham House back to the river, and then along the river tow path back through Richmond, Mortlake, and Barnes to Putney.
Putney Boathouses
Our starting point, then, is the on the South Bank of the Thames at Putney Bridge. This is not far from Putney railway station (Waterloo Line) or Putney Bridge (District Line). Just upstream of the bridge are a series of school boathouses. Note, if you park here, the river is tidal, and there are many tempting parking places below the high water mark!
Follow the roadway in front of the river way from Putney bridge to the west, then continue on the path which follows the river bank. Soon after the last boathouse, the Beverly Brook enters from the left and the path crosses it with a small bridge. This is where our loop connects: when you return it will be along the
Thames, but for now we turn off and up the Brook.
There is a sign describing the Beverly Brook Walk, a 10km trail which follows the Brook upstream. We will take it for a while, but we won't follow it all the way as it has would involve a lot of roadway for a section when the brook is alas underground.
Turn left, then, at the start of the Beverly Brook Walk, taking the path to the right of the brook. After while there is a footbridge: cross the brook here to follow it on the left.
Barnes Common
Now you are in Barnes Common, which you will cross and leave at the bridge where Queen's Ride crosses the railway near Barnes station. Across the common, the ideal path is one which goes through the center of each piece of the green. The common is a mixture of woods and small clearings, interlaced with paths, making it impossible to describe the route turn by turn. The easiest way the first time is with a GPS or a compass, to ensure one keeps in generally the right direction and keeps away from the roads except those you need to cross.
From the Beverly Brook footbridge, then, head southwest to cross Mill Hill Road about where it becomes Lower Richmond Road, and then continue southwest to cross Common Road in the middle by the kink in the road, then swing south to the Queen's Ride bridge.
(Alternatively, one can instead keep right and follow the edge of the common, passing on one's right first the brook, then the Nine Elms playing fields, then meeting Rock Lane. Don't cross Rock lane but follow it on the common side to Mill Hill Road, then take Common Road to Queen's ride)
As you reach the bridge, if on a bike, aim for the road a little to the left and take the road up, and immediately over the hump of the bridge turn left into Gypsy Lane.
If on foot, at the bridge, there are steps up to the road level from the common. The hump-back bridge restricts visibility, so the best place to cross it is at the top of the hump, with care. Follow the footpath around the curve and along the side-road, Gypsy Lane.
A very close side trip for those interested is the Marc Bolan Tree Shrine, on the slope of the far side of the bridge, but accessed by steps from the nearby service road in the corner between Gypsy Lane and Queen's Ride. A reminder of the untimely death of the T Rex musician and of the dangers of road traffic,
the "shrine" has many mementos contributed by fans.
Take Gypsy lane, then, to where it ends, then cross the Upper Richmond Road. On the other side, opposite the end of Gypsy Lane, is a relative rarity in the region: a long dirt track, Putney Park Lane. This will take you, car free, all the way from here to Putney Heath. Do not be put off by the rather cautions sign saying that the
road is not dedicated to the public for anything other than foot traffic, but note the blue bike route sign "Wimbledon 4" and ride on.
At the top of the lane, you find yourself then at the corner of Putney Heath, top corner in the sense of north on the map but bottom in the sense of the hill. At with Barnes common before, you need to find your way through the many paths, now generally going uphill.
You start at the intersection of Putney Heath and Telegraph Road, and you need to set off just west of south splitting the angle between them. Keep Roehampton Lane on you left and Portsmouth road development on your right. You must find the concrete underpass where the the bike path goes under the A3. Once through that, you can head generally up hill to the top of Wimbledon Common.
Wimbledon Common
Here a possible diversion is the windmill, by the car park at the end of Windmill Road. The trail you have taken up the hill meets the long straight trail running south along the top of the common.
You can follow that trail down to Sunset Road and then turn right to continue past the end of sunset road to Beverly Brook, or you can take one of the paths which cut the corner These trails from the top of Wimbledon Common down toward Richmond Park is sandy and eroded, so try not to erode it more than you have to. Whether you go down, or if doing the loop clockwise, go up, a mountain bike is handy here but not essential.
For the last leg before crossing back over the A3, the trail follows Beverly Brook again, this time downstream, to the north. Before you get to the A3 again, cross the brook from right to left bank to get to the big A3 crossing.
Here, there are traffic lights for cars, pedestrians, bikes and horses, and fences to keep the horses from sight of the traffic. This is the junction at Richmond Park's Robin Hood gate, now fortunately closed to motor vehicles but open to cyclists.
(A possible short alternative loop here involves going back by the Beverly Brook Walk. To do this, though the park gates follow the park wall to the right until the brook enters the park under it, then follow the brook across the park. When the brook eventually leaves the park though the wall, you have to divert to the right to Roehampton Gate and along a footpath along the outside of the park wall to pick the brook up again. Follow the Beverly Brook Path notices back to the start of the loop. But be aware of the fact that you will be missing many of the best bits of this main loop!)
Richmond Park
From Robin Hood Gate, you have a choice of roads, peripheral roads running to left and right, and a road straight on going up to the Pen Ponds car park. This latter you take, or if walking or on a bike and adventurous you set off across the rough grass anywhere in that general direction. On the way there is a pond at which the deer have been known to cool off on a hot day.
The Pen Ponds car park is the end of the road for the cars, but two car-free roads continue, one on the right south toward White Lodge and Sheen Gate, and one on the left west toward Ham Gate. Take the latter.
This road runs straight and car-free between the Isabella Plantation on your left and Pen Ponds on your right. Having gained now all the altitude you need, this is an easy ride and if it doesn't fill you with a certain sense of well-being it isn't clear what will. The plantation -- a space of flowering plants protected from the deer -- and the ponds (below in autumn) are each worth a side trip if you have time, or for another day.
The road eventually meets the park's periphery road at the top of the Ham Gate hill. Cross the periphery road and descend to Ham Gate, with small pond and drinking fountain just to the right of the gate.
From this point, once you have passed though Ham Gate, you take a bike track which runs parallel to the road, Ham Gate Avenue. Follow Ham Gate Avenue till it crosses Upper Ham Road and becomes Ham Common.
On the left of the road Ham Common is Ham Common which you can cut across, but you don't want to miss the next turning, which is a track on the right, half way along the common. If you get to the pond you've gone too far.
This is long straight ride which leads from the common north to Ham House. When you have found that, you have a car-free route, and one which once was and still is a grand way to approach the house. You get a great view down the ride, and through the, now locked, gates of the house. At those gates, the bike path goes around
the house's garden -- follow the wall around to the front of the house.
Ham House is another possible side trip. Maintained by the National Trust both the house and gardens are open to the public. The house looks backward toward the common and the hill, and forward toward the Thames. In front of the house, we connect to the tow path which runs along the river bank,
The tow path
While this path may have been made for towing barges by horse, the river benefits so much from that history in that the now a perfect trail for bikes and on foot follows the river with hardly a pause, normally going under the road bridges with the river, rather than breaking to go up to the road level and having to cross the traffic.
The route back to Putney is therefore straightforward (though not straight) and few directions are needed. Stick with the river. After leaving Ham, the next place is Petersham with serene water meadows and a good greenhouse restaurant at Petersham Nurseries. After that, Richmond has a bit of a tourist flavour, with pubs near the river and a restaurant afloat on a barge.
At Kew, the path runs along Kew Gardens -- which is protected by a wall and a moat. Then come Chiswick Bridge, Mortlake and Barnes.
At Barnes, just before the railway bridge, at the White Hart pub, you have to leave the tow path to join the road for a moment to get under the railway bridge, then the path runs along the flood protection wall for a while. After that it widens again into a pleasant wooded path as the river sweeps around the St Paul's School paying fields before going under Hammersmith Bridge.
Interesting side excursions abound of course but one we mention is the Wetlands area on the right of the river near the end of this loop. Soon after that, you notice the Beverly Brook and its path come in on the right and you are back where you began.
Conclusion
A wonderfully car-free trip, including some splendid segments such as those across the top of Richmond Park and along the river at Petersham and Kew. The whole thing is only possible due to the creation of the pedestrian crossing points across the A3, not beautiful but safe.Wishes?
My wish if one could improve it would be to make it easier and greener to get from Barnes Common to Putney Park Lane.
A Marc Bolan tunnel perhaps for bikes and pedestrians? Instead of the north end of Gipsy lane ending in a T onto Queen's Ride, should it drop and sneak under the road as a bike and pedestrian path? This could lead path it to Barnes Station, where there is already a tunnel under the next road, Rock Lane, and already a pedestrian footbridge over the railway to the common.
