Dog walking in Bushy Park and Home Park
This is where nearly every walk happens. Here's how I use the parks, which gates I go in, and how I handle the deer.
Why the parks and not the streets
A lap of the block isn't a walk. It's a toilet break with extra steps. Bushy Park is over a thousand acres and it's on the doorstep, so that's where your dog goes.
I'm based in Hampton, so collection, park and home usually fits inside the slot without your dog sitting in the car for ages.
The routes I actually use
- Bushy Park, Hampton Hill gate
- Straight into open grass with hardly any road to cross. This is where most Hampton and Hampton Hill dogs start.
- The Woodland Gardens
- Shaded, fenced and slower going. Good on hot days and good for older dogs who want a potter rather than a run.
- The Longford River path
- Water the whole way along, so dogs who like a paddle get one. Easy underfoot in winter when the grass turns to mud.
- Home Park, Kingston Gate side
- Bigger, emptier and quieter than Bushy on a weekend. Worth the extra few minutes in the car when the parks are busy.
- Hampton Court Green and the towpath
- A flatter, calmer route for dogs who don't want deer anywhere near them.
Questions about the parks
- What about the deer in Bushy Park
- I give them a wide berth, always. Dogs go back on the lead well before we're near a herd, and I don't walk through the deer in rutting season or when the fawns are about in spring. There are plenty of routes that avoid them.
- Can dogs go off lead
- Only if you've told me they're reliable on recall and only where it's safe and quiet. If you'd rather they stay on a long line, that's what happens. Your call, not mine.
- Is there water in the park
- Yes, but I carry water and a bowl anyway. In summer I plan the route around shade and the river rather than open grass.
- What about mud
- There's a lot of it from November to March. Paws get towelled off before your dog goes back in the house, every time.
Hot day or an icy one, the plan changes. There's more on that on the weather page, and prices are on the prices page.
Send me the details
Tell me where you are and what your dog likes. I'll tell you which route suits them.