Bushy Park

Bushy Park is large enough to feel open but flat enough that it rarely feels dramatic in the same way as Richmond Park. Its appeal is more gradual: deer crossing the grassland, the formal line of Chestnut Avenue, a substantial family playground near Hampton Court and, deeper inside, sixty acres of enclosed woodland gardens around ponds and streams.

The most useful planning question is not “what should I see?” but “what kind of visit am I making?” At roughly 445 hectares, the park is too large for a family to treat the playground, Pheasantry Café, Woodland Gardens, wartime memorials and deer as if they were all beside one another.

Do Not Build the Day Around Getting Close to Deer

Bushy Park is home to more than 320 red and fallow deer. The Royal Parks asks visitors to keep at least 50 metres away and makes clear that feeding them is illegal.

The Seasons Change the Rules

Three refuge areas also exist so deer can move away from visitor pressure. They are not viewing enclosures and people and dogs should remain outside them.

For Families, the Hampton Court Side Is the Logical Start

The adventure playground sits close to Diana Fountain and the Hampton Court entrance. It is designed for children up to twelve, with a sandpit, timber climbing structure, swings, balance features and equipment for younger children.

The playground opens daily at 8:30am, subject to its morning safety inspection, and last entry is thirty minutes before closing. Children’s toilets, baby changing, an accessible toilet and drinking water are available in the playground area.

The Diana car park kiosk is much closer than the main café, which matters more than it sounds. The Pheasantry sits inside the Woodland Gardens, so a tired child leaving the sandpit is not automatically five minutes from a full café meal.

The Part Many First-Time Visitors Miss

The Waterhouse Woodland Gardens cover around sixty acres. They replace Bushy’s long grassland views with winding paths, ponds, streams, mature trees and more enclosed planting.

Places such as Fisher’s Pond, Triss’s Pond, the King’s River Garden and Silver Birch Glade create a very different pace from the open deer park. The gardens were formed by combining the Pheasantry and Waterhouse plantations, with much of the path layout developed during the twentieth century.

Dogs are not permitted inside. For people who find the exposed parts of Bushy too open or repetitive, this is often the section that changes their opinion of the park.

The Pheasantry Works Better as a Midpoint

The Pheasantry Café is inside the Woodland Gardens rather than beside the main family playground. Current Royal Parks information lists opening from 9:00am–6:00pm in summer and 9:00am–5:00pm in winter, with weather-related variation. It is card-only.

Its location makes it particularly useful on a garden walk. Crossing a large part of the park only because someone wants lunch is less efficient.

One Route That Uses Bushy Park’s Contrasts

The 2026 Mobility Buggy Changes the Practical Distance

From 1 May 2026, a free mobility buggy operates between Diana car park and Crocodile Gate at the Woodland Gardens. It runs Wednesday–Sunday, 11:00am–3:00pm.

Saturday Morning Is a Different Bushy Park

Bushy is the birthplace of parkrun, and the main 5K event begins at 9:00am on Saturdays. Recent official event reports show fields well above 1,500 participants, so the scale is very different from a small neighbourhood parkrun.

Reddit runners describe both sides of that experience. Some find the atmosphere memorable and the wide, flat one-lap route reassuring. Others say it would not be their choice for a first parkrun because the numbers can feel overwhelming.

If your aim is a quiet family walk, avoid the start and finish area around event time. If parkrun is the reason for travelling, arrive early and expect a large organised event rather than a low-key jog.

Parking Is Free, but Driving Still Needs Planning

Royal Parks parking inside Bushy Park is currently free. Main parking areas include Coleshill Road Gate, the Pheasantry and Diana Fountain, with additional weekend parking via Clapperstile Gate. Disabled parking is available at several locations.

The catch is that vehicles can no longer drive directly between Teddington Gate and Hampton Court Gate. Each side mainly provides access to its nearby parking. Choosing the wrong approach can therefore matter more than the absence of a parking charge.

Public Transport Is Better Than the Lack of Tube Suggests

There is no Underground station within easy walking distance. Hampton Court station makes sense when combining the park with Hampton Court Palace, but the palace is a separate paid attraction.

Accessibility Is More About Distance Than Gradient

Bushy is generally flat, which removes one barrier found in hillier parks. The harder issue is scale. A route that looks simple on a map may still involve a long return across open ground.

Disabled parking, accessible playground toilets and the 2026 buggy service help. The main café also has indoor and outdoor seating. Grass and smaller paths can still become soft after rain, and not every garden route is as broad as the main avenues.

Small Practical Details Worth Knowing

• Pedestrian gates are normally open 24 hours, except during deer-cull restrictions.
• Vehicle-gate closing times change through the year; check the live park page.
• Public toilets cost 20p and use contactless payment rather than cash.
• Cycling is allowed only on designated larger roads and routes, not every path.
• Dogs are not permitted in the Woodland Gardens.
• Barbecues and fires are prohibited.
• Parking inside Bushy Park is free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Research Method

Herd numbers, the 50-metre rule, seasonal lead requirements, playground opening, Woodland Gardens access, parking, gate arrangements and the 2026 buggy service were checked against The Royal Parks. The two Reddit threads linked below informed the comparison with Richmond Park and the parkrun scale; those are opinions, not verified facts. Gate times, café hours and cull-period restrictions change through the year, so check the live park page before an early or late walk.