Walks you can reach from Barnes by train

River Thames path, open parkland, woodland, deer park, grassy slopes and hilltop views.

Richmond Park: A vast royal park home to herds of red and fallow deer.

Time: 3h

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Flat urban riverside paths, small river corridors, local parks, Thames towpath, luxury riverside houses and Palladian parkland.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Flat South West London parks loop through Bushy Park, Hampton Court Park and Richmond Park, with deer and Thames Path stretches.

Woodland: a third under tree cover.

Time: 3h30–7h

Walk details: Walking Post (tips, photos and local insights).

Through South London's best parks to the Thames; Putney Heath, Wimbledon Common, Richmond Park, Ham House, Teddington Lock.

Woodland: a third under tree cover.

Wimbledon Windmill: An 1817 windmill on Wimbledon Common, now a small museum.

Richmond Park: A vast royal park home to herds of red and fallow deer.

Ham House: A grand 17th-century house and gardens beside the Thames at Ham.

Time: 4h30–8h30

Walk details: Walking Post (tips, photos and local insights).

Tree-lined residential streets, large deer park, woodland garden, open grassland, riverside common, village green, Thames riverfront and grand historic riverside houses.

Time: 3h30

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Waterways, a foot ferry and D'Oyly Carte Island, past Dumsey Meadow, the Thames Path and the Wey Navigation.

Waterway: three quarters beside rivers and canals.

Dumsey Meadow: A rare surviving Thames-side water meadow with open access for wild swimming.

D'Oyly Carte Island: A small Thames island that was the home of Victorian impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte.

Time: 3h–6h

Walk details: Walking Post (tips, photos and local insights).

Suburban streets, open common, landscaped park, woodland riverside path, Royal Park grassland, suburban roads and riverside Thames path.

Time: 3h30

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Reverse direction: Slow Ways (inc. GPX).

Common heathland, woodland, royal deer park, formal gardens, Thames riverside path and open grassland.

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Reverse direction: Slow Ways (inc. GPX).

Recommended: A wildly joyful route; so lovely; superb in summer. A wildly enjoyable, mostly flat and largely traffic-free route following the riverside at Richmond and Kingston and crossing leafy Ham via quiet residential streets and green common land and including Petersham meadows. Generally smooth surfaces with a couple of gates and a few narrow paths; the Richmond riverside path can flood at high tide (a road detour exists). You may pass the herd of cows grazing at Petersham meadows. Toilets just inside Petersham Gate at Richmond Park; a short detour reaches Ham House (National Trust).

Ham House: A grand 17th-century house and gardens beside the Thames at Ham.

Time: 2h–4h

Lunch: Refreshments at Petersham and along the river at both Richmond and Kingston.

1 end-of-walk reward: Canbury Secret Cafe

Warnings: The riverside footpath at Richmond can flood at high tide — detour via the A307 Petersham Road, with several escape points up to the road. The diversion behind St Peter's church is narrow, poorly lit and can be muddy.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Recommended: A really easy-to-follow and direct and pleasant route making the most of the Basingstoke Canal and Wey Navigation towpaths. The first section out of Woking is mostly paved; the stretch along the Wey is rougher ground and can be muddy in places after rain. A gradual rise as the locks raise the canal level; away from traffic and mostly quiet. Follows the Basingstoke Canal and Wey Navigation towpaths.

Waterway: nine tenths along the Basingstoke Canal.

Woodland: two fifths under tree cover.

Time: 2h30–5h

Lunch: There are no refreshments along the way, but it is not a long route.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Flat royal parkland, ornamental ponds, woodland plantations and suburban streets; bypasses Home Park.

Time: 2h

Source: A shorter variant of Hampton Court Circular – the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Thames riverside path, deer park and formal palace gardens.

Source: A longer variant of Wimbledon to Kingston – the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).