Sunbury Walled Garden via Weybridge Ferry

Overview:-

This is a whole day ride, quite a long distance (64km/ 40 miles), riding at a leisurely pace. We will follow the River Thames out to the west of London and into Surrey, crossing the river four times, twice on roads, once via a footbridge, and finally by boat.

Our destination is the Walled Garden at Sunbury Park https://www.therosesociety.org.uk/rose-gardens/walled-garden-sunbury/, where we will hope to see roses, lavender, and summer flowers in bloom. We will also have the opportunity to visit the Embroidery Gallery alongside the café https://www.sunburygallery.org/. Our lunch stop is likely to be quite late, so you will need to make sure that you have plenty of snacks & water with you.

The outward ride includes approx. 10km/6.5 miles along the Thames Path on unsealed surfaces, which are generally good, but some areas can be muddy after wet weather. After the initial ride over Richmond Park, the ride is almost totally flat.

If you don’t want to complete the whole distance, you could leave the ride at Sunbury (40km/30 miles) to take the train service from Sunbury, changing at Fulwell, to reach Richmond. From Richmond, you can take London Overground or District Line services.

Route:-

We ride out of Ealing to Chiswick Bridge, where we cross the river and make our way up to the Sheen Gate into Richmond Park. Crossing the Park, we leave at the Ham Gate and return to cross the river again at the Teddington Footbridge. We make our way into Bushy Park and have a brief stop at the Pheasantry, before riding across the Park and over Hampton Bridge.

Now we have a steady ride alongside the river, enjoying a traffic-free trail and scenic views, through Hurst Park, Molesey and Sunbury Locks, and Walton Marina, to reach the ferry crossing at Weybridge. The ferry fare is £4.40 for a single journey with a bike.

Reaching the other bank, we ride on through Shepperton and back to Sunbury, for lunch in the Gallery Café https://www.sunburygallery.org/cafe and time to explore both the Embroidery Gallery and the Walled Garden.

Our homeward ride takes us to Hampton, across a corner of Bushy Park to Strawberry Hill, then along the Crane River Path back to Twickenham. We return to Ealing via Isleworth, Syon Park and Brentford.

Ride over Richmond Park and then along the Thames to Weybridge, crossing the river on the ferry and turning back to Sunbury. Returning via Hampton and Bushy Park.

Traffic free tracks over the Royal Parks and along the riverside, some areas are unsealed and can be muddy after wet weather. Quieter roads where possible, some short stretches on busier roads.

Brief stop at the Pheasantry in Bushy Park. Lunch stop at the Walled Garden in Sunbury and time to visit the Garden and the Embroidery Gallery.

Water & snacks. Lock for your bike. Money/card for cafe.

First-timers welcome!