Sunny Afternoon In Ham
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 I love London but I'm a country girl at heart so there's nothing I like more than getting out of the city... |
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Date Description |
    Out of London, West |
I love London but I'm a country girl at heart so there's nothing I like more than getting out of the city. But, when the weekend is so precious, I don't want to spend half of it in the car! So what's the answer? Ham! Not the kind that goes in a sandwich but the kind that sits between Richmond and Teddington on the mighty River Thames.
There are two ways of doing this. Either park your car in the National Trust car park at Ham House or hire a boat from Richmond and row upstream. I've never done the boat option but it's on my list! Anyway, organise your day as you wish but this is how we did it… We walked to Ham village green, which is a picture perfect English scene. I don't think I've ever been there when there hasn't been a game of village cricket going on! Then we walked into Richmond Park (always a GDG favourite), turned left by the Ham Gate duck pond and eventually popped out at the Petersham Gate. We then bravely walked passed one of my favourite spots - Petersham Nurseries, where the tea shop is located in a converted garden shed and the restaurant in an old glasshouse. It is a quirky and beautiful spot but it gets busy (hence why we gave it a miss on such a sunny day) so if you want to go to the restaurant you really do have to book.
Head a little further down the river bank and you get to Ham House. It's worth a whiz around the gardens (and house if you like that sort of thing) but most import is the tea shop! It's located in the old Orangery Kitchen Garden and is an idyllic spot, away from the chaos of the river on a sunny day. Laze around the gardens at Ham for as long as you want or take a stroll along the river bank - there is always something going on. If you want to venture further afield you can always hop on the £1 ferry outside Ham House that takes you over to the other side of the river…
It is so easy to walk from place to place along this stretch of the river that you can happily while away a romantic summers day. This is a perfect date for those wanting to bask in the glory of their existing romance, but equally good for those early days when you want to get out of London but aren't quite ready for a mini break!
Tags
out of london surrey TW10 7RS TW10 7AG culture romance early days weekend date ham house richmond park petersham nurseries west picnic outdoorsContact information
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| Petersham Nurseries | |||||||||
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Reviews
| Amazing. This is one of my most favourite mini trips in London. Last summer I rented a boat from Richmond and got a handsome man to row me down to Ham House. We had a picnic on the edge of the river bank next Marble Hill Park (house opposite Ham House). It was a magical afternoon and highly recommend it, although make sure one of you can row as the current can get a bit strong. Reviewer : Tamara Submitted : 2011-03-15 09:34:13 |
| well worth it I'm so glad the team at GDG have covered this one. I've been to Richmond and Ham a few times over the last few years on dates and me and my girlfriend love it. It's got a lovely feel to it, with the parks, gardens and riverside. Some good restaurants too. Something else I would add to the review is how accessible it is to central London via trains to Richmond, Teddington etc. Also, there's a polo ground at Ham too. So if you want a Jilly Cooper element to your date, bear it in mind! Reviewer : Fergus Submitted : 2010-04-21 22:52:30 |
