Bushy Park, another royal park, is behind Hampton Court Palace in Hampton, near Richmond. Once a hunting ground for King Henry VIII, the land has since been home to a hospital for Canadian troops in World War I, a US air base in World War II and the Ministry of Defence during the Cold War.
Just off the River Thames, it can be combined with a long walk from Richmond. The 445-hectare space is less well-known than Richmond Park, but like the latter, it’s home to 320 red and fallow deer. Watching stags and bucks compete for females during breeding season in autumn is an incredible (and intimidating) sight.
The mile-long Chestnut Avenue, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, divides the park almost in two. From the Diana Fountain in the south, follow Longford River to Upper Lodge Water Gardens, which is part of an old canal. Keep an eye out for woodpecker, kingfisher and kestrel.