A 7.35-mile trail around the perimeter of London’s largest royal park.

Statistics

1 - 2

hrs

123

m

123

m

2

max°

Difficulty

FATMAP difficulty grade

Moderate

Description

Richmond Park is a rambling open space with dramatic views and a distinct character.

Visitors flock to this green pocket in south London to admire the herds of deer, and to feel like they’ve stepped into the countryside.

There are lots of options for running in the park’s 2,360 acres, and the Tamsin Trail is a great place to begin.

The Tamsin Trail is a paved, signed trail taking you to all corners of Richmond Park.

It features a couple of short climbs near Kingston Gate and also some long sweeping inclines near Pembroke Lodge and Sheen.

Begin and end your run at Pembroke Lodge for a bonus ending: climb up King Henry’s Mound for epic views to St Paul's Cathedral in Central London. *Directions:* Catch a train to Richmond or Mortlake rail station from London Victoria.

The journey should take you around 25 minutes.

Once at Richmond Park, start your trail run from Pembroke Lodge.

Follow the blue arrows which mark the Tamsin Trail, heading in a clockwise direction along the paved path, which traces the park boundary and remains relatively flat for the first section.

You will cross a road at the Richmond Gate park entrance.

On the other side, continue along the path, following the blue arrows as you go. At the 2-mile mark, you will come to Sheen Gate, where the path begins to meander through a wooded section.

In another half mile, you will pass by Roehampton Gate, where you can stop to go to the toilet.

Continuing, at the 3.5-mile point, you’ll start the long and relatively steep climb up Broomfield Hill, before descending along an oak tree-lined path through pockets of grassland.

Eventually, the path will bring you to Kingston Gate, where the trail makes a 90-degree right turn.

Still following the blue arrows, you will reach Ham Gate Pond, where the Tamsin Trail splits in two.

Take the right-hand trail, which will take you back to Pembroke Lodge.

Here you can check out the pretty walled gardens, quench your thirst at the drinking fountain, or reward yourself with a sweet treat in the Pembroke Lodge Cafe.

Sources: http://www.richmondparklondon.co.uk/walks/tamsintrail.html http://www.gps-routes.co.uk/routes/home.nsf/RoutesLinksCycle/richmond-park-walking-and-cycle-route