This walk of 6½ miles closely follows the Beverley Brook through Wimbledon Common, Richmond Park and Barnes Common to the River Thames upstream of Putney. It takes about 3 hours.
Beverley Brook Walk leaflet with map
This file may not be accessible to some people with disabilities. The text from the leaflet is provided below.
About the walk
A walk of 6½ miles (10½ kms) with a link ¾m (1km) from New Malden Station and closely following the Beverley Brook through Wimbledon Common, Richmond Park and Barnes Common to the River Thames upstream of Putney. The walk goes through some of South London's most varied and beautiful countryside.
Allow about three hours to complete the walk at a gentle pace, in either direction. Refreshment point and public transport facilities are marked on the map and along the route are signs and waymark posts with the deer symbol.
The name Beverley Brook comes from Beaver's Ley, meaning a place where beavers live.
Walking conditions - the southern end of the walk is mostly level, some uneven woodland paths or closely mown surfaces without a defined path. There are steps at the A3 footbridge (no. 8). In Richmond Park the Tamsin Trail runs close by and could be used as an alternative hard surface route particularly if you are using a wheelchair or buggy. Through Barnes there are some pavement walking followed by unsurfaced paths.
Directions
To reach the southern end of the walk travel to New Malden station (trains from Waterloo, Wimbledon and Surbiton) on bus routes 213/K1.
- Turn right out of station and walk along Coombe Road following the signs.
- Take the second turning to the right along Cambridge Avenue and continue ahead, crossing New Malden Golf Course along a tree lined path.
- Walk through the subway under the A3 and turn left at pavement level and then after a few metres sharp left along a path beside Beverley Brook.
- Continue along Westcombe Avenue until Coombe Lane, turn left and cross by the zebra crossing then continue left along Coombe Lane until turning right into Beverley Avenue.
- At the end of this road turn left along a narrow path and take the first right along the edge of the playing fields.
Continue into the woodland with the brook on your left. The path passes the Beverley Meads and Fishponds Local Nature Reserve where occasionally kingfishers and mandarin ducks may be seen.
Follow the path for 1 mile (1½ kms) along the edge of Wimbledon Common, a Site of Special Scientific Interest. As you leave the woodland at the northern end of Wimbledon Common, the walk briefly joins the Capital Ring, a long distance walk of 72 miles which circles around Inner London.
- As you approach a sports pavilion turn left and cross the brook at the brick bridge and continue ahead over the pedestrian bridge that crosses the A3.
- Cross Kingston Vale road with care at the traffic island and turn right.
Turn left and enter Richmond Park through the Robin Hood Gate. Here the Capital Ring leaves the Beverley Brook path to continue across Richmond Park and through Petersham to join the Thames Path. This Royal Park is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and National Nature Reserve with many ancient oak trees some of which were planted before 1637 when the park was enclosed by Charles I. The park contains red and fallow deer.
Cross the road with care then turn right across the car park taking a narrow worn track towards the brook. If you prefer a harder surface go straight on and follow the Tamsin Trail as far as Roehampton Gate
- Follow the brook downstream until the footbridge, cross over and continue with the brook on your left past the car park. Refreshments are available here.
- The brook goes under the park wall, but to continue the walk, at the road turn right and leave the park through Roehampton gate turning left immediately and follow the path by the park wall. At the end of this path you cross the brook as it flows under the park wall then turn right.
- Walk through Palewell Common with the brook on the right. The pitches are known as Palewell Fields. Go past the pitch and putt course and follow the path between the allotments to Hertford Avenue.
- Turn right and follow this road until reaching the Upper Richmond Road. Turn right and cross at the first pelican crossing. Continue in the same direction along the main road until Priests Bridge (this is a name of a road).
- Turn left and follow Priests Bridge until the bridge itself where the brook can be seen. In the late 1930's a culvert was built here to take flood water to the Thames. The name of the bridge may refer to an old route between the Manor Houses and churches of Wimbledon and Mortlake.
Continue along the Priests Bridge and turn left when you rejoin the main road. - Take 2nd left at Vine Read and walk with care as the road is narrow. Continue over the two railway tracks. After the second one, cross to the left and follow the path down Scarth Road until the junction with Station Road. You could also complete your walk at this point by turning right after the second railway track and following the path to Barnes Station.
Cross Station Road and follow the short path across the corner of Barnes Common then cross Mill Hill Road with care. Walk under the grand horse chestnut trees and follow the path until you reach a bridge between Barnes Common and Barnes Green. Here a short detour could be made to historic Barnes where shops, refreshments and toilets are available.
To continue the walk turn sharp right just before the bridge and take the main diagonal path across the Common. This area is rich in unusual flowers such as the burnet rose, and a popular feeding ground for the speckled wood butterfly. The brook at this point is culverted behind houses. At the path junction take the left fork and continue across the Common to Rocks Lane. Cross Rocks Lane with care and turn left then right.
At the small car park turn left beside the tennis courts and walk past the overgrown Old Barnes Cemetery. The brook is visible to the left passing through a playing field. The walk now crosses a corner of the Putney Lower Common.
Continue along the path keeping the fence on your left until the edge of the field. This area has many hawthorn bushes and summer visiting birds take the chiffchaff.
Turn left for a footbridge over the brook.
- Cross the footbridge then turn right. On the left is Barn Elms playing fields the site of the old Manor House of Barnes which had a ceremonial drive that crossed Beverley Brook. At Barn Elms is a 100 acres former reservoir site which is now managed by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and open to the public.
- Continue until reaching the point where the brook joins the Thames and you have reached the end of the Beverley Brook Walk. Here you join the Thames Path National Trail, a long distance walk from Gloucester to the Thames Barrier. Turn right for Putney 5/8m (1km) along the Embankment past Leaders Gardens (refreshments) or left to Hammersmith via Hammersmith Bridge 1¼m (2kms). Both have good bus, rail and underground links to central London.
The Beverley Brook Walk was produced in partnership with Berkeley Homes, the Royal Borough of Kingston, the London Boroughs of Merton, Richmond and Wandsworth, Royal Parks, the Richmond branch of the Ramblers’ Association and the Wimbledon and Putney Commons Conservators.
For information on buses and underground call 020 7222 1234 and national rail enquiries 0845 7484950.
This has been validated by the London Walking Forum and is one of a network of approved paths throughout Greater London. For any problems with this walk, south of the A3 please contact 020 8545 3074, north of the A3 please contact 020 8891 7334.
For information about other London walks contact the Ramblers Association tel. no 020 7339 8500 or visit the website www.ramblers.org.uk