Garden Flat close to Kingston & Richmond Park

Local Attractions: Year-round: B@Home is a surprising treasure trove for local nature. Newcomers are often bewildered to hear a unique and exotic squawk and subsequently look up, surprised to see a flash of green as the local parakeets soar by. We are home, amongst other things, to stag beetles, frogs and nearby badger setts - keep your eyes peeled after dark and you may well get a privileged late-night viewing! YMCA Hawker Centre - only a 5 minute walk away it offers a variety of PAYG exercise classes in addition to a fully equipped gym and tennis courts. A full schedule can be found online on the YMCA Hawker Centre website. Yoga mats are supplied at the centre however there are also mats available at B@Home for your use. River Thames - A short 5 minute walk from B@Home, accessed via the YMCA Hawker Centre. Turn left and walk toward Kingston to for approximately 10 minutes to reach Boaters, a wonderful riverside pub with plenty of outdoor seating, Sunday roasts, Sunday Jazz and BBQs in the summer. Turn right and walk towards Richmond for approximately 10 minutes to reach Teddington Lock and the Anglers Pub is right across the river. Again, plenty of out outdoor seating, good traditional food and a play area for the kids. Kingston Riverside - an abundance of pubs, bars and restaurants with indoor and outdoor seating to whet the appetite. Great for watching the world go by. Retail Therapy - Kingston is a great place to enjoy some retail therapy with a variety of enticing shops including the Bentall's Centre and John Lewis. Enjoy a largely pedestrianised area and a wonderful market place where you can sample foods from around the world whilst relaxing amongst the traditional Tudor buildings. Kew Gardens - a botanical garden in southwest London that houses the "largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world". Lots to do and see with varying exhibitions and concerts held throughout the year. Easily reached courtesy of the no.65 bus towards Ealing Broadway. Richmond Park - Escape to the great outdoors in Richmond Park with its wide open spaces, grasslands and deer herds, just a stone’s throw from B@Home. The park is a top UK site for ancient trees and supports a range of rare species including fungi, birds, beetles, bats, grasses and wildflowers. Discover the Isabella Plantation woodland gardens, refuel at Pembroke Lodge tea rooms and enjoy distant views of St Paul’s Cathedral from King Henry’s Mound. Try your hand at power kiting, horse riding or golf, or hire a bike for some off-road cycling along the Tamsin Trail. Bushy Park - Linked to Hampton Court Palace by the Longford River, Bushy Park is famed for its mix of waterways, gardens and grassland, and roaming herds of red and fallow deer. Look out for the bronze Diana fountain at the end of the mile-long Chestnut Avenue, designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Visit the Upper Lodge Water Gardens, Woodland Gardens and Pheasantry Café. And see if you can spot birdlife including woodpeckers, kingfishers and kestrels. Did you know? During the Second World War, part of Bushy Park became the US airbase, Camp Griffiss, and it was from here that General Eisenhower planned the D-Day Landings. Bushy Park is one of London’s eight Royal Parks and covers an area of 1,099 acres. *Information supplied by Royal Parks Park Runs - every Saturday - free to enter 5k runs at various locations in the area. Hampton Court - Discover the magnificence of Henry VIII's favourite royal residence. Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the bustling Base Court and marvel at the breath-taking grandeur of Henry's State Rooms. Tickle your taste buds in the vast Tudor kitchens, stroll through over 60 acres of enchanting gardens, lose yourself in the famous maze and appreciate the beauty of one of the greatest palaces on earth. Creep along the Haunted Gallery and discover another palace, the Baroque Palace, full of intrigue and gossip from the Stuart and Georgian era. Audio guides are included in the palace ticket and costumed tours and talks happen daily, as well as an excellent programme of seasonal events. *This content has been supplied by Hampton Court Palace Ham House - A unique 17th-century treasure trove. This rare and atmospheric 17th-century house sits on the banks of the River Thames in Richmond. It is the creation of the tenacious Duchess of Lauderdale and her husband, the Duke, who together transformed Ham into one of the grandest Stuart houses in England. Ham House is internationally recognised for its superb collection of paintings, furniture and textiles, largely acquired 400 years ago. Some of our unique objects include a rare Chinese teapot, said to have been used by the Duchess herself, and the exotic ivory cabinet. The house is reputed to be one of the most haunted in Britain. Some visitors have reported the ghostly aroma of the sweet Virginia pipe tobacco that the Duke smoked after meals in the dining room. Visit the hands-on below-stairs room; including the bathroom, complete with a wooden bathtub and bed, illustrates how baths were taken before washing became an everyday event. *This content has been supplied by Ham House Ham Polo Club - With polo grounds in Richmond, only eight miles from Hyde Park Corner, HPC, The London Polo Club is the last remaining polo club in Greater London. Should you wish to see the action, the polo season generally runs from the beginning of May to the end of September. There are matches every Sunday throughout the summer starting at around 2pm. The HPC is based 1.2 miles away from B@Home and a short bus ride on the no.65 toward Ealing Broadway. Annual Events: March: The Kingston Breakfast Run - is a 20.1, 16.2 and an 8.2 mile run which starts and finishes in Kingston Market Place. It’s great prep for the London Marathon. It’s flat and the course takes you along the river via Hampton Court. It normally takes place on the last Sunday in March. May: Surbiton Food Festival - This festival takes place over 2 weeks, usually starting at the end of the first week of May. It includes the Seething Wells Sardine Festival, the Surbiton Village Fete, a beer festival and a general celebration of fabulous local food. The Surbiton Farmers’ Market is also part of the festivities. June & July: Wimbledon Tennis Tournament - Wimbledon All England Lawn Tennis Club is a 24 minute drive/taxi/uber ride away. Alternatively, it is an approximate 25 minute walk from Wimbledon Station, which in turn is a 12 minute train ride from Kingston Station Hampton Court Flower Show - The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show is the largest flower show in the world. The show is held in June/July, and is run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) at Hampton Court Palace, just down the river from Kingston upon Thames. Ignition Dance Festival - This festival is an unprecedented opportunity to glimpse a rich and diverse programme of dance from some of the UK’s best and most visionary choreographers. Supported by Arts Council England and the Royal Borough of Kingston the event usually takes place on a Friday and Saturday mid-June. Produced by DanceWest. July: Malden Fortnight - Malden Fortnight usually happens in the first 2 weeks of July. The town becomes a festive hub with a Fun Run, farmers’ market, grand parade, concerts, exhibitions, craft fair, dog show, heritage walks and lots of kids’ activities. Everything happens in and around New Malden High Street. International Youth Arts Festival - This festival showcases some of the most astonishing young talent from around the world. There are over 200 creative arts events over a 10 day period in a variety of venues in Kingston. The Dragon Boat Challenge - This river event is usually on a Sunday, mid-July. It’s a vibrant and colourful charity event organised by The Rotary Club. Around 50 teams battle it out on the river from 9.30am to determine who makes it into the exciting eight boat final later in the day. There are market stalls, sideshows and rides for the kids. Prudential RideLondon in Kingston upon Thames - RideLondon is a homage to the London 2012 Olympics. It’s an annual 3-day cycle-fest covering London and Surrey over a weekend in the last week of July. Kingston is a great place to view the event being the only town on the route where the cyclists pass through twice. The town centre is a hub of activity with cycling related displays, music, food and stalls. August: Thumbs up it’s Thursday - From the end of July to the beginning of August, Kingston Town centre puts on fantastic events to entertain the children every Thursday. Storytelling, craft sessions, river-related activities and lots of special offers. September: Kingston Carnival - Usually held on a Sunday in the first week of September, the carnival is a celebration of the areas’ cultural diversity. With most of the activity happening in the town centre, there is a parade at noon (always check as it can change) stalls, live music and the most amazing street food. The Great River Race - Over 300 teams from around the world compete in this spectacular, late summer, event at Ham on the River Thames. It’s a combination of competitive and leisure rowers, many in colourful fancy dress with decorated boats. Surbiton Festival - This is a vibrant festival at the end of September in Surbiton, Surrey. Victoria Road closes to traffic for the day and the festivities begin. There is usually music outside the station and stalls cover the high street. A parade starts around noon. October: Kingston Half Marathon - The race normally takes place on a Sunday in early October. It starts and finishes in Kingston’s Ancient Market Place and takes the runners through Thames Ditton and Hampton Court. It’s an early start at around 8:30am and it’s a hugely popular event. November: Kingston Fireworks Event - Kingston Rotary Club and Kingston Round Table jointly host this great event each November in aid of local charities. Kingsmeadow Stadium, Jack Goodchild Way, 422a Kingston Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 3PB. Close to 5th November check locally for more details about the event. Christmas lights switch on - Christmas lights switch on in Kingston town centre to mark the start of the festivities: the markets open, carols are sung and fabulous food is on sale. Switch on celebrations also happen in Surbiton and New Malden. Please check locally for annual dates. December: Kingston Christmas Market - The Ancient Market Place in Kingston is the perfect setting for a traditional Christmas market. It opens end of November with the Christmas lights switch-on. There are stalls offering seasonal gifts and food. Eden Craft Fair All Saints - This large, covered craft fair opens for the festive season in the grounds of All Saints Church in Kingston. You can buy hand crafted jewellery, clothes, pottery, art and more. Bentall’s at Christmas - The Bentall Centre looks spectacular at Christmas – children come to see the festive bears on the ground floor and there are lots of activities and offers and events throughout the centre and the Bentall’s department store. Christmas at The Rose Theatre - Seeing the Rose Theatre’s Christmas production has become a family tradition here in Kingston. The cast of professional actors and the Rose Youth Theatre put on a dazzling show which offers something a little different to the usual festive pantomime.