Local Authority
If you’re planning a visit somewhere new, get the lowdown from the locals! This month, a historic Thameside location
Hampton Court Insider knowledge of a magnificently historic Thameside beauty spot
Who are you?
Claudia Dowell, features editor of Practical Caravan.
Where are you a local authority on? The Hampton Court/ East Molesey area.
Why are you a local authority on this place? I have lived close by for more than 20 years.
What do you love about it?
It’s a pretty part of Surrey, alongside the River Thames and with access to Bushy Park and Home Park.
What’s your favourite place to visit?
Bushy Park is gorgeous, but I also love the busy little streets just over the bridge from Hampton Court Palace, which is East Molesey, where there are cafés, antique emporiums and independent shops to explore after a walk along the towpath.
In the middle of the Thames here is Taggs Island, once home to a casino. Now it provides moorings for houseboats of all shapes, sizes and ages. And of course, there is Hampton Court Palace and its wonderful gardens, shop and Tiltyard Café. I also like to visit the grounds for music events and the famous flower show.
Which local site would you recommend? Walton on Thames Camping and Caravanning Club
Site is for members only, and you will need your own facilities. The Club has another site at Chertsey, which is open to non-members and does have facilities. Both are tranquil riverside sites with access to local amenities.
What food and drink is the area known for?
I don’t think there is a tradition of any particular food or drink in this part of the world, but during the past 15 years, the surrounding area has spawned several thriving new breweries – including the Park Brewery in Kingston, the Big Smoke Brew Co in Esher, and Twickenham Brewery.
Teddington, a short drive away through Bushy Park, has a plethora of excellent Italian restaurants, while Lebanese food is popular in East Molesey.
Tell us somewhere great to eat!
East Molesey’s cafés and restaurants are all very good. I love coffee and cake in the Mada Deli, and Lebanese/ Spanish food at Mezzet Dar; they are both on Bridge Road. For a lunch of mussels and French fries, try Le Petit Nantais, also on Bridge Road.
Where can you find spare kit? Kingston-upon-thames is a 15-minute drive from the Walton-on-thames campsite and has a Halfords and a Cotswolds Outdoor store. Walton-on-thames has a CIT camping store; Chertsey has Wey Farm Outdoors.
Where can you find the cheapest petrol/diesel in the area?
Walton-on-thames has plenty of fuel stations, and there is a BP station with an M&S Simply Food close to the palace, but the cheapest is probably Sainsbury’s on the Uxbridge Road in Hampton. If you are staying at Chertsey, there is a Sainsbury’s fuel station there.
Where should you avoid in the area?
I would definitely avoid Hampton Court Bridge during the rush hour, when the traffic is extremely slow trying to get to Kingston in one direction and the M3 in the other. And unless you’re there to visit the event, you might want to avoid the palace during the Hampton Court Flower Show.
Share a secret highlight that only a local would know…
Just a five-minute drive from the palace and around six miles from the Walton-on-thames campsite, you’ll find Hampton open-air heated swimming pool (www.hamptonpool.co.uk), which is much loved and well used by the locals. The pool is normally open 365 days of the year, has summer concerts, a terrace café and picnic lawns, and even offers moonlight swimming on Friday nights in the summer.
In the palace grounds, seek out the 20th Century Garden. It’s tucked away in a very quiet spot and was formerly the Apprentice Gardens.
On the Hampton side of the Thames is Garrick’s Temple to Shakespeare (www.garrickstemple.org.uk), a small museum set in gardens, which is normally open on Sunday afternoons from March to October.