London does autumn brilliantly, and one of the best ways to see it is on foot — specifically on the sort of riverside-to-canal route that local editors at Secret London have flagged as among the city's best autumn strolls: a long, leafy line from Richmond in the south-west all the way up to Little Venice near Paddington.
The appeal is the variety. Start in Richmond, where the Thames is at its widest and most green, with Richmond Park and its free-roaming deer on the doorstep. Follow the river path east and the scenery shifts constantly: Kew Gardens, a UNESCO-listed botanic garden where the arboretum turns copper and gold in late October; the villagey high street of Barnes; the stretches past Putney and Hammersmith where rowing crews glide by and riverside pubs offer a warm中途 stop. Keep your eyes peeled — this whole reach of the Thames is one of the best places in the capital to spot herons, cormorants and even seals.
From Hammersmith the route pushes north-east, and the river gives way to green corridor country: Holland Park, then the edges of Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, where the plane trees hold their leaves into November. The finish line is Little Venice, the small canal basin where the Regent's Canal meets the Grand Union, all moored narrowboats and waterside cafés. From there you can continue along the canal towards Camden if your legs are willing, or simply reward yourself at one of the flotilla cafés moored right on the water.
A note of realism: this is a serious day out, easily eight to ten miles end to end, so most people should treat it as a pick-your-section walk rather than a single march. The brilliant thing about London is that the Underground and Overground cut across the route repeatedly — Kew Gardens, Barnes, Hammersmith, Notting Hill Gate, Warwick Avenue — so you can walk a couple of hours and hop on a train home. Comfortable shoes and a layer or two are essential; October and November are often crisp and golden but reliably damp, so waterproofs are worth packing.
Who is it for? Anyone who wants London at its most atmospheric without a ticket or a queue. The route costs nothing, is doable solo or with kids, and photographs beautifully in low autumn light. It also works well for visitors: if you have already done the big-hitter sights, a day spent walking riverbank and parkland shows you a calmer, more residential side of the city that most tourists never see.
Practical tips from general knowledge of the route: go on a weekday morning if you can, since Richmond Park and Kew get busy on fine autumn weekends; book Kew in advance if you want to enter the gardens; and check the tide times if you plan to walk the lower Thames path, as a couple of sections can flood at high water.
Story based on Secret London's round-up of the city's best autumn walks.
