Post-Walk Refuel: The Walking Routes That End at The Greyhound's Front Door
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There is a particular kind of hunger and thirst that only a proper walk produces. Not the vague, snacky kind that comes from sitting at a desk. The real kind, earned over two or three hours of fresh air, river views, and ground underfoot. The kind that makes food taste better and a pint feel genuinely deserved.
Southwest London is exceptional walking country. The Thames Path runs right through it. Richmond Park sits a short distance away. Kew Green and its surrounding streets form one of the most pleasant urban walking environments in the city. And at the end of several of the best routes in the area, if you time it right, is The Greyhound on Kew Green.
Here are the walks worth knowing about, with practical details on each.
Route 1: The Kew Green Loop (30 to 45 minutes, easy)
Best for: Families, dog walkers, a gentle start to the day, post-Gardens strollers
This is the simplest and most accessible of the routes, and not to be underestimated for it. Kew Green itself is one of the finest open spaces in southwest London: a large triangular common owned by the Crown Estate, fringed with Georgian townhouses and mature trees, with the wall of the Royal Botanic Gardens on one side and Kew Bridge visible to the north.
A full circuit of the Green takes around 20 to 25 minutes at an easy pace, with the churchyard of St Anne's at the southern end worth a short detour. The graves of Thomas Gainsborough and Johann Zoffany are here, two of the greatest painters of the Georgian era, both of whom lived locally. Cricket has been played on the Green since 1732, and on summer weekends you'll often find a match in progress, which makes for a pleasant reason to slow down.
From the Green, The Greyhound is visible from almost every point on the northern edge. You won't need directions.
Finishing point: Walk directly off the Green onto Kew Green road and you're at the door.
Route 2: Kew Riverside via the Thames Path (45 to 60 minutes, easy)
Best for: Anyone arriving by District line, visitors combining with Kew Gardens, a solo morning walk
From Kew Gardens station, head west through Kew Village and pick up the riverside path near Kew Pier, just north of Kew Bridge. The Thames Path here runs along the north bank of the river, with the water on your left and a mix of residential gardens and open towpath on your right.
The path in this direction is flat, well surfaced, and broad enough to share comfortably with cyclists. On a clear morning the river light here is exceptional, particularly in the hour after sunrise when the mist is still sitting on the water.
Walking upstream from Kew Pier, you'll pass under Kew Railway Bridge before the path opens up into the wider riverside stretches. Rowing clubs are active on this stretch at weekends, and if the conditions are right you'll see eights and fours working through their training sessions on the water. There's a particular atmosphere to an early morning on the Thames near Kew that's hard to find elsewhere in London.
For a shorter version, simply walk to Kew Bridge and back from the pub: the round trip takes around 25 minutes and is one of the better short urban walks in the area.
Finishing point: From Kew Pier, The Greyhound is a five-minute walk south across Kew Bridge Road and onto the Green.
Route 3: Richmond to Kew along the Thames Path (1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, easy to moderate)
Best for: A proper half-day outing, groups coming from Richmond, walkers who want a destination rather than a circuit
This is the stretch of Thames Path that people who've done it tend to remember. Start at Richmond Bridge, one of the most elegant river crossings in London, and follow the path east along the south bank toward Kew. The route passes the Old Deer Park and its two Portland stone obelisks, which mark the old Kew Meridian line established before Greenwich took over as the prime meridian in 1851. Across the river, Syon Park and Syon House sit on the Middlesex bank, the home of the Duke of Northumberland.
The path follows the riverbank with very little deviation, which makes it easy to follow and means you spend most of the walk looking at the water rather than a map. Distance from Richmond Bridge to Kew Green is roughly three and a half miles, which at a comfortable pace takes around an hour.
Arriving at Kew from this direction, you'll pass under Kew Bridge and come up onto the Green from the north, which gives you the full view of the Green opening up ahead of you before you reach the pub. It's a satisfying arrival.
Getting back: Kew Gardens station is a five-minute walk from The Greyhound, with frequent District line services back to Richmond and into central London.
Route 4: Kew Gardens Perimeter Walk (1 hour, easy)
Best for: Visitors to the Gardens who want to stretch their legs before or after, those who want the flavour of Kew without paying admission
The Royal Botanic Gardens are bounded by a brick wall that stretches for a considerable distance, and walking the perimeter gives you a surprisingly good feel for the scale and character of the place even from the outside. Start at the Elizabeth Gate on Kew Green, follow the wall south along Kew Road, then west along Ferry Lane and back around to the northern boundary near Kew Bridge.
The walk takes around an hour at a relaxed pace and passes through the quieter residential streets of Kew, a part of the village that most visitors never see. The southern stretches in particular, along the back wall near the river, are peaceful in a way that the main garden paths are not during busier seasons.
This route is particularly good in the early morning before the Gardens open, or in autumn when the trees along the perimeter are changing colour and the light is low and golden.
Finishing point: Complete the loop by returning to Kew Green and The Greyhound from the Elizabeth Gate end.
Route 5: Richmond Park to Kew Green (2 hours, moderate)
Best for: Serious walkers, a full morning out, anyone who wants to earn their Sunday roast
This is the most ambitious of the five routes and the one that most justifies arriving at The Greyhound in a state of genuine hunger. Start at Richmond Gate or Petersham Gate on the edge of Richmond Park, spend an hour or so walking through one of London's finest open spaces, then exit near the river and pick up the Thames Path toward Kew.
Richmond Park is 2,500 acres of ancient parkland, home to red and fallow deer that roam freely and take remarkably little notice of walkers. The views from Richmond Hill on the approach to the park are among the most celebrated in England, the only view in London to be protected by an act of Parliament.
From the park, the route down to the Thames and along to Kew covers some of the most varied walking in southwest London: formal parkland giving way to riverside meadow, then the towpath stretching toward Kew Bridge. Total distance from Richmond Gate to The Greyhound is around five to six miles depending on your route through the park.
This is the walk that justifies the Yorkshire pudding.
Getting there: Richmond station on the District line and South West Trains is the logical starting point, a short walk from both Richmond Gate and Richmond Bridge.
Practical Notes for All Routes
All five routes are accessible year-round, though the Thames Path can be muddy after heavy rain in winter and the early spring. Flat shoes are fine for the Kew Green Loop and the riverside routes. Anything involving Richmond Park benefits from proper walking shoes, particularly after wet weather.
Dogs are welcome on all routes, and dogs are welcome at The Greyhound. If you're bringing one, the beer garden is yours.
We'd recommend booking a table in advance if you're arriving for Sunday lunch, particularly with a group. Walking parties have a habit of being larger and hungrier than initially planned, and we'd rather have space ready for you.
📍 The Greyhound, 82 Kew Green, Richmond, TW9 3AP
The walk earns the meal. We'll have the table ready.