Kew Without the Gardens, Then Old Chiswick

Good to know.

• Check live Mildmay line service before leaving Willesden Junction and again before the return from South Acton.
• The City Barge, George & Devonshire and The Old Pack Horse may have changed hours, food service or capacity.
• Chiswick House Gardens are free, but gate times are seasonal; confirm access before timing the route around them.
• The Old Pack Horse Saturday music is a covers-style local night, not an emerging-indie gig.
• The route has not yet been field-checked end to end.

No field notes from readers yet — share one if you walk it.

Start without guessing.

Open the whole walk (opens in a new tab)

Draft route: use live walking directions for river crossings and access points, and check the Mildmay line, garden gates, pub hours, Thai kitchen and Saturday programme before setting off.

We never ask for your location.

A small English town hiding just west of the paid attraction everyone assumes you came for.

Leave Willesden Junction for a different register of west London: village green first, then a river pub, a long old-bank walk and free gardens. The optional second pint is a pause, not a test of stamina; Thai dinner in the Old Pack Horse is where the route lands.

Who it suits, and who it does not.

• A second date with enough walking to loosen the conversation
• Friends who prefer old river edges to a polished high street
• Visitors who have already done the obvious Kew version

Not ideal for

• Heavy rain
• Anyone who wants a short, station-to-station plan
• A strict no-walking evening

Not a Kew Gardens substitute, a fast pub crawl or a guaranteed quiet final room on a Saturday.

The route.

1. Kew Village + Kew Green

   start · 30–40 min · 10–15 min via Kew Bridge to next

   Kew Green, Richmond TW9

   From the start From Kew Gardens station, set Kew Green as the first pin and walk through the village. Do not enter the paid botanic garden; stay with the green, church and cricket-ground atmosphere.

   The useful opening: low houses, a village green and the sudden sensation of having left the city before the route has even begun.

   Walk here from the station to Kew Village + Kew Green (opens in a new tab)

2. The City Barge – one drink by the water

   pub · 30–45 min · 25–35 min along Strand-on-the-Green, then across Kew Bridge to next

   27 Strand-on-the-Green, Chiswick, London W4 3PH

   From the previous stop Cross Kew Bridge using the live walking route, then follow the north-bank riverside to the pub. Keep this stop to one drink and a small snack; dinner comes later.

   A historic riverside pub on Strand-on-the-Green. It gives the route its first proper pause without using up the appetite needed for the final Thai kitchen.

   Walk from the previous stop to The City Barge – one drink by the water (opens in a new tab)Official information for The City Barge – one drink by the water (opens in a new tab)

3. Strand-on-the-Green → Chiswick Mall

   walk · 30–40 min · 5–10 min to the gardens to next

   Strand-on-the-Green and Chiswick Mall, London W4

   From the previous stop Follow the river-facing houses on Strand-on-the-Green, then use the live map to cross back via Kew Bridge and pick up Chiswick Mall towards the gardens.

   This is the real reason not to do Chiswick High Road: historic houses sit close to the Thames and the river starts to behave like a small old settlement rather than a London view.

   Walk from the previous stop to Strand-on-the-Green → Chiswick Mall (opens in a new tab)

4. Chiswick House & Gardens

   garden · 45–60 min · 5–10 min to George & Devonshire to next

   Burlington Lane, Chiswick, London W4 2RP

   From the previous stop Leave Chiswick Mall for the Burlington Lane entrance and use the live map for the nearest open gate. The gardens are the stop; entering the house is optional and separately ticketed.

   Walk the main lawn, lake, conservatory area and whichever side paths have your attention. The gardens are free, but seasonal gates and closing times need a live check.

   Walk from the previous stop to Chiswick House & Gardens (opens in a new tab)Official information for Chiswick House & Gardens (opens in a new tab)

5. George & Devonshire – optional local pint

   pub · 30–45 min · 18–25 min to The Old Pack Horse to next

   8 Burlington Lane, Chiswick, London W4 2QE

   From the previous stop This is just outside the gardens. Take it only if the group wants a second, more neighbourhood pause; otherwise walk straight on to dinner.

   A Grade II-listed old-Chiswick pub near the former brewery. The most optional stop in the route: skip it freely if a pub crawl would flatten the ending.

   Walk from the previous stop to George & Devonshire – optional local pint (opens in a new tab)Official information for George & Devonshire – optional local pint (opens in a new tab)

6. The Old Pack Horse – Thai dinner

   dinner · 60–90 min · 10 min to South Acton to next

   434 Chiswick High Road, London W4 5TF

   From the previous stop Use the live walking route from Burlington Lane to the Chiswick High Road. If you skipped George & Devonshire, head here directly from the gardens.

   The landing point: a Grade II-listed pub with a Thai kitchen, so curry, noodles or stir-fry arrive inside an old English-pub shell. On Saturdays it advertises live local music from around 8pm; verify the exact act, start time and food service before relying on it.

   Walk from the previous stop to The Old Pack Horse – Thai dinner (opens in a new tab)Official information for The Old Pack Horse – Thai dinner (opens in a new tab)

Finish and easy exit.

Walk about ten minutes to South Acton, then take the Mildmay line via Acton Central to Willesden Junction. Check the live TfL service before leaving the pub.

Open exit station (opens in a new tab)