View source for Bushy Park

{{Short description|Public park in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames}}
{{About|one of the Royal Parks in London}}
{{distinguish|Bushey Park}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2013}}
{{Infobox park
| name = Bushy Park
| image = Bushy park from the air.jpg
| image_caption = Aerial view of Bushy Park
| map = United Kingdom London Richmond upon Thames
| map_caption = Location in West London
| type = [[Public Park]]
| location = London, England
| coordinates = {{coord|51.414758|-0.340496|type:landmark_region:GB|name=Bushy Park|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| area = {{convert|445|ha|acre}}
| created = 1529
| operator = [[The Royal Parks]]
| status = Open 24 hours year round except during the deer cull
{{Infobox designation list
| embed                   = yes
| designation1_offname    = Bushy Park
| designation1            = National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens 
| designation1_date       = 1 October 1987
| designation1_number     = {{Listed building England| 1000281}}
}}
| publictransit = {{rint|london|rail|}} {{rws|Hampton Court}} <br /> {{rint|london|rail|}} [[Hampton railway station (London)|Hampton]] <br />
{{rint|london|rail|}} {{rws|Hampton Wick}}<br />
{{rint|london|rail|}} {{rws|Teddington}}
| website = https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/bushy-park
}}{{Infobox SSSI
|image=Deer in foggy Bushy Park, London.jpg
|image_caption=Deer grazing in Bushy Park
|name= Bushy Park and Home Park (SSSI)
|aos= [[Greater London]]
|interest= Biological
|gridref={{gbmappingsmall|TQ159692  }}
|area= {{convert|540.39|ha|acre}}
|notifydate=2014
|map=[http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%272000738%27   ''Magic Map'']
}}
'''Bushy Park''' in the [[London Borough of Richmond upon Thames]] is the second largest of [[Royal Parks of London|London's Royal Parks]], at {{convert|445|ha|acre}} in area, after [[Richmond Park]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/bushy_park/ |title=Bushy Park |publisher=[[The Royal Parks]] |access-date=7 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528105028/http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/bushy_park/ |archive-date=28 May 2010 }}</ref> The park, most of which is open to the public, is immediately north of [[Hampton Court Palace]] and [[Hampton Court Park]] and is a few minutes' walk from the west side of [[Kingston Bridge, London|Kingston Bridge]]. It is surrounded by [[Teddington]], [[Hampton, London|Hampton]], [[Hampton Hill]] and [[Hampton Wick]] and is mainly within the post towns of Hampton and Teddington, those of [[East Molesey]] and Kingston upon Thames taking the remainder.<!--esoteric and unnecessary, wretchedly drawn post towns around here-->

In September 2014, most of it was designated a biological [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]] together with Hampton Court Park and Hampton Court Golf Course as ''Bushy Park and Home Park SSSI''.<ref name=SSSI>{{cite web |url=http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/Special/sssi/images/uploaded_files/Bushy%20Park%20and%20Home%20Park%20SSSI%20notification%20document%205%20Sept%202014.pdf |title=Bushy Park and Home Park citation |series=Sites of Special Scientific Interest |publisher=[[Natural England]] |access-date=8 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150117084942/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/Special/sssi/images/uploaded_files/Bushy%20Park%20and%20Home%20Park%20SSSI%20notification%20document%205%20Sept%202014.pdf |archive-date=17 January 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%272000738%27|title=Map of Bushy Park and Home Park|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date=  8 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bushy Park and Home Park Unit List|url=http://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteUnitList.aspx?SiteCode=S2000738&SiteName=bushy&countyCode=&responsiblePerson=|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date=  13 December 2014}}</ref>
The park is listed at Grade I on the [[Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England|Register of Historic Parks and Gardens]].<ref name=NHLE>{{NHLE|num=1000281|desc=Bushy Park|date = 1 October 1987|access-date=10 February 2016|mode=cs2}}</ref>

==History==
{{See also|List of Lieutenants and Keepers of Hampton Court Chase and ex officio Rangers of Bushy Park}}
The area now known as Bushy Park has been settled for at least the past 4,000 years: the earliest archaeological records that have been found on the site date back to the [[Bronze Age]]. There is also evidence that the area was used in the [[medieval]] period for [[Field (agriculture)|agricultural purposes]].<ref name=" Museum">{{cite web | url=http://www.twickenham-museum.org.uk/detail.asp?ContentID=364 | title=Bushy Park: a playground for the people | publisher=The Twickenham Museum | work=Places | access-date=13 July 2014 | archive-date=10 November 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110065450/http://www.twickenham-museum.org.uk/detail.asp?ContentID=364 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

When [[Henry VIII]] took over Hampton Court Palace from [[Cardinal (Catholic Church)|Cardinal]] [[Thomas Wolsey]] in 1529, the King named three parks that make up modern-day Bushy Park and a small area beside: Hare Warren, Middle Park and Bushy Park. A keen hunter, he established them as deer-hunting grounds.<ref name=page/>

His successors, perhaps less involved in traditional sporting activities, added a number of picturesque features, including the [[Longford River]], a {{convert|19|km|mi|adj=on}} canal built on the orders of [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] to provide water to Hampton Court, and the park's various ponds. This period also saw the construction of the main thoroughfare, Chestnut Avenue, which runs from Park Road in Teddington to the Lion Gate entrance to Hampton Court Palace in Hampton Court Road. This avenue and the Arethusa '[[Diana Fountain, Bushy Park|Diana]]' Fountain were designed by [[Sir Christopher Wren]] as a grand approach to Hampton Court Palace.

[[File:BushyParkAutumn.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Chestnut trees in early autumn]]The park has long been popular with locals, but also attracts visitors from further afield. From the mid-19th century until [[World War II]], Londoners came here to celebrate Chestnut Sunday and to see the abundant blossoming of the trees along Chestnut Avenue. The customs were discovered and resurrected in 1993 by Colin and Mu Pain.<ref>{{cite web|title=Chestnut Sunday: History|url=https://fbhp.org.uk/history-of-bushy-park/#page-scrl|url-status=live|access-date=24 September 2019|publisher=Friends of Bushy and Home Parks|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920110711/https://fbhp.org.uk/history-of-bushy-park/ |archive-date=20 September 2020 }}</ref>

Among those who served as ranger (an honorary position, long including residence at [[Bushy House]]) was King [[William IV]], while Duke of Clarence (1797–1830). To ensure his consort [[Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen|Queen Adelaide]], could remain at their long-time home after his death, he immediately appointed her as his successor as ranger (1830–1849),<ref name=page>{{cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22210 |title=Spelthorne Hundred: Hampton Court Palace: parks |editor=William Page  |publisher=Institute of Historical Research |date=1911 |work=A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 2|access-date=3 April 2013 }}</ref> after whose death the position was left vacant and fell into disuse.<ref>'Spelthorne Hundred: Hampton, introduction', Page, {{Abbreviation|ibid.|ibidem (the same work)}} pp. 319–324. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/middx/vol2/pp319-324 Accessed 1 October 2017.</ref>

During [[World War I]], Bushy Park housed the King's Canadian Hospital in the modern "White Lodge", and between the wars it hosted a camp for undernourished children.

During [[World War II]], General [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] planned the [[D-Day landings]] from [[Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force]] (SHAEF) at [[Camp Griffiss]] in the Park.  A memorial by Carlos Rey [http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ie=UTF8&q=bushy+park&fb=1&gl=uk&hq=bushy+park&cid=0,0,2857516010061366616&ei=wuYATPnkBJWy0gTN1Y3MAw&ved=0CBUQnwIwAA&hnear=&ll=51.418399,-0.328013&spn=0.00276,0.008256&t=h&z=18&lci=org.wikipedia.en] dedicated to the Allied troops who fell on D-Day now marks the spot where General Eisenhower's tent stood. The nearby Eisenhower House is named in the General's honour, and Shaef Gate is named after the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force.

From May 1942, a group of temporary buildings on the north-east of the park, codenamed ''Widewing'', hosted the ''de facto'' headquarters of the US [[Eighth Air Force]] under Generals [[Carl Spaatz]] and, later, [[Ira Eaker]].<ref>James Parton: ''Air Force Spoken Here'' {{ISBN|1-58566-080-9}}</ref> Spaatz went on to command the [[US Army Air Forces]] throughout the European Theatre of Operations (ETO) and in early 1944 became commander of the newly formed US Strategic Air Forces ([[USSTAF]]) in Europe at ''Widewing''.  Also known by its US Army code, AAF-586, [[Camp Griffiss]]/''Widewing'' was often confused with the wartime headquarters of [[VIII Fighter Command]] (part of [[Eighth Air Force]]) at ''Bushey'' Hall, near Watford, Hertfordshire. The park also had a runway for planes. 

==The park today==
{{more citations needed|section|date=September 2021}}
[[File:Bushy Park Water Gardens.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Upper Lodge Water Gardens]]
Originally created for royal sports, Bushy Park is now home to Teddington Rugby Club and four cricket clubs – Teddington Town Cricket Club, [[Hampton Wick Royal Cricket Club]], Teddington Cricket Club, and Hampton Hill Cricket Club.  [[Teddington Hockey Club]] was based in the Park until it moved to [[Teddington School]]; from 1871 onwards, the rules of the modern game of [[field hockey]] were largely devised at Bushy.<ref>Christopher Winn: ''I Never Knew That about the Thames''. London: Ebury Press, 2010, p. 143.</ref>
It also has fishing and model boating ponds, horse rides, formal plantations of trees and other plants, wildlife conservation areas, and herds of both [[red deer]] and [[fallow deer]].

The park also contains several lodges and cottages: [[Bushy House]], housing the [[National Physical Laboratory, UK|National Physical Laboratory]] (NPL) at the [[Teddington]] end, and the Royal Paddocks and two areas of [[Allotment (gardening)|allotments]] – the [[Royal Paddock Allotments|Royal Paddocks Allotments]] at [[Hampton Wick]] and the Bushy Park Allotments at [[Hampton Hill]].

The original [[Parkrun]] began in Bushy Park in October 2004, initially as the 'Bushy Park Time Trial', then [[Bushy Parkrun]]. It is a free, timed, 5K run that takes place every Saturday morning at 9{{nbsp}}am, attracting up to 1,500 runners each week. Events also take place annually on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

As part of an upgrade of the park facilities, the new Pheasantry Café was added, and the restored and largely reconstructed Upper Lodge Water Gardens were opened in October 2009. The work was supported by the [[Heritage Lottery Fund]].

==Flora and fauna==
[[File:Fallow deer bushy park.jpg|thumb|right|350px|One of the park's deer]]
Bushy Park is part of the ''Bushy Park and [[Hampton Court Park|Home Park]] [[List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Greater London|SSSI]]'' designated in September 2014 for its range of semi-natural habitats such as [[acid grassland|acid]] and [[Grassland|neutral grassland]], [[scrubland]], [[woodland]], and [[wood pasture]]. There is an internationally important assemblage of invertebrates due to the mosaic of habitats including two hundred [[veteran trees]].<ref name="SSSI" /> A [[fungus gnat]] – a type of fly – new to the UK was found in the Waterhouse Woodland Gardens by [[Entomology|entomologist]] [[Peter Chandler (entomologist)|Peter Chandler]] and identified as ''Grzegorzekia bushyae'' and also known as the Bushy Gnat. This fly has since been found in a forest in south-east France.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gnat's genitals reveal new species in the UK|url=https://www.royalparks.org.uk/press-and-media/press-releases/gnats-genitals-reveal-new-species-in-the-uk|publisher=[[The Royal Parks]]|access-date=21 November 2016|date=14 June 2016}}</ref>

==Transport==
{{unreferenced section|small=yes|date=September 2021}}
[[File:Church Grove Gate.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Church Grove Gate opposite St John's church, [[Hampton Wick]], is the park's closest gate to [[Kingston Bridge, London|Kingston Bridge]] and [[Kingston Upon Thames|Kingston]] Town centre.]]
The closest [[National Rail|railway]] stations are [[Hampton Court railway station|Hampton Court]] in [[East Molesey]] to the south, [[Hampton Wick railway station|Hampton Wick]] to the east, [[Teddington railway station|Teddington]] and [[Fulwell railway station|Fulwell]] to the north, and [[Hampton railway station, London|Hampton]] to the west. All are within a 10- to 20-minute walk.

[[Transport for London]] bus routes 111, 216, and 411 pass the Hampton Court Gate on Hampton Court Road (the main southern entrance to the Park).

R70, R68, and 285 buses stop near the two Hampton Hill Gates off the High Street, while the R68 also serves the Blandford Road Gate (next to the [[National Physical Laboratory (United Kingdom)|NPL]] on Hampton Road, Teddington) before continuing to Hampton Court Green via Hampton Hill.

To the north, the main Teddington gate on Park Road, and a second on Sandy Lane, are only served by a half-hourly 481 bus service. But, the main gate is best reached, either on foot or by bike, from Teddington's town centre, which is served by the 33, 281, 285, 481, R68, and X26 services, via Park Road, or from the railway station.

The main north and south gates, connected by the Chestnut Avenue private highway, provide vehicle access to traffic from 6.30am until dusk (or to 7.00pm in the winter months). There is one straight road through the Park between the two gates but cars are no longer permitted to drive straight through the Park, and can only access respective car parks from either gate.

There is 24/7 bicycle access via the main avenue between the north and south gates and cycle paths/restricted access private highways across the park.

==See also==
* [[List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Greater London]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.fbhp.org.uk/ The Friends of Bushy and Home Parks]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090225082644/http://www.quantumtiger.org/search.htm?key=bushy+park Various photographs of Bushy Park]

{{Parks and open spaces in London}}
{{LB Richmond}}
{{SSSIs Greater London}}
{{London landmarks}}

{{coord}}

[[Category:Bushy Park| ]]
[[Category:Grade I listed parks and gardens in London]]
[[Category:Middlesex]]
[[Category:Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames]]
[[Category:Royal Parks of London]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in London]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 2014]]