Nature lovers can enjoy a stunning park covering 1,000 acres which boasts ancients woodlands and home to herds of roaming wild deer in a location which will surprise many
A park which is a wildlife haven for nature lovers stretches over 1,000 acres of lush landscape and it’s in one of the least likely areas of the country.
While most people think of the hustle and bustle of London with endless traffic jams, people can escape for a moment of peace and quiet in Bushy Park and enjoy the ancient woodlands with its home to herds of wild deer.
Similarly scenes of free-roaming wild deer can also be seen in nearby Richmond Park and last year people living in Harold Hill in Havering, East London, even saw deer walking past their homes.
Bushy Park in southwest London supports a diverse population of 320 red and fallow deer that graze freely, shaping the park’s environment and preserving its acid grassland habitat. Visitors are advised to maintain a respectful distance from the deer, ideally around 50m, even though the deer might approach them out of curiosity.
But even if the deer don’t approach, Bushy still makes for an idyllic walk in the festive season – especially if there’s a bit of frost on the ground. As it happens, Bushy is also the best park in the UK in which to walk your dog. A park-goer shared their experience: “Went to see autumn deers (sic), just magnificent. Tried to keep our distance, but animals do not seem to care at all and keep just next to busy footpaths. The end of October is a wonderful time to see them.”
In addition to deer, you can spot herons and kingfishers in woodland pools, while the park’s grasslands teem with grasshoppers, spiders, butterflies, and hedgehogs. But it’s not all about the wildlife; Bushy Park also offers activities like the weekly Parkrun on Saturdays, a scenic 10km trail for avid runners, and sports facilities at the Bushy Park Sports Club where you can play tennis, football, or cricket.
Bushy Park’s crowning glory is the iconic Diana Fountain, a majestic Grade I listed monument with a heritage stretching back to the 17th Century, originally commissioned by Charles I. Designed by the legendary Inigo Jones as an exquisite offering for the monarch’s wife, it first adorned Somerset House before finding its current home in the park, reported My London.
For those intrigued by history, you can stroll through the elegant Waterhouse Woodland Gardens from the 18th century, complete with serene cascades, pools, and even a waterfall—a tranquil haven to steal away from the urban whirl. Families won’t miss out on the fun, with the Bushy Park playground offering up a large sandpit, climbing frames, swings, and conveniently, a kiosk to grab refreshments.
This park comes highly recommended on Google reviews, where visitors have praised its peaceful atmosphere. One review reads: “If you want to escape from everyday life and the hustle and bustle of the city, this is the best place in London.”
While another shares that the park is, “The most stunning of parks and countryside where you’ll see cheeky friendly squirrels geese ducks stags and deer everywhere! Parkland is beautiful absolutely worth a visit. Follow it with yummy pizza or cake and a cuppa and there’s your 10k steps you will not regret it!!”
Meanwhile last year residents living in Harold Hill in Havering, East London, said they were “shocked” to see herds of deer wandering around front gardens and other parts of the neighbourhood on July 23. One woman who lives in Harold Hill said she was “shocked” at first, then “pleased” to see the deer so close to the built-up area.
A wedding photographer who was delivering photos to a client in Harold Hill took the opportunity to photograph the deer. Danny Jackson told MyLondon: “There is a woods nearby but I’ve never noticed them so far into the estate before. I presume the recent heatwave has dried up their usual grazing areas and so they had ventured further in.”
The photographer added: “I spent some time following them as they travelled from garden to garden. At one point they entered a garden with several rose bushes and they ate all the roses.” It isn’t the first time deer have been spotted around Harold Hill. Herds of the animals were seen relaxing in gardens in the area in April 2020, during the coronavirus lockdown.