On what was a chilly Thursday morning on 24th September 2026, I set off to meet other members at Waterloo Station to start the Canal History and Culture Group’s Beverley Brook walk. John had organised a walk along the Beverley Brook River which actually rises in Worcester Park but we joined it at Raynes Park to walk to it's end where it joins the River Thames at Putney, about a 7-mile walk.
After meeting up with a few more members at Raynes Park Station, we all set off down the main road to find our start to the Beverley Brook Walk, a path that runs by the side of the river. By now the sun was out and it was becoming a lovely day.
The Beverley Brook name is derived from the middle English word ‘bever’ because the European beaver lived in the river (they became extinct in the sixteenth century) and the word ‘ley’ meaning meadow. The word ‘Brook’ meant stream so Beverley Brook was thus the Beaver-Meadow Stream.
We leave the residential street via an alley to be greeted by open fields and the river on our left. Further along, we walk into an area where the river flows through a wood. Here we see a heron in the water and many dogs enjoying their walk and a few enjoying the water. We then have to cross the A3 to go into Richmond Park and find a Pegasus crossing, one dedicated to horses. Special wooden fencing and a button to activate the lights positioned higher so the horse riders can use it.
We enter Richmond Park via the Robin Hood Gate and pick up the Beverley Brook River again. We follow this through the park meeting some deer in our path who firstly stop to watch us then climb down the bank to get into the river. The stag then comes over to watch us and our group give it a wide berth to continue. Lunch time so we stop at the gardens by Roehampton Gate for a break.
After lunch we exit the park and find the river again to walk between the golf course and the International Tennis Centre. Arriving at the Upper Richmond Road, we have to leave the river for a while as it runs under and in residential areas. We walk to cross the railway lines that run into Barnes station and have a quick comfort break in a park between two railway lines.
Our final leg takes us past some lovely houses by Barnes Common then into Calisthenic Park where we pick up the river again and see and chat about the flood defensive earthworks in the park. We’re close the river Thames now and the planners are concerned with water flowing back up the Beverley and so are creating some flood ponds. At the end of this park, we find a water control barrier then the river outlet to the Thames where our Beverley walk ends. A long walk along the embankment with its line of many Rowing Clubs sees lots of rowers out in the sun in training. We get to Putney bridge and find the bus stop in the middle to start out trip home.
A very interesting walk and a lovely day out. Thanks to John, leader of the Canal History and Culture Group.
