{"product_id":"river-and-palaces-gpx-route","title":"River and Palaces GPX Route","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Thames, seven royal palaces, and four centuries of London hiding in plain sight.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFour hundred years ago this stretch of the Thames was lined with royal palaces, grand villas and country estates. Wealthy landowners built their homes here, close enough to reach the city when needed, yet far enough to escape its noise, filth and disease. A Palladian villa built purely to show off. A duchess who out-survived the Civil War. A house so strange its owner invented a word for it. All before Richmond Park.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch4 class=\"product-single__accordion__title-text\"\u003eRide Details\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRide Level:\u003c\/strong\u003e Easy (Green)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDistance:\u003c\/strong\u003e 42 km \/ 26 miles\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTerrain:\u003c\/strong\u003e Riverside paths, royal parkland, cycleways and quiet roads\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBike:\u003c\/strong\u003e Suitable for all bikes\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e GPX route file \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch4 class=\"product-single__accordion__title-text\"\u003eThe Route\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStart at London Cycle Workshop on Sheen Lane, easily reached by train to Mortlake. The route picks up the Thames almost immediately, past Chiswick House, a Palladian villa the Earl of Burlington built in 1729 purely for entertaining, never for living in, with gardens that outclass the house.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnward past Syon House, low and castellated from the park side, where fat contented cows graze a landscape that looks arranged rather than grown, and a lake now reflects aircraft lining up for Heathrow. Marble Hill House follows, built for Henrietta Howard, mistress of the future George II, who turned the wealth it gave her into independence and a formidable circle of friends.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStrawberry Hill House is next, and it's the strangest building on the route (more on that below). Then the Thames carries you on to Hampton Court, where the route gives you Christopher Wren's Baroque additions for William and Mary rather than the Tudor front. Red brick, white stone, tall windows over the Long Water. One of the best views in London.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe route finishes in Richmond Park, Henry VIII's old hunting ground, still doing a reasonable impression of one. The deer are entirely unbothered by everyone sharing it with them now.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch4 class=\"product-single__accordion__title-text\"\u003eStrawberry Hill and the Invention of \"Gloomth\"\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHorace Walpole, son of Britain's first Prime Minister, built Strawberry Hill from 1749 onwards as a monument to his own collecting habit — paintings, medieval relics, apparently even strands of Edward IV's hair. He invented his own architectural style for it and called it \"gloomth.\" Some of the battlements are decorative props. The gallery ceiling is papier-mâché. Walpole also wrote The Castle of Otranto here, generally regarded as the first Gothic novel, after a nightmare he had in the house.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA short detour also takes in Ham House, built in 1610 and barely altered since, transformed inside by Elizabeth Murray, Duchess of Lauderdale, who navigated the chaos of the Civil War and somehow prospered whichever side was winning. A useful skill.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch4 class=\"product-single__accordion__title-text\"\u003eFinish\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ride closes in Richmond Park, deer grazing, cyclists ranging from head-to-toe lycra to definitely not, which is a decent metaphor for the ride as a whole.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/u\/0\/embed?mid=14la0AQsnI-iSlbPQacsh5NouxHaGWDo\u0026amp;ehbc=2E312F\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003eStart and End Points\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eStart and Finish : Mortlake Station \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003eRide Details\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDistance: 42 km | 26 miles\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eClimb: 70 m | 230 ft\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ePercentage off-road: 50%\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eTrail surface: Riverside Paths | Royal Parkland | Cycleways | Quiet Roads\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eTechnical Grade: Green - Easy\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMudometer - Riverside paths can be soft after rain but the route is largely rideable on any bike year round.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003eIs this ride for me?\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" alt=\"Bike icon depicting a green or easy Hidden Tracks Cycling Gravel Bike ride\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0530\/3202\/6293\/files\/Easy_Ride.png?v=1732123807\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 class=\"product-single__accordion__title-text\"\u003eEasy (20-40 km)\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eExpect a gentle ride ridden at an easy pace.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWith few or no hills on well-maintained gravel paths, bike lanes and shared-use paths. These rides are suitable for riders who can pedal for about an hour without stopping.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSuitable for all bikes including hybrids and e-bikes. Wide tyres recommended after wet weather.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead more about our grades \u003ca rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/hiddentrackscycling.co.uk\/pages\/ride-grades\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003eIs my bike OK for this ride?\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis route can be completed on any bike. Wide tyres are an advantage on the riverside sections after rain.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hidden Tracks Cycling Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58457496322429,"sku":null,"price":5.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0530\/3202\/6293\/files\/River_and_Palaces_GPX_Route_Cyclist_at_Marble_Hill_House_Twickenham.jpg?v=1785451933","url":"https:\/\/hiddentrackscycling.co.uk\/products\/river-and-palaces-gpx-route","provider":"Hidden Tracks Cycling Ltd","version":"1.0","type":"link"}