Richmond Park closing times?

[musa]

Yeah i was scared to complete a full lap cah of the deer. Last encounter i managed to rescue next time round maybe not so fortunate

Then again ive never tried venison

 

[clarion]

Worth being a bit cautious, though I confess that, last time I was there, it was a moonlit night, and, when there was no one else nearby, I switched off my front light (kept the rear ones on, just in case someone came up behind while I wasn't paying attention). Magical.

 

[Sittingduck]

It was a bit a spooky last night. Really cold and quite misty. Not another soul in there at about 8pm. No dear spotted but a fox was running alongside me on the approach to Broomfield hill. I prefer it in daylight, just from the safety aspect and think that dawn in early summer is about as good as it gets. Stealth missions are quite fun but I require good lights - pref more than one of 'em.

 

[jefmcg]

That's what I thought at first, but the red dashes are along the other roads, just not the ones I've cited.

I think the red dashes along roads are actually marking the cycle path beside the road.
[QUOTE 2232292, member: 1314"]I don't cycle in the park on my own at night. I find it scary. I always think I'm going to get attacked by Leatherface.[/quote]
Um, Leatherface comes to Richmond park in daylight only, I'm afraid.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4297449.stm

Then again ive never tried venison

I bought some Royal Parks venison from Windsor Farm Shop in December: quite likely from Richmond (or Bushy or Great Windsor) Park.

 

[slowmotion]

Don't be scared of being there after dark. It's not a good idea to bomb down the hills expecting the wildlife to scatter before your God-life presence, but it is absolute magic with good lights at a lesser pace. I can't imagine that criminal gangs gather behind the trees to leap out and nick your bike. I have always felt the darkness to be quite warm and comforting, even in the rain. Have fun.

[Dracula has spoken]

 

[Mallory]

I've done it after dark in the pouring rain ONCE. The noises from the woods completely spooked me

 

[clarion]

I think the red dashes along roads are actually marking the cycle path beside the road.

But there aren't cycle paths there! The off-road path is clearly marked as separate from the road.

 

[clarion]

I've had a (sort of) clarification from Richmond Park:

The route between Robin Hood Gate and Spankers Hill Wood is part of the Capital Ring cycling route. The route between Roehampton & Kingston Gate and Kingston & Richmond Gate is using the Tamsin Trail which is a shared path between cyclists and pedestrians.

Which is to say, they would prefer you not to use the roads, and go along the off-road route. However, on pressing, I got this:

Cyclists are allowed on the roads in Richmond Park the same as cars. On the map where there are already dashes indicating either the Tamsin Trail or the National Cycle Route we have not put the red dashes even though cyclists are allowed on them which is explained on the key symbols of the map.

Which is to say that we are allowed. The bit about the Tamsin trail is misleading, as that doesn't use the road at any point, as far as I can tell. I'm not sure about the NCR, but I think it's actually along the Tamsin from Roehampton to Richmond Gates.

The Capital Ring, which does go (off-road) from Robin Hood Gate over Spankers Hill, and out of the Petersham pedestrian gate, is a walking route, and not really for cycling, unless my correspondent is advising that it is permitted just in RP (which I doubt). I don't think I'd risk the ire of pole-wielding walkers to make a pretty poor point on that one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_Ring

Of course, what has been overlooked in the email is that the road from Sheen Cross to Ham Cross is open to cyclists, and not motorists, but that's a minor niggle.

 

[Mallory]

One poor bloke had a heart attack and wasn't found till the next morning