Heritage Trails

The Yanks are Here!

Welcome to Bushy Park and our heritage trail, The Yanks Are Here! This trail takes you around the site of the vast American air force base that was set up in Bushy Park during World War Two.

Details

Start and Finish: Disabled Gate into Pheasantry Garden.
Length: 2 ½ miles or 4 km.
Duration: About 1 ¾ hour.
Accessibility of route: Grass and gravel paths, some slopes and uneven ground.
Hazards: Busy road to cross.
Number of stops: 10.

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Stops are marked on the map with their number. Print the map to go with your Podcast.

Directions

To find the start - Stop 1: This is at the gate into the Pheasantry Gardens, near the small car park for disabled visitors. Make sure you are outside the gardens and you can see the wide open space of the park. Stand with your back to the gate and the fence. If you’re in the right place, you will have a tarmac path in front of you.

Audio guide for Stop 1

To find Stop 2: Turn right onto the path in front of you and follow it, keeping the fence on your right. When the fence turns sharply to the right, the path meets a road. There are two lodge houses on the opposite side of the road. Turn right and walk along the edge of the road for a few minutes until you reach a T junction. This is where the road meets Chestnut Avenue. This is Stop 2.

Audio guide for Stop 2

To find Stop 3: Cross Chestnut Avenue and walk onto the grass on the other side. Take care because the road can be busy. Turn left and walk with Chestnut Avenue on your left until you reach the gate at the top of the Avenue.

When you get to the gate, stay inside the park. Turn right onto a wide grit track. You’ll pass a lodge house on your left. You’ll also see a wooden fence on your left. Look for the point where the fence joins the brick wall of the park. Now follow the wall for about 50 metres until you find two brick pillars in the wall about 1.5metres apart. Walk over to the pillars. This is Stop 3.

Audio guide for Stop 3

To find Stop 4: Return to the path and continue with the wall on your left for about 20 paces. Look down at the grass verge on the right of the path. There’s a small brown plaque in the ground next to the right hand side of the path. It’s in the shape of an open book, about 30 cm or 1ft across. This is Stop 4. There’s a second plaque about 100 metres further along the path, on the left hand side, opposite a large tree.

Audio guide for Stop 4

To find Stop 5: From the second plaque, step off the right hand side of the path and walk a few paces on to the grass. You’re looking for a white memorial stone surrounded by a low metal fence. It’s about 75 metres from the path, to the right of a white flagpole and in front of a group of trees. Walk over to the memorial. Take care because the ground is uneven.

Audio guide for Stop 5

To find Stop 6: Retrace your steps across the grass back to the path next to the park wall. Take care again because the ground is uneven. Turn right onto the path and continue walking, keeping the wall on your left, until you reach the metal gate in the wall. This is Shaef Gate, Stop 6.

Audio guide for Stop 6

To find Stop 7: Stand with your back to Shaef Gate and look for the white flagpole ahead of you in the grass. Walk across to the flagpole. Take care because the ground is uneven.

Audio guide for Stop 7

To find Stop 8: At the flagpole, face the park wall and look for the large five-pointed star set into the bricks. Find the bottom right hand point of this star and turn so that you are facing the direction that it is pointing. You should now be able to see a narrow grassy path that heads away in the direction of this bottom right hand point of the star.

The path heads towards the trees of the Warren Plantation. There’s a dead tree with no branches in the distance. Follow the path for two or three minutes until you reach this tree. You’re in the right place if there’s a junction of several tracks. This is Stop 8.

Audio guide for Stop 8

To find Stop 9: Stand with your back to the flagpole. From the dead tree stump, turn left onto a broad grass track and then almost immediately, turn right onto another broad grass track. Follow this track for a few minutes until you come to the narrow tarmac road of Cobblers Walk. This is Stop 9.

Audio guide for Stop 9

To find Stop 10: Make sure you are standing with your back to the Warren Plantation. Turn right and follow Cobblers Walk towards Chestnut Avenue until you reach a house, Hawthorn Cottage. This is Stop 10.

Audio guide for Stop 10

To return to the start: Walk along the last bit of Cobbler’s Walk to Chestnut Avenue. Cross Chestnut Avenue, again taking care of the traffic. Walk along the road facing you. This will take you back to the path and the gate where you started.