Day 6 - Dorchester to Abbey Wood 2/06/05
We slept well in our 50p carpark and never heard the burnouts; the same can’t be said for the National Express call for computer help. We left early to beat the congestion in London, which paid off plus we got a free all day carpark at Hampton Court. Tourists aren’t suppose to be early risers so we had to go to 
Kew gardens to fill in time before the palace opened. The bus driver to Kew was kind enough to get off and show us the way as the gardens weren’t exactly on the bus route. Although the gardens were nice I thought £10 each was a little steep considering Christchurch’s Hagley and Auckland Botanical are free.
We bused back to Hampton Court Palace the former home of King Henry the VIII and also rumoured to be the home of my ancestors (If you believe tall tales). At £12 each it was better value than Kew as you not only got beautiful gardens to look at but a palace complete with some furnishings and a maze.
The day finished with a hunt to find Wimbledon Common. Although we found it, the rain kept us from going in search of wombles, but I did learn the difference between a common and a park. A common looks like an unkept park with lots of trees. We checked in at Abbey Wood, East London for three nights and this will act as our London base.
