If you enjoy walking along the well-ordered pathways of the parklands that surround many grand country mansions and stately homes – typically dating from the 16th-18th centuries – then Homewood Park near Chertsey should be on your radar.

It’s a great place for an afternoon stroll, to walk the dog or let children run wild. And it’s free to visit!

Homewood Park is 23 hectares (57 acres) in size and has paths of gravel and tarmac suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs, as well as lots of rough mown open grassland where children can let off steam. It is criss-crossed by cycle routes and horse trails. There are also two lakes, areas of woodland and a nature trail to enjoy.

The main path is tarmac and leads from the park’s main car park in Stonehill Road, to the roundabout on the A320 adjacent to St Peter’s Hospital.

The Homewood Park we see today was designed to echo the original landscape of Botleys Park (there is traditionally no apostrophe before the “s”), which surrounded Botley Manor, an impressive mansion built on the site of an earlier house dating from the 14th century.

Botley Manor was constructed in the Palladian style during the late 1700s. It was designed by architect Kenton Couse, who also designed number 10 Downing Street.

From the park you have great views of this grand house – a grade II listed building – which is now known as Botleys Mansion (continuing the tradition of there being no apostrophe).

The mansion itself is not open to the public, being operated as a wedding and events centre. However, Homewood Park is separately owned by Runnymede Borough Council which encourages recreational use.

Botleys Park was originally much larger. A large chunk has been swallowed up by St Peter’s Hospital, while another part is occupied by Hillswood Business Park (accessed from the St Peter’s Hospital roundabout). The two lakes are now within the business park but have public access.

Botleys Park (with the house itself) was used in the 20th century as a mental hospital: “Botleys Park Colony for Mental Defectives” was initiated in 1932 but not fully opened until 1939. The colony could accommodate 1,200 patients, divided into three groups: male and female adults, and children. Twenty-one villas (since demolished) were built in the grounds to house them. The mansion house itself was adapted for use as a nurses' home.

Botleys was commandeered during the Second World War as a hospital for injured troops. Most of the mental patients were moved to other sites.

Homewood Park’s car park is in Stonehill Road. The post code is KT16 0AG, should you wish to find it using a satnav. It is necessary to obtain a ticket from the ticket machine but parking is free for three hours. It has public toilets, but they are open only from mid-April to mid-September.

Parking requires a ticket from a machine, but is free for the first three hours, and £2 for stays over three hours.

Homewood Parkrun

Homewood Parkrun is a free 5km community event every Saturday at 9am but, despite its similar name, the route does not go through Homewood Park. It starts at Ottershaw Memorial Fields (Foxhills Road, KT16 0NQ). You can run, jog or walk – see www.parkrun.org.uk/homewood for details.

It is one of thousands of parkrun locations worldwide. You must register with parkrun before your first parkrun event.