Richmond Park, London, England

Richmond Park is the largest Royal Park in London, covering 2,500 acres and maintains a very natural habitat with hills, ponds and trees. Almost 1000 deer roam free and many species of animal live here, including the two varieties of deer: Red and Fallow.

The area was origninaly called Sheen and East Sheen still retains that name, but Richmond changed its name during the reign of Henry VII. The court of Charles I came to Richmond Palace to escape the plague in London in 1625. The park was walled to keep the deer inside and was used for Royal hunting trips. The royal connections go back to 1272.

Isabella Plantation is a beautiful large woodland garden created after World War II, fenced off from the deer, but open to people. There is a "protected view" from Henry's Mound, near Pembroke Lodge, via a telescope, through a hedge, all the way to St Paul Cathedral in central London 12 miles away.

Facilities for disabled guests are provided and opening hours are from 07h00 in Summer and 07h30 in Winter with closure at dusk.

There are several car-parks around the park, near the main entrances, and roads run through the park between them, but there are also cycle-paths, footpaths and bridle-ways for horses. There is a cafe near the Roehampton Gate and Pembroke Lodge (formerly the residence of the Prime Minister in the 19th Century) near the main Richmond Hill Gate.


Richmond Park,
Holly Lodge
TW10 5HS

+44(20)89483209 (telephone)
+44(20)83322730 (fax)

Richmond Train Station 2 miles away

The main entrance to the park is on Richmond Hill

The Terrace Gardens are a beautiful place to visit if you are in Richmond. They sit between the River Thames and the famous Richmond Hill Terrace near the main entrance to Richmond Park at the top of the hill. There are many park benches and lawns on which to have picnics or for children to run around. At the bottom of the hill there is a glass house similar to the ones in Kew Gardens, except far smaller.

There are beautiful trees and plants with ornate flower-beds all maintained by the local council, so there is no entry fee. About half way down the gardens there is a small cafe with a pleasant terrace on which you can sit and watch the river and the gardens. There are statues and a fountain and at the bottom near the river a Victorian underpass running under the road to the tow-path and the river.

There is very little parking near the gardens, apart from in Richmond Park and a few spaces at the top of the hill. Parking is also available in the centre of Richmond and the railway and tube stations are about half a mile away. The gardens are tranquil, but not as impressive as Kew Gardens, nor as important a landmark as Richmond Park, but they are free and make a good place to relax for a while or a good route from the hill to the river.