This neighbourhood is dominated by the 2,360-acre Richmond Park, the largest of London’s Royal Parks, and the second-largest urban walled park in the country. A national nature reserve and a Special Area of Conservation, visitors to the public park are likely to pass deer herds patrolling the vast fields, and innumerable bird species making the Pen Ponds their home. It is also the location of the Isabella Plantation, a beautiful woodland garden in a former boggy area, as well as a golf club, sports fields, horse stables, and walking trails. A number of lodges are dotted throughout, some of which have been transformed into prized education centres. Words can barely do justice to this magnificent green space, but the hordes of tourists and locals it attracts every day, rain or shine, and the hundreds of artistic interpretations of it on the walls of the world’s galleries, attest to its status as one of the city’s most beautiful and important landmarks.

The park has an extensive history which began in 1625, when Charles I moved his court to Richmond Palace to escape a plague outbreak in London, enclosing the park in 1637 but still allowing pedestrians right of way. King George II bought the park’s hunting lodge in 1719, as a country residence, putting his daughter Amelia in charge of it in 1751. The Princess caused major public uproar when she immediately closed the park off, only allowing a handful of close friends to enter. In 1758, the local brewer John Lewis took the gatekeeper who had prevented him from entering to court. The court ruled in favour of Lewis and the restrictions were lifted! Full public access was given in 1872, but the removal of firewood from the park was banned, which helped preserve the much-loved woodland, and drainage was dramatically improved. Edward VII developed the park into a full public amenity, making all the gates into the park public and ordering the creation of cricket and football pitches. The park was used to train cavalry during the First World War, and was an important location for anti-aircraft guns during the Second.

The aforementioned lodges that dot the park have been home to a number of famous faces over the years. Beyond their numerous royal residents, grand houses such as Pembroke Lodge have been home to the likes of eminent philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), former Prime Minister, Lord John Russell (1792-1878), and the actor David Niven (1910-1983). The beautiful White Lodge was home to Britain’s first ever Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole (1676-1745), and is now home to the Royal Ballet Lower School.

The huge size of Richmond Park means that roads have had to be built through it so that traffic does not build up in the surrounding areas. However, the heavy usage of these roads due to the park’s location on the way into London from the south-western suburbs means that congestion often builds up in the park itself, causing pollution to the areas near the roads. This can be a problem for local wildlife and for cyclists who use the park to escape the pollution of London’s roads.

The 3.5 million visitors, and the even higher number of those using the park’s roads per year, means that much of the park is in a constant cycle of regeneration, which includes road resurfacing and maintenance of the natural environment and wildlife. There are also plans to upgrade the storage space for the renowned Hearsum Collection, which holds more than 5,000 items relating to the history of the Royal Parks. The new Heritage Pavilion would have made the park and its history more accessible to the public, improved the educational facilities, encouraged responsible use of the park, and finally provided a visitors centre of suitable size! Sadly, in 2019 it was announced that the pavilion would not be developed but both the Hearsum Collection and The Friends of Richmond Park are still workjing together to make the initiative come to life. The Royal Parks actively supports the scheme, and the Heritage Lottery Fund has been considered for funding.