Danny's News and Tips

London is a huge place and it is becoming bigger every year because tens of thousands of people relocated to the different parts of the capital constantly. One thing that London is really notable about is that it is actually the greenest city of its scale in Europe and the world as a whole. Even the most conservative estimates show that a quarter of the total territory of London is actually covered by open green spaces of some kind:

• Public parks

• Commons

• Forests

• Gardens

• Garden squares

This is pretty impressive, bearing in mind the fact that actually London covers well over 1500 square kilometers as of today, right?

There are hundreds of public parks in London, but there are some that stand out among the rest. Little doubt can be put on the claim that actually one of the best of those open green spaces is the magnificent Richmond Park.

Richmond Park – an overall characteristic

Located in the Royal Borough of Richmond upon Thames in South London, Richmond Park itself enjoys a royal status. Actually, it is the largest royal park in London at the present moment. It was created in the 17th century by no other but King Charles I, as a deer hunting ground. The fact that it is actually one of the greatest parks in the country as of the present moment is backed up by its numerous special designations - a national nature reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation and is included, at Grade I, on Historic England's Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England. Richmond Park’s landscapes have been an inspiration for countless artists and painters over the centuries and continues to be such today too. Richmond Park, originally a domain of the monarch, is now open to public and has played great importance in some of the most vital events in the history of London, such as the Battle for Britain during World War II, as well as two Olympic Games – those in 1948 and those in 2012.

Some key stats

Currently Richmond Park covers 3.69 square miles, which makes it the second largest public park in London after Lee Valley Park and the second largest walled urban park in the country after Sutton Park in Birmingham. It is actually three times larger than Central Park in New York City. The area is surrounded by some of the finest districts in the capital today. Starting from the northern boundary and moving clockwise those are as follows: East Sheen and Mortlake, Roehampton, Wimbledon Common, Coombe and Kinston Vale, Kingston upon Thames, Petersham and Ham, and Richmond.

Sports and recreations in Richmond Park

One of the main purposes of any open green space is to provide its visitors with opportunities for sports and recreational activities. In this respect, Richmond Park is very well developed. Here you will have the chance to participate in various sports activities such as:

• Cycling – either on your own bike, or a rented one that you can get from the Roehampton Gate hub. We recommend using the hundred percent car-free The Tamsin Trail, which is shared by cyclists and pedestrians alike.

• Fishing. This sport is allowed on Pen Ponds from mid-June to mid-March. All you need to get is your gear and a pre-paid permit from the park management.

• Richmond Park Golf Course facilitates one of the best golf courses in these parts of the capital.

• Horse Riding often takes place within the park. This is made easy thanks to the several stables that actually exist within the perimeter of Richmond Park.

• Rugby is something like a national sport and you will hardly find a public park in England where it is not being practiced. Richmond Park has its own section that is used for rugby, most notably by the Rosslyn Park Rugby Football Club.

• The aforementioned Tamsin Trail is 7.2 miles long and in addition to cycling it is widely used for running too.

Naturally, there are many children playgrounds scattered across the territory of Richmond Park too. So, if you visit the park with your little ones they will have a lot to do too.

Some notable features of Richmond Park

Richmond Park is large and very well developed. But it would have been hailed as one of the best parks in the capital of England today if it was not for its many notable features. Those include:

1) The Six original Park Gates, which were built after the park was enclosed in 1637. Those are Coombe Gate, Ham Gate, Richmond Gate, Robin Hood Gate, Roehampton Gate and Sheen Gate respectively. Richmond Gate is the most widely used and has been throughout the whole park’s history. There are of course other gates that have been added in later periods, but from a historical and architectural point of view, the six originals are actually the most fascinating.

2) The Buildings in Richmond Park that deserve wider attention include the Grade I listed White Lodge, as well as ten other Grade II listed buildings - Ham Gate Lodge, built in 1742; Holly Lodge (formerly known as Bog Lodge) and the game larder in its courtyard, built in 1735;Pembroke Lodge; Richmond Gate and Richmond Gate Lodge, dated 1798 and designed by Sir John Soane; Thatched House Lodge; and White Ash Lodge and its barns and stables, built in the 1730s or 1740s.

3) The protected view of St Paul’s Cathedral that is opened from King Henry’s mound. Another favourite of local visitors is the view of Central London from Sawyer’s Hill. From there you can see the London Eye, Natwest Tower and "The Gherkin", which all appear to be much closer to one another than they are in reality.

Richmond Park is also known to be home to as many 630 red and fallow deer, which is more than any other place in London. The animals are favourite objects of photographers who come to Richmond Park.