Holiday apartment in Richmond Upon Thames – parks, culture and history

Richmond Upon Thames has more green space than any other London borough, including 128 parks, commons and woodland areas. The destination combines parkland and wetlands with historic gardens and houses, as well as museums and cultural venues.

Nature

Richmond Park is a National Nature Reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The park includes wetlands, meadows, ancient trees and acid grassland. Bushy Park also features woodland, wetland and habitats with ancient trees, as well as acid grassland, and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The family-friendly Tamsin Trail runs around Richmond Park; there are also roads for cycling and paths for walking and running. At WWT London Wetland Centre, six hides are available for wildlife observation and photography. During pond dipping, visitors can explore specially created ponds with nets and identify wetland creatures with support from the team.

Kew Gardens is home to more than 50,000 living plants on its UNESCO World Heritage Site. The garden is 30 minutes from central London. Its four entrances are accessible by train, bus or water, while parking is limited.

Culture and history

Marble Hill is the last completely preserved example of the elegant villas and gardens from the 18th century that lined the Thames between Richmond and Hampton Court. Georgian interiors and new exhibitions about Henrietta Howard can be seen there.

Ham House lies on the Thames in Richmond and is surrounded by grounds. These include a 17th-century walled kitchen garden and a maze-like wilderness. In summer, the kitchen garden produces, among other things, early potatoes, garlic and courgettes. The Lauderdales transformed Ham House into one of England’s grandest houses.

Strawberry Hill House & Garden was created by Horace Walpole in the 18th century and is an example of Georgian Gothic Revival architecture. The garden can be visited free of charge and is open throughout the week. A guided landscape tour explores the historic garden and explains its role in the development of the more natural English landscape garden, as well as its significance within the Thames Arcadian landscape.

Museums and visitor experiences

The Museum of Richmond tells the story of Richmond from prehistoric times through its rise to become a royal residence in the Middle Ages to its modern significance as a centre of art and fashion. Its collection comprises more than 5,000 objects, including archaeological finds, costumes, toys and games, as well as evidence of domestic and social history. The programme includes permanent exhibitions, temporary exhibitions, educational workshops and an events programme.

The World Rugby Museum preserves more than 41,000 recorded objects, 16,500 archive materials and 11,300 photographs. As part of a backstage tour of Allianz Stadium, visitors can explore exclusive areas normally reserved for elite rugby players and then visit the World Rugby Museum.

Orleans House Gallery is a free public art gallery in gardens overlooking the Thames in Twickenham. The centrepiece is the magnificent Baroque Octagon Room.

Getting there

Strawberry Hill railway station is a 5- to 10-minute walk from Strawberry Hill House & Garden.

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Back to the higher-level travel overview: Greater London.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Kingston Upon Thames, Waltham Forest, Brent, Southwark, Sutton, Harrow.