Richmond Park

1. Relax, sit and do nothing or read a book, recharge your batteries, re-set you mental health; Richmond Park is the quietest and most tranquil place in London
2. Wander the open grassland and woodlands, sit by the ponds and streams, listen to the sounds of nature, 2,500 acres is yours to explore
3. See the 600 deer who roam freely; but remember they are wild animals, don't get closer than 50m and don't try to touch or feed them, they can attack
4. Visit the spectacular gardens at Isabella and Pembroke Lodge, which also has a large wildflower and pollinator garden
5. 'Walk the Wall' - follow the 8 miles of the wall built in 1637 by Charles I to enclose the park for hunting
6. Have lunch or tea at Pembroke Lodge on the patio with views westward to the Thames Valley and Windsor
7. Look through the telescope on King Henry's Mound to St Paul's Cathedral ten miles away - a view created in 1710
8. Cycle on the Park's roads (20mph list) or the shared-use Tamsin Trail (10 mph) which goes around the Park
9. See the lovely White Lodge, built by George II and home to royalty and now the Royal Ballet School
10. Look at the spectacular view of central London from Sawyers Hill
11. Go to the Visitor Centre just outside Pembroke Lodge for information and gifts to remember your time in Richmond Park
12. Play golf at the public Richmond Park Golf Course, with two 18 hole courses

Features
  • Nature reserve
  • Wild areas
  • Treescape
  • Woodland
  • Pond/lake

Facilities
  • Dogs allowed in all greenspaces
  • Park Cafe - indoor and outdoor seating

Opening Times: Always open for pedestrians, dawn to dusk for traffic, closed at 8pm twice a year for deer cull

With 950 ha (2500 acres) Richmond Park is the largest of the Royal Parks and the largest enclosed urban park in Europe. It is a National Nature Reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a European Special Area for Conservation and a Grade 1 listed landscape. It is also the quietest and at night the darkest place in London. Enclosed as a hunting park by an eight mile (13km) long and nine foot (2.7m) high wall built by Charles 1 in in 1637, it has 300 red and 300 fallow deer that roam freely and a wealth of other wildlife, including 1200 veteran oak trees, 60 species of breeding birds, 400 species of fungi, 160 species of spiders and 9 of the 17 UK species of bat. It has the largest area of acid grassland in the London area and many species of wildflower. If you like history, it has strong associations with Royalty and politicians (three Prime Ministers lived in the Park) and was the site of the Olympic athletes village in 1948. The Park has over 5 million visitors a year, with the most popular reason for visiting being its tranquillity and escape from the stresses and strains of London.

Who you will find in Richmond Park

FRIENDS OF RICHMOND PARK

Friends

Best place to check for events in this park

Caring

The organisation with legal responsibility for Richmond Park is THE ROYAL PARKS. Their website for the park is

Richmond Park is managed and maintained by THE ROYAL PARKS

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FRIENDS OF RICHMOND PARK

Formed 1961

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