Richmond packs a royal deer park, a Bavarian beer garden and a keyhole view of St Paul’s ten miles away into one riverside village that still somehow feels like it’s getting away with something.
Of all the places we cover in Richmond, this is the one that makes people ask us the most often whether we’re still talking about London. Wild deer graze a few minutes from the tube. The Thames curls past willow trees and pubs that flood at high tide. There’s a garden centre restaurant so pretty it’s basically a greenhouse wedding venue.
It’s London’s greenest borough by some distance, and it shows in almost everything worth doing here, from a royal park nearly four times the size of Hyde Park to a UNESCO-listed garden just across the water. Here’s what we’d put on the list.
The best things to do in Richmond
Spot deer in Richmond Park
Spread across 2,350 acres, Richmond Park is London’s largest Royal Park and one of its most beautiful. Deer have roamed here since Charles I introduced them in the seventeenth century, and numbers now sit at around 650, so sightings are all but guaranteed on any walk through the park.
The Tamsin Trail loops around the park’s edge and takes in most of the highlights, including the Isabella Plantation and King Henry’s Mound, both worth building into your walk rather than treating as separate trips.
Wander the Isabella Plantation
Tucked into the southern half of Richmond Park, the Isabella Plantation is a woodland garden filled with flowers and trees that look good in any season, from camellias and magnolias in spring to fiery colour come autumn. It covers around 40 acres and is fenced off from the deer, which protects the plants but also makes it one of the calmer, quieter corners of the park.
Find the keyhole view from King Henry’s Mound
Richmond has no shortage of good views, but King Henry’s Mound is a standout. Look west and you get the meandering river with Richmond, Kew and Twickenham spread beneath it. Look east, through a gap cut precisely into the hedge, and on a clear day you can pick out St Paul’s Cathedral ten miles away, with a telescope on hand for hazier ones.
Worth knowing: the spot’s name comes from a rumour that Henry VIII watched for a signal here confirming Anne Boleyn’s execution at the Tower of London, but more recent evidence suggests the story isn’t true. Nice image, questionable history.
Walk the riverside
The stretch of the Thames running through Richmond is one of London’s finest, a sharp meander framed by willow trees and boats bobbing gently on the water. Walking it swaps the traffic and pavements of the city for lush riverside pubs and restaurants, and it’s easy to imagine you’ve left London behind entirely.
The historic-looking frontage near Richmond Bridge is deceiving: architect Quinlan Terry actually designed it in the mid-1980s. The bridge itself is the real thing, dating from the 1770s and never fully replaced since, which makes it the oldest surviving Thames crossing in London.
Catch a cricket match on Richmond Green
Just behind the high street, Richmond Green is a popular hangout at the centre of Richmond village, its open lawns framed by trees and stately Georgian houses. In summer it’s a good spot to catch a game of cricket, ideally with a jug of Pimm’s and some strawberries and cream to hand. It doesn’t get much more Richmond than that.
Step inside Ham House
Ham House, on the banks of the Thames, has barely changed in over 400 years. The National Trust property holds an extensive art collection alongside well-preserved textiles and furniture, all displayed inside the house itself, while the gardens outside, particularly the cherry garden in spring, are worth just as much time as the interiors.
Climb up to Terrace Gardens
The climb to the top of Terrace Gardens, at the heart of London’s greenest borough, is steep, but the reward is a striking panorama over the Thames basin, so green it’s hard to believe you’re still in the city. The gardens first opened to the public in 1887 and remain a local favourite, with a mix of plantings connected by winding paths that reward a slow lap rather than a straight march to the top.
Catch a show at Richmond Theatre
Richmond Theatre, steps from Richmond Green, offers an alternative to the West End without leaving the area. The Victorian building was constructed as an opera house and theatre royal, and its programme still runs from West End transfers to indie productions, comedy and gigs.
Cross the river to Kew Gardens
Kew Gardens, the capital’s largest UNESCO heritage site and one of London’s best botanical gardens, is home to 30,000 species of plants across a mix of formal and wild spaces, with the rockery and rose garden among the highlights. Tickets cost £17.50, with discounts available for various groups.
Eat among the greenhouses at Petersham Nurseries
Few restaurants come with a greenhouse setting quite like Petersham Nurseries, where diners eat amid trailing bougainvillea and jasmine. It’s one of Richmond’s more expensive options, with a seasonal menu that makes it hard to choose just one dish, so it’s worth going with plenty of time and money to spare.
Drink German beer at Stein’s Richmond
Stein’s, perched just off the Richmond riverside, brings a slice of Bavaria to west London, complete with a beer garden on the banks of the Thames. The tap list runs to German beers rarely found elsewhere in the city, alongside German wines, and hearty bratwurst and schnitzel dishes to soak it all up.
Time your visit to the White Cross Pub
The White Cross Pub sits right on the riverside, with one unusual catch: when the tide comes in during spring, the pedestrian route floods and drinkers are stuck until the water recedes. It’s a Young’s pub, so the food and drink are straightforward, but the setting more than makes up for it.
Settle in at The Cricketers
Not every good pub in Richmond sits on the river, as The Cricketers, on Richmond Green, proves. Dating in its current form from 1834, it offers a solid range of ales and lagers alongside hearty pub food.
Graze at Duck Pond Market
Duck Pond Market, held at Heron Square, is one of the better street food markets in London for feel-good, organic snacks. Local traders serve up sausage rolls from Aroma Organic, pasta from Like Mama, and dishes from around the world, and it’s worth timing a wander around Richmond Green to line up with it.
If you’re after somewhere to sit down with a coffee afterwards, we’ve rounded up more of our favourites in the full Richmond cafe guide.
