What to do in Richmond Park

This huge park set in the Borough of Richmond in West London and known for the fact that it is the home for over 600 deer, Richmond Park is the largest royal park in the UK covering over 2,300 acres. It is a beautiful park with full of wonderful trees, including many ancient Oaks, grassland, ponds, gardens and wildlife. Set behind huge walls with several gates, it became Richmond Park during the reign of Henry VII having previously been known as the Manor of Sheen.

Opening Times & Closing Times - 2011

Richmond Park is open every day of the year from 7am (7.30am in the winter) until dusk, which is from 4pm to 9pm depending on the time of year. The address is Petersham Road, Richmond upon Thames, Surrey. Postcode is TW10 5HS. Not to be confused with Richmond in North Yorkshire.

Transport

The easiest way to get there is to drive and park in the Park. Please note that there is a speed limit of 20mph in the park. There are five gates providing access for vehicles. Working clockwise around the park, these are Richmond Gate, Sheen Gate, Roehampton Gate, Kingston Gate and Ham Gate. There are free car parks at Sheen, Roehampton and Kingston Gates and at Pembroke Lodge and the Isabella Plantation.

If you are using public transport, you can get a train or tube to Richmond and either get a bus (No 65 or 371) or walk (about 30 minutes). Come out of Richmond station and turn left into the Quadrant. This leads into George Street where you continue until the road goes round to the left into Hill Street. From here you can either bear left into Richmond Hill and enter by Richmnd Gate or you can go take the more scenic, but longer, route along the River Thames path, across Petersham Meadows and up through Petersham Park to Petersham Gate.  You could also walk from Barnes, and Barnes Bridge , North Sheen or Mortlake Stations depending on which part of Richmond Park you wish to access or get a taxi.

Wildlife in Richmond Park

As you drive, cycle or walk around Richmond Park, you will have the opportunity to see some beautiful deer, both Red Deer, one of the largest species of deer and Fallow Deer recognisable as they have white spots on their backs. There are so many that they have a deer cull each November to keep them under control. The most interesting time to see them is in the autumn, the breeding season, when the males competing against each other for females, their antlers clashing as they fight each other for supremacy.

Richmond Park is a National Nature Reserve where there are all sorts of other wild life including animals - foxes, rabbits, squirrels, birds - parakeets, woodpeckers and insects - the park is a conservation area for Stag beetles.

Houses and Gardens in Richmond Park

The most interesting building in Richmond Park is Pembroke Lodge, a magnificent Georgian Mansion with superb landscaped views particularly from King Henry VIII's Mound, which is the highest point in the park .Here you can sit and have some coffee and enjoy the wonderful vista of across the Thames Valley. The lodge is also available for venue hire for up to 130 people so would be a great place for a wedding.

White Lodge, another Geogian building houses the Royal Ballet, the ballet museum and contains a gallery and collections relating to the history of White Lodge. Advance booking is required to view this.

If plants and flowers are your thing, the Isabella Plantation is a fantastic garden best known for the wonderful azaleas and rhododendron and for having great displays all the year round.

It is also a nesting area and so a great place to see a variety of birds. The stream running through the plantation, which is fed by the Pen Ponds, which used to be gravel pits, is the home to several water fowl.

Walking, Running, Cycling and Horse Riding in Richmond Park

You can walk and run in most of Richmond Park, cycle on the roads and yellow cycle tracks provided and ride on the bridleways. The best known route is the Tamsin Trail which is 12km long and goes round most of the park. You can walk or cycle along it from most of the entrances. It will give you the chance to see the splendour of the park, take you passed some of the most popular deer spotting places as well as passed Pembroke Lodge and the Isabella Plantation. If you are walking your dog, it must be kept on a lead.

Richmond Park is great for all types of running including orienteering and cross-country running. Every Saturday at 9am, there is a 5km run that starts at Richmond Gate, goes along paths to Sheen Gate and returns via different route. It's free to enter but you need to register in advance. There are a number of running clubs including Serpentine Running Club, Ranelagh Harriers and the Sheen Shufflers.

Richmond Park had its own marathon this year on 15^th May. 3 laps of the par and a final shorter lap to achieve the 26.2miles.The Richmond Park 5K and 10K races were on 21^st May. The London Duathlon will be held on 11^th September

For road cycling the route round Richmond Park is popular, particularly going anti-clockwise to reduce the time delay at the mini-roundabouts. There are also two roads on which cars are not allowed going through the centre of the park that cyclists can use. Cycling Clubs that use the park include Richmond Park Cycling Club, Kingston Wheelers Cycling Club and Lunicus Cycling Club.

On 3 Sundays, 13^th June, 18^th July and 8^th August time trials will be held in Richmond Park. Each event will be for 120 riders and will commence at 6.00am

Bike hire is available in Richmond Park. The facility is located in Roehampton Gate Car Park with a smaller unit at the entrance to Pembroke Lodge on summer weekends and school holidays. Bike rental is available from 10am until 5pm and until 7pm on weekends and school holidays. Prices are from £9 per hour for an adult bicycle.

The Olympics Cycling Road Races will use Richmond Park as part of the route on 28 and 29 July 2012 when they enter through Roehampton Gate and out through Richmond Gate, returning later through Kingston Gate and out through Roehampton Gate.

Horse riding is restricted to the bridleways which are easily identifiable as they have a sandy surface and cannot be used for other purposes. There are several riding stables that use the park. These include Barnfield Riding School, Kingston Riding Centre, Stag Lodge Stables and Wimbledon Village Stables.

Sport in Richmond Park

Richmond Park is a wonderful venue for all types of sports, both formal and informal.

There is an area of the park, 3 pitches, to the north of the Roehampton Gate that is rented out to Rosslyn Park Rugby Football Club is maintained and laid out with 3 adult pitches (winter only).

Fancy a game of golf. There are two 18-hole 'pay and play' public golf courses at Richmond Park Golf Club, a 16-bay driving range, professionals to teach you and clubs, bags and buggies for hire. You can just turn up but it's better to book.

Ever done power kiting - try this new experience of being pulled along by a kite. You need a licence for this but kids kite flying is fine.

Want to get fit - apart from running or jogging in the park, you could go for a fitness day with New You Boot Camps or join Bound's 60 minute fitness classes. If you're a Mum there is Pushy Mothers buggy classes on Monday mornings.

Just chill out fishing on Pen Ponds during the season from 16 June - 14 March. Don't forget to buy a permit.

Alternatively just have some fun with family, kids and friends, have a picnic (no bbqs allowed), kick a ball around, go jogging, whatever you fancy.  There is a children's playground at Petersham Gate

Refreshment in Richmond Park

Apart from Pembroke Lodge mentioned earlier, the main place to go is Roehampton Café where you can sit inside or out and get a good variety of snacks, drinks and ice creams. There are other refreshment points and toilets throughout the park.