Richmond Park
Richmond Park is one of the eight Royal Parks of London, located in the South-West borough and covers an area of 2500 acres. It has 650 red and fallow deer living there wildly and a variety of rare species such as birds, bats, fungi and wildflowers. It is free to visit and open throughout the year. This green landscape of woodlands exists between ancient trees and offers a peaceful break to the visitors. Richmond Park is a beautiful place to go for a walk or for bike-riding. There is also a cycling path and horse-riding tracks. Additionally, the park has the perfect site for fishing at Pen Ponds as well as kiting for young children.
Playgrounds
There are two playgrounds designed for children, one of which is at Kingston gate, near the car park. This playground is more suitable for younger children under age 5. Some features in this playground include a variety of playing equipment, a hammock, wooden play sculptures, a children's picnic area etc. The other playground which is at Petersham Gate is suitable for children of any ages. Some features include a see-saw, water-play feature, a sandpit, climbing frames and many others. There are also many boulders and steps around that can be used as seats.
Food & Drink
Pembroke Lodge is a beautiful Georgian mansion that provides classic English refreshments. The Roehampton Cafe also serves refreshments and snacks such as snacks, hot and cold drinks and ice-creams and has both indoor and outdoor seating. Furthermore, there are refreshment points around Richmond Park that serves hot and cold drinks and a variety of snacks and these are located near Broomfield Hill and Pen Pond car parks.
Toilets
There are many toilets for public use and have disabled access. These are located at the majority of the main gates.
Opening times
Pedestrian gates are open 24 hours except during the deer cull in November and February. During these months, pedestrian gates open at 7:30 am and close at 8:00pm.
Getting there
You can get to Richmond Park easily by public transport and visit the TFL (Transport for London) website to plan your journey easily, knowing which bus or train to take at which times. Getting to the park by car is also possible as there are a number of car parks available to use. The postcode for Richmond Park is TW10 5HS which you can use to help you to get there using a map or GPS device, however the park covers a large area so the postcode is provided only as a guide.
- Tube: The closest station to the park is Richmond Station, either National Rail or District Line. You can then catch the 371 or 65 buses to the pedestrian gate at Petersham.
- Bus: 190 - 391 -419 -R68 - Northside: 33 - 337 - 485 - Southside: 85/N85 - 265 - K3 - Eastside: 72 - 493 - Westside: 65 - 371