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| London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames |
| The London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames is situated to the south west of the capital and contains the following places: Barnes, East Sheen, East Twickenham, Fulwell, Ham, Hampton, Hampton Hill, Hampton Wick, Kew, Mortlake, North Sheen, Petersham, Richmond, St Margarets, Strawberry Hill, Teddington, Twickenham and Whitton. Richmond is a bustling town, surrounded by large open spaces. To the east and south is Richmond Park, a large area of heath and woodland enclosed by Charles I as a hunting park which still contains herds of wild red and fallow deer. To the north lie the sports fields of Old Deer Park which run down to the Thames, and beyond that, Kew Gardens. To the west, on the slopes of Richmond Hill, are the Terrace Gardens which were laid out in the 1880s and extended down to the Thames some 40 years later. The view to the west from the top of the hill is known the world over - it is claimed that the town of Richmond, Virginia in the USA was so named because there is a similar view there. The life of Richmond revolves around the river and on a warm summer evening the area by Richmond Bridge is always swarming with life. A short walk down a few side streets and alleys will bring you to Richmond Green - where I shared a flat with some mates in the 50s and 60s - which can be equally bustling, with a couple of popular pubs which allow customers to take their drinks outside and sit on the Green. Yet this can still be a welcome quiet place to eat your lunch or just sit in the sun. And there is always the theatre, a beautiful old building, built in 1899 at one end of the Green. Kew is just up the road from Richmond - an easy walk. We lived on Ennerdale Road in the early 1960s and I could see the Pagoda from my bedroom window. The 163 ft high Pagoda was built in 1762, contains 10 stories and at one time had 80 ornamental dragons. The latter have since disappeared. They are rumoured to have been sold to pay some of George IV's debts, but it is more likely that they just rotted away. This is beginning to sound like a travel site, so no more from me - you can use the search box below to visit the many websites about Kew and the gardens. If you have any interesting facts, figures, memories etc - and of course old postcards - which you think might be suitable for inclusion here, please email us. Meanwhile have a look at our collection of old postcards of the area. |
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