Description:

Richmond Park was first enclosed by Charles I as a hunting park and is the largest of London’s Royal Parks. There are excellent Londonwide panoramas from various locations within the park, those from Sawyer’s Hill being particularly good examples. King Henry VIII’s Mound is reputedly a Bronze Age barrow and is the highest point in the park. It is located within the public gardens of Pembroke Lodge and provides magnificent views across the Thames to Twickenham and the North Downs to the west. To the east,a keyhole view of St Paul’s Cathedral is obtained through an artificially maintained gap in the trees covering the mound, which is aligned with a gap in the trees in Richmond Park beyond.This is a protected vista and is one of London's three linear views.

The Park has a rich landscape of semi-natural acidic grassland, areas of bog and bracken, wetland, woodland and ancient parkland trees, where fallow and red deer are free to roam. It is a National Nature Reserve (NNR) and home to some very rare insects, plants & insects. There is also a rich birdlife with around 144 species to be found.

The Royal Park features the Isabella Plantation which is an attractive woodland garden created after World War II. It is organically run resulting in an area rich in flora and fauna and is a major tourist attraction in its own right.

Richmond Park is open to cars, and makes for a handy thoroughfare, joining Richmond to Kingston & Roehampton. It is a very popular with cyclists, people training for the London Marathon and for those who just want to go for a walk and enjoy the wildlife.
There are two public golf courses and you can sail model boats on the pond near Sheen Gate.

Horse-riding is allowed anywhere in the park up to 12 noon and after 6 pm (or until the park closes), except for enclosed areas, footpaths and areas of mown grass. Note that there are no stables or hiring facilities in the park.

There are some stunning old lodges within the park. Pembroke Lodge used to be the home of the Prime Minister back in the mid-1800s, and is now a restaurant and reception venue.

White Lodge was originally built in 1727 by King George II as a hunting lodge but these days the lodge is used by the Royal Ballet School as a venue to train young dancers.
The Holly Lodge, now the park headquarters, was once the site of a farm back in medieval times. It now provides a range of "hands on" activities related to the natural environment catering especially for those with special needs.

There are numerous sporting activities to be enjoyed  including golf, fishing, horse riding and power kiting. There are refreshment points at Broomfield Hill and Pen Ponds car parks. Pembroke Lodge provides a comprehensive range of refreshments, an information centre, car parking and toilet facilites. The Roehampton Cafe serves a range of snacks, drinks and ice creams . Both have indoor and outdoor seating to enjoy the ambiance and nature of this beautiful Royal Park.