Richmond upon Thames is a very a lovely town situated on the banks of the Thames river southwest of the capital of Great Britain of London. Thanks to its immense royal park, Richmond,located upstream of the Thames and accessible by subway, offers a wonderful escape to the countryside for several Londoners but it is also a very appreciated destination by people from other English counties and also well known abroad,a borough of Greater London,popular to be residence of artists and celebrities and where the visitor can spend a day sof relaxation.
The enchanting Richmond is just 20 by train (District Line Tube) from central London,the Thames is flowing right in the middle for approximately 34,0 kilometres miles linking Hampton Court Palace, Richmond town centre and Kew Gardens with the heart of the capital.With tree-lined streets and paved sidewalks paved,Richmond is pretty cosmopolitan with restaurants of various nationalities,but it preserved its distinct and habits of the ancient village and it is worth taking a walk in Richmond, starting from the centre near the train station and set out along the hillside of Richmond Hill,where there is a big number of beautiful houses dated 19th century.
The founding of Richmond followed the Tudor building of Richmond Palace in the early 16th century,during that period the town was particularly associated with the Monarchy and especially with Queen Elizabeth I.The development began with the opening of the railway station in 1846,Richmond was formerly part of the ancient Parish of Kingston upon Thames in the County of Surrey and it became a municipal borough of London in 1890,from there also started an urban development and it was enlarged with new residential areas in the years 1892 and 1933.
Despite Richmond upon Thames is an indipendent municipality it has formed part of Greater London since 1965 and also for the proximity of the big English metropolis it continued to prosper and expand during the 19th century,in particular becoming a luxurious area,along High Street were built stylish palaces and elegant houses and opened different kind of shops all that generated an increasing of population,a large part of Richmond Hill is currently a conservation area which is protected by an Act of Parliament and rhe town is home of just over 20,000 official residents.
Its narrow streets with elegant shops, traditional pubs, restaurants,cafes,bars and tea rooms with its two royal parks frequented by walkers,joggers and horse-riders,the luxurious villas of historical interest, are a perfect mix to enjoy a fantastic place in England,the image of Richmond Upon Thames kept is aristocratic aspect,but year by year thanks all that is more city,more cosmopolitan,more lively,and much more,it has also developed a significant commercial and upmarket retail centre,generating a day and evening economy business,furthermore it is enough to mention that Richmond upon Thames has on its territory about 100 parks and its riverside reaches almost 30,0 km in longitude inside the municipality limits.
Richmond is noted for its high quality of life, as well as its affluence and it has been assessed as one of the happiest places in which to live in United Kingdom with ample green and open spaces accessible to the public.The heart of the town is Richmond Green, which is a square which together with the Little Green,a small supplementary green stretching from its Southeast corner with its 12 acres of surface Surrounded by elegant roads which provide for a fair amount of vehicle parking for both residents and visitors,the south corner leads into the main shopping area,while the west side of the town corresponds to the old gate which leads through to other remaining buildings,the northern corner is pedestrian with access to the Old Deer Park .
The park covers in its total surface approximately 360 acres, extending from the town along the riverside until the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, a famed UNESCO World Heritage Site,containing wide green lawns and sports facilities and the former King's Observatory erected in 1769 for the King George III.The history of Richmond as Borough was formed in the year 1965 by the union of the former Municipalities of Twickenham in Middlesex, Richmond Upon Thames and Barnes in the County of Surrey.The area centuries ago was originally called Sheen and it was renamed in the year 1502 when King Henry VIII decided to have his residence there,which was reduced to ashes in Richmond in North Yorkshire.Despite the new name the eastern area is still called Sheen .
The history of Richmond is really rich of events.The area now known as Richmond upon Thames was formerly part of Sheen until about five centuries ago, but Sheen was not listed in Domesday Book,although it is depicted on the map as Sceon, which was its Saxon spelling in 950.King Henry I lived briefly in the King's house in Sheanes.In 1299 King Edward I ,took his whole court to the manor-house at Sheen,a little east of the bridge and on the riverside, and it thus became a royal residence.A historical curiosity,the famous Scottish hero and leader William Wallace was executed in London in 1305 and it was in Sheen that the Commissioners from Scotland met King Edward asking clemence for their leader and other Scottish people.
King Edward II did not fare as well as his father.Following his defeat by the Scots at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, he founded a monastery for Carmelites at Sheen.When the young King Edward III came to the throne in 1327 he gave the manor to his mother. King Edward later spent time and a lot of money on improvements,but in the middle of the work King Edward himself died at the manor, in 1377. King Richard II was the first English Monarch to make Sheen his main residence, in 1383. Twelve years later King Richard was so distraught at the death of his wife Anne of Bohemia at the age of 28, that he, according to Holinshed, he caused the manor to be thrown down and defaced; wher eas the former kings of the land,being wearier of the city,used the manor as a place of pleasure, and serving highly to their recreation but it was rebuilt between 1414 and 1422, although it was destroyed later by a fire in the year 1497.
Following the fire Henry VII erected a palace built there and in 1501 he named it Richmond Palace in recognition of his earldom and the ancestral home of Richmond Castle in Yorkshire. The town developed nearby and it took the same name as the palace and there are unconfirmed beliefs that Shakespeare may have performed some plays there. Once Elizabeth I became Queen she spent much of her time at Richmond, as she enjoyed hunting there.The palace was no longer in residential use after 1649, but in 1688,King James II ordered a partial reconstruction of the building but that time as a Royal nursery. The palace had decayed in particular in the second hald of the 18th century,the surviving structures include the Wardrobe, Trumpeter's House and the Gate House, built in 1501.
From its rich aristocratic past,Richmond upon Thames has retained some vestiges of the typical Tudor style, with occasional patrician residence and charm.Not for nothing is one of the retreats of Royalty, artists and distinguished personalities from King Henry III to Virginia Woolf,Bertrand Russell,Mick Jagger,Pete Townsend,Rudolf Nureyev and many stars of the cinema,theatre or music,have settled on Richmond Hill to enjoy a magnificent life with view of the Thames in a very relaxing area but pretty close to the captivating atmosphere of London.Not long time ago also Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie decided to buy a house in Whornes Place in Richmond upon Thames,a beautiful mansion of the 15th century and furthermore Richmond was painted by Turner several times.
Once leaving Richmond station,take an immediately Kew Road.Before exploring Richmond Park,it is worth taking a stroll around the town centre and along the Thames.There are some iconic pubs as Pub Edwards the former Crawdaddy Clu, where the Rolling Stones gave a few concerts in 1963.In the '70s, there was in Richmond an important and relevant rock scene such as the study of Pete Townshend of The Who, located in Twickenham, attracted many musicians and.the famous guitarist of the band still lives above the city,in Richmond Hill.
Richmond Green is considered the most beautiful urban green area in England,it served as grounds for for the Tudors, hen, from 1650 for different purposes and later used as a cricket ground. Built in 1770 but entirely rebuilt in 1884 after a fire, the Cricketers Pub bears witness to that sporting past.Exploring the narrow pedestrian streets that there are behind that emblematic local you can stop for a coffee.On the other side of Duke Street,the Victorian buildings of Richmond are undoubedtly a highlight,,since they appeared in the film The Hours,in which Nicole Kidman played Virginia Woolf. The author of Mrs Dalloway was bored stiff in Richmond in the company of her husband, Leonard.It was in Hogarth House, built in 1748 in Paradise Road, who founded the Hogarth Press.
The urban complex which surrounds are the symbol of the most esquisite English architecture with a row of four houses fronted by finely wrought railings, known as Maids of Honour Row. Built in 1724 for request of King George II, they housed the maids of Honor of the Princess of Wales.A bit 'far, only a porch period The Gatehouse testifies to the huge Tudor palace that stood there until 1649. Through the porch to discover Old Palace Yard, a charming square steeped in the scent of lilacs and wisteria in bloom. The old Tudor palace are three red brick houses,a complex called The Wardrobe. Trumpeters House is recognizabled by its pediment portico,is another of those dwellings built from remains of the palace.The main facade is located on the garden from there you can have a splendid view of the Thames.
The old bridge in Richmond was built in 1774 by James Paine, this bridge leads to Twickenham.it was considerably altered in the 20th century precisely in 1934 when it was widened to allow cars to cross it.It was an old boatman and if you look under the arches,you will clearly see the two colours of the brick, the two periods of construction.The Quay, the old pub with outdoor seating on the waterfront,the calm wateers of the river,ducks and swans,and boats during a Thames cruise are a lovely image of this corner of Surrey,there you can also hire a boat near the famous Boat Restaurant H20 set on a barge moored at the foot of Richmond Bridge and where the roof serves as a terrace offering a good variety of plates.
At the top top the of the hill on the riverside of Richmond through the immense Petersham Meadow there is a path which leads up to Richmond Hill.From there, you can enjoy a superb view over the city many times immortalised by the famous painter, Turner, the latter even built a house called Wick House dated 1772.From far away stands the tower of the small Church of St.Peter,a splendid construction in red bricks,a place of worship, found in the 8th century, opened to visitors only on Sundays.Its cemetery,with graves covered with roses and other flowers,contains the rests the of the navigator and explorer George Vancouver.
Richmond Park is one of the inputs of the largest Royal Park of England.Located south of the town centre centre,the park is a large area of over 2,300 acres of wild plants and woodland originally wanted by King Charles I for hunting,and now forming the largest royal park in England.That park is both a National Nature Reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is about three times the size of Central Park in New York and it contains on a permanent basis around 650 red and fallow deer.The park has a number of traffic and pedestrian gates leading to the surrounding areas of Sheen, Roehampton, Putney, Kingston and Ham.
Its origin is dated from the Reign of King Edward I and it was known as the Manor of Sheen and it takes its current name during the reign of King Henry VII, and it is enclosed by King Charles I in 1637.Since that time, that reserve,wild and hilly, nothing has changed. Squirrels,rabbits, deer free under oak trees for pleasure of children and adults,furthermore dotted with small ponds,vaste green plains surrounded by trees,a traditional English park for excellence but there are also some different area as a plantation,a nursery with immense beds of rhododendrons and azaleas and Pembroke Lodge which is an old cottage converted into a restaurant a place where Bertrand Russell,famous mathematician and philosopher spent the first years of his life. In addition to the beautiful walks in thiat park you can also ride,cycling, fishing and even playing golf.From the terrace of Pembroke Lodge, the view is absolutely extraordinary,admiring Windsor Castle and including the Cathedral of Saint Paul in London.
Some historical pubs as The Criketers located opposite the famous Richmond Green,it is a historical place which also offers a great terrace or Dysart also with a splendid welcoming terrace are ideal places for their location to enjoy a break after a walk in Richmond Park are ideal places for a cool drink.
Do not miss to visit Kew Gardens something really special and stunning.Originated from the exotic gardens of Kew House created by Lord Capel of Tewkesbury, it was later extended by Princess Augusta,widow of Frederick of Hanover, Prince of Wales, for whom Sir William Chambers built several new facilities, including the current remains Chinese pagoda in 1761.The Monarch George III enriched the gardens,aided by the skill of William Aiton and Joseph Banks. The old Kew House was demolished in 1802 while
The Dutch House was commissioned by King George III in 1781 as a nursery for the royal offspring. This is a simple brick structure now known as Kew Palace and another important date is the year 1840 when the gardens were officially recognised as a National Botanical Garden. Under the direction of William Hooker,the gardens of the area was increased to 30 and the adjacent arboretum has extended up to 130 hectares today.
During the 19th century, Kew Gardens was the place where for the first time the effort to cultivate the rubber tree outside South America was crowned with success.In 2000, the promoters and then coordinator of the Millennium Seed Bank Project, Seed Bank for the protection of biodiversity of seeds developed furthermore the prestige of the gardens and in July of the year 2003, Kew Gardens have been included in the list of World Heritage Site by UNESCO.Kew Gardens has become today a centre of botanical research of the first level in the World, a training ground for professional gardeners,as well as a popular attraction for visitors.
Hampton Court is undoubedtly another highlight of Richmond,a majestic palace which was the headquarter of the Hospitaliers Knights before to be residence of Thomas Wolsey Archbishop of York who spent a lot of money to restore that magnificent building surrounded by a beautiful huge park.After that prominent and charismatic religious figure the palace became a property of King Henry VIII and of the Monarchy.
The Building is simply stunning with a great hallway leading to a beautiful arched doorwat flanked by two imposing towers and a wide facade.The Royal Chapel is one of its magnificent highlights containinf architectonic details of different styles,Gothic,Baroque and Renaissance and considered in its kind the most beautiful Chapel in all the United Kingdom.Originally the palace had a typical architectonic Tudor aspect,it was largely altered by Henry VIII,with Renaissance lines and new arrangements of Italian school.
The Palace is also famous to contains several masterpieces by Titian,Parmigianino,Van Dyck, Correggio,Bruegel and Mantegna.There are some legends linked to a famous ghost in the palace,probably one of the wifes of the King Henry VIII,an elegant woman,walking in the rooms,from the great hall and also descending in the courtyard.Some of the rooms of the palace suffered a fire in the year 1986,walls,floors and the roof had different damages,they were restored and four years later,in the year 1990 they were reopened to the public.
The town offers the visitors an excellent choice about Theatres and cinemas.The beautiful Richmond Theatre at the side of Little Green is a splendid Victorian building designed by Frank Matcham restored in 1990.The theatre weekly hosts a wide range of musicals and shows and at Christmas a highlight is a Christmas and New Year pantomime show.The Orange Tree is very close to the Railway Station,it was founded in the year 1971 in a room above the Orange Tree Pub.The 172 seat theatre was built specifically as a theatre in the round and it exclusively presents its own productions,it has acquired a national reputation for the quality of its works,furthermorethe town has three cinemas, The Arthouse Curzon situated in Water Lane and two Odeon Cinemas.
Worth a visit Twickenham as well.This area town is famous to be the home of the Rugby Football Union and Twickenham Stadium.It is the largest rugby stadium in Great Britain and it has recently been expanded to accommodate 82,000 spectators.This makes it the second largest stadium in England after Wembley Stadium and situated in the Top 10 largest Stadiums in Europe.
The majestic complex is is the home of the Rugby Football Union English Rugby Federation and as such welcomes,the famous matches corresponding to the prestigious Six Nations,the Middlesex Sevens, the final of the Guinness Premiership the First Division English Rugby, the EDF Energy Cup and Heineken Cup matches a kind of European Rugby Champions League.For all that,the stadium is considered a icon of English rugby and is called the Cathedral of Rugby.
If you are fond about Rugby or simply for curiosity inside the stadium there is The World Rugby Museum .an exhibition which covers the entire world rugby and not just English. It tells the history of that sport, ,including the founders William Webb Ellis and Richard Lindon, using interactive visual systems.The Museum has a program of special exhibitions covering issues of concern and provide an opportunity to see some of the hidden objects in the museum's collection,such as an England shirt for the first international match in the history between England and Scotland in the year 1871 to 2005 obtained the Webb Ellis Cup for England in the Rugby World Cup 2003.Although it is usually used to play rugby,the Stadium has hosted a wide number of concerts of famed stars The Rolling Stones.Bonjovi,U2,The Police, Iron Maiden,REM,Rod Stewart,Lady Gaga among others.
Twickenham is full of shops, bars and restaurants located in the city centre and easily accessible from the school,furthermore there is a Museum in the centre and an Art gallery situated in a picturesque woodland garden close to the Thames.The Fallery and the adjacent Octagon Room by James Gibbs erected in baroque style and dated the early 18th century,have a fine permanent collection of topographical views and a lively program of temporary exhibitions, including contemporary crafts.
The famous island of Eel Pie Island is located on the Thames near Twickenham.In a short walk along the river,you can reach Marble Hill Park,a splendid green area with an elegant mansion dated 18th century.Marble Hill was built for the mistress of King George II and it worth visiting some of the nearly beautiful parkland which surround it and to admire the shape of the Thames coastline in a verdant scenery.
Richmond has been chosen several times as location that has featured a big number of TV series. Richmond Park is regularly featured in television programmes,such as BBC Springwatch,Inside Out,Blue Peter and many other corporate videos and fashion spots.
The town with its splendid Georgian aspect,its picturesque alleys and panoramic views on the river Thames inspired Cinema Directors choosing that town as set of many movies,the famous movie Anne of the Thousand Days dated 1969 starring Richard Burton and Genevieve Bujold, which loBugsy Malone,Finding Neverland,Evita,The Hours,The Krayoks back to Richmond Park in the 16th century and it tells of the story of King Henry VIII's courtship and brief marriage to Anne Boleyn.
Including Peter Sellers comedy The Naked Truth,but also many others such as Bugsy Malone,Finding Neverland,Evita,The Hours,The Krays among others.More recently, in 2011, director Guy Ritchie filmed parts of Sherlock Holmes 2 in the park starring Robert Downey and Jude Law.As Richmond Council currently doesn’t charge for filming on its pavement or highways, and it is likely that the town will continue to attract famous film makers.
The name was also chosen by the founder of the USA city of Richmond, capital of the State of Virginia, derives from that English town.The founder had spent time in Richmond during his youth and he knew that the views from the hills overlooking the rivers in both places were similar and naturally those two Richmonds despite in two different continents and different countries are twinned.
Richmond's main arterial road is the A316, running between Chiswick and the M3 motorway, bisects Old Deer Park and the town to its north.The town centre is in proximity of the A307 which links Southwest London with the northwestern Surrey, and it was originally part of the old Portsmouth Road before it was diverted away from the town.Richmond station is one of the western terminals of the District Line of the London Underground system and it is also the western terminal of the London Overground line to Stratford,served by several trains from Waterloo station on the National Rail service,connecting it with Reading, Staines, Windsor, Wimbledon and Weybridge.The station is within Travelcard Zone 4 and it is connected to London by District line Tube only 20 minutes away from South Kensington & Chelsea.
Richmond worth a visit,its splendour will captivate your interest of course.This town is special for its historic and rich patrimony,surrounded by natural,splendid green areas,there are hundreds of reasons to visit and enjoy this beautiful corner of England along the Thames river.
Francesco Mari
Recommended Hotels in Richmond upon Thames
The Bingham Hotel
The Petersham Hotel
The Coach And Horses Hotel
Richmond Hill Hotel
Richmond Gate Hotel
www.enjoyengland.com
www.visitrichmond.co.uk
www.thebingham.co.uk
www.petershamhotel.co.uk
www.coachhotelkew.co.uk
www.richmondhill-hotel.co.uk
www.akkeronhotels.com
www.visitengland.com
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks a lot to read and note.