Richmond's old cobbled lanes and alleyways are filled with fascinating attractions. The town offers a wide selection of social and recreational facilities including Royal parks, museums, galleries, theatres, cinemas and a whole host of other attractions. There is a lot to see and do in Richmond!
The River Thames, running 21 miles through the borough, offers incredible walks and views along its banks and even the opportunity to hire a row boat for an hour or two.
Historic Hampton Court Palace and maze, which is the oldest Tudor palace in England, makes for a fascinating visit especially in the winter when the Ice Rink is open.
There are plenty of delightful public open green areas in and around the Richmond Borough, including Old Deer Park, the Terrace Gardens and The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, not to mention the 2500 acres of Richmond Park which possesses the oldest unchanged and protected view of London reaching from Windsor Castle and St. Paul's Cathedral. Richmond has more green space than any other London borough.
Richmond Sport
Richmond is home to the oldest county cricket club in England with matches still being played on Richmond Green during the summer.
Nearby Twickenham is world renowned for its international Rugby Stadium, with a capacity of 82,000 which also accommodates local games. In 2015 it will also be hosting the Rugby World Cup.
Situated closer to Richmond, on the Kew Road, is the London Welsh Rugby Team which John D Wood & Co. are proud to sponsor.
Formerly part of Shene until around 500 years ago, Richmond has long been a popular place of residence with many royals, dating back to King Henry I in 1100. King Henry VII had a palace built in Richmond in 1501, which he named Richmond Palace.
Richmond Park, today one of the most popular public parks in London, was initially enclosed by King Charles I as a hunting park and today and is still home to over 300 Reddeer and 350 Fallow deer.
Over the years, a number of commercial establishments and homes were built in the area, many designed to accommodate people working for, or visiting, the Palace. By the eighteenth century many of these homes were used to house diplomats, minor nobility and lodging house keepers.
The annual rate of council tax varies and is dependant on the valuation band, which is determined by the value of the property and the current rates for the local council. The bands are based on how much the properties would have sold for on 1 April 1991 as determined by the Valuation Office Agency.
