Richmond Park is the largest of London’s eight Royal Parks and the largest enclosed urban park in Europe — 2,500 acres of ancient grassland, veteran oaks and free-roaming deer, walled off from the city since Charles I enclosed it as a royal hunting ground in 1637. It’s a genuinely different kind of London experience from a manicured city park: a National Nature Reserve where you can walk for hours without crossing a road, watch red and fallow deer at close range, and stand on a Bronze Age burial mound with a legally protected view of St Paul’s Cathedral ten miles away.

History of Richmond Park

Charles I and the 1637 Enclosure

The land had royal associations long before it became a park in the modern sense — it formed part of the Manor of Sheen, connected to the Crown since the 12th century, and Edward III had already built a palace nearby in the mid-1300s. Richmond Park itself began in 1625, when Charles I brought his court to the area to escape a plague outbreak in London and, taken with the hunting ground, began turning it into a deer park. In 1637 he enclosed the land with an eight-mile brick wall, nine feet high, to keep his deer in and, controversially, local residents out.

The enclosure was deeply unpopular at the time, cutting off land locals had used for generations, and Charles was eventually forced to install ladder stiles over the wall to preserve a pedestrian right of way. That compromise mattered: unlike many royal hunting grounds that later stayed private, Richmond Park’s core identity as walked, publicly accessible land was fought for from its very first years. Sections of the original Charles I wall still stand today and are Grade II listed.

From Royal Hunting Ground to Public Park

Ownership of the park changed hands more than once in the centuries that followed. After Charles I’s execution, custodianship passed briefly to the Corporation of the City of London, before reverting to the Crown under Charles II in 1660. It remained a working royal deer park and hunting ground for the monarchy for another two centuries, largely closed to casual public recreation even as the surrounding ladder-stile compromise kept a right of way open.

The decisive shift toward the park as it functions today came under Queen Victoria, who opened the gardens and much of the park to the public free of charge. During both World Wars the park was repurposed for military use — as a cavalry training ground in the First World War, and as a convalescent depot in the Second, when roughly 500 acres were also turned over to agriculture and the Pen Ponds were drained to disguise them from enemy aircraft. Today Richmond Park is managed by The Royal Parks, an independent charity, under powers set out in the Crown Lands Act 1851, with day-to-day oversight delegated from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Pembroke Lodge and Bertrand Russell

Pembroke Lodge, the Grade II listed Georgian mansion at the park’s highest point, has a history far removed from its current life as a tea room. It began in 1754 as a modest four-room cottage for the park’s resident mole catcher, before being extended into a full Georgian house under the architect Sir John Soane in the 1780s and 90s. In 1847, Queen Victoria granted the Lodge to her Prime Minister, Lord John Russell, who conducted government business from there — including Cabinet meetings and receiving foreign heads of state — partly because he disliked life in central London.

Russell’s grandson, the philosopher and mathematician Bertrand Russell, spent his childhood at Pembroke Lodge between 1876 and 1894 following the early death of both his parents, raised there under the strict guardianship of his grandparents. Russell later wrote that the house gave him a lifelong attachment to wide horizons and open skies. The grounds also contain King Henry’s Mound, a prehistoric burial site later used as a hunting viewpoint, from which a protected sightline to St Paul’s Cathedral, ten miles away, has been preserved since 1710.

Richmond Park Today

Richmond Park now carries a stack of protective designations reflecting both its history and its ecological value: it’s a National Nature Reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a European Special Area of Conservation, and a Grade I listed landscape on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. Around 630 red and fallow deer descend from the herds first enclosed in 1637, and the park is also home to 1,200 veteran oak trees (one estimated at 750 years old), 60 breeding bird species, and nine of the UK’s 17 bat species — a genuinely rare density of ancient habitat this close to central London.

The Richmond Park Flying Field

One of the park’s more distinctive, lesser-known features is the Richmond Park Flying Field, a designated area near Sawyer’s Hill set aside specifically for model aircraft and drones — the only place in the entire park where flying either is legally permitted. Jointly regulated by The Royal Parks and the Metropolitan Police, the field operates under a specific set of rules: the flying area covers a radius of roughly 75 metres from the on-site notice board (or up to 250 metres in a line if flown south-westerly), powered aircraft and drones are capped at a 1-metre wingspan, model gliders at 4 metres, and nothing may be flown above 100 metres.

Flying anywhere else in Richmond Park, including simply carrying a drone through the grounds while it’s switched on, is against the rules — it must stay packed away until you reach the designated field. Pilots also need third-party liability insurance endorsed to indemnify The Royal Parks, and flying must stop immediately if deer wander into the flying area, which happens often enough that it’s worth building extra time into a visit if flying is your main reason for going.

Visiting Richmond Park: Practical Information

Verified against the official Royal Parks website, checked 5 September 2026.

Opening Hours

Richmond Park is open to pedestrians 24 hours a day, every day of the year, except during the deer cull in November and February, when pedestrian gates run 7:30am to 8pm instead. Vehicle gates operate on shorter hours — opening at 7am in summer and 7:30am in winter, and closing at dusk year-round — and any vehicle left inside after gate closure risks a fixed penalty notice from the Metropolitan Police, so it’s worth building in a buffer if you’re driving.

Parking in Richmond Park

There are seven car parks across the park: Pembroke Lodge, Kingston Gate, Broomfield Hill, Robin Hood Gate, Roehampton Gate, Sheen Gate and Pen Ponds, each shown on the official park map. Parking is currently free at all of them, though this may be temporary — The Royal Parks has approved plans in principle to introduce charges across Richmond and Bushy Park, matching its policy at the other Royal Parks, and is waiting on the Parliamentary approval required to formally implement them. It’s worth checking the current position on royalparks.org.uk before assuming free parking will still apply on your visit date.

The Pembroke Lodge car park fills fastest, particularly between 9 and 10am on Saturdays when the local parkrun starts nearby; Broomfield Hill is the recommended overflow. Blue Badge holders have dedicated spaces at every car park, plus an additional Blue Badge-only car park for the Isabella Plantation, accessed via Ham Cross.

The Tamsin Trail

The Tamsin Trail is Richmond Park’s main circular route, running just over 7 miles around the park’s perimeter and linking every gated entrance — Roehampton, Robin Hood, Kingston, Ham, Richmond and East Sheen Gates — so it can be joined or left at almost any point. It’s shared-use, popular in roughly equal measure with walkers, joggers and cyclists, and surfaced with a mix of tarmac and looser tracks that include a handful of genuinely challenging hills, particularly on the western side near Sawyer’s Hill.

Two cafés sit directly on the trail — Pembroke Lodge and the Roehampton Gate café — both with toilets and water available, which makes it easy to break the full loop into shorter out-and-back sections if 7 miles is more than you want in one go. Cyclists should keep to the roads or the Tamsin Trail itself rather than cutting across open grassland, both to protect the habitat and to avoid startling deer.

Richmond Park Cycle Map & Routes

Beyond the Tamsin Trail, Richmond Park’s internal roads are open to cyclists as well as cars, with a 20mph speed limit that applies to both. National Cycle Route 4 cuts straight through the middle of the park, offering a useful shortcut for cyclists who want a shorter loop than the full perimeter trail, or who are passing through the park as part of a longer journey rather than riding it as a destination in itself.

An official park map showing the Tamsin Trail, internal roads and National Cycle Route 4 is available on the Royal Parks website and at information boards near the main gates; bikes, including children’s models, can also be hired from Parkcycle, based next to the Roehampton Café near Roehampton Gate, for anyone visiting without their own.

Coffee & Food in the Park

Richmond Park’s principal café is at Pembroke Lodge, the Georgian mansion near Richmond Gate, serving a buffet-style café inside the house alongside a large patio with sweeping views over the Thames Valley — the classic spot for a cream tea or a full hot meal after a walk. A smaller kiosk just outside the Lodge sells ice creams, bacon rolls and coffee for a quicker stop.

On the opposite side of the park, the Roehampton Gate Café offers a similarly relaxed setup with an ice cream parlour attached, and is a natural start or finish point for a walk on that side. Smaller refreshment kiosks also operate at Pen Ponds and Broomfield Hill car parks. Public toilets are located at Petersham Gate, Pembroke Lodge, Isabella Plantation and Kingston Gate, and now run on a 20p contactless-only charge — cash is no longer accepted.

Richmond Park parkrun

Richmond parkrun is a free, timed 5km run held every Saturday at 9am, starting near Richmond Gate and following the Tamsin Trail up to Sheen Gate before looping back — a route that regularly passes grazing deer and, occasionally, a resident heron watching the start. It’s entirely free, open to all ages and abilities, and run by volunteers; all you need is a printed or digital barcode from a one-time online registration, since results can’t be recorded without one.

Parking for parkrun is available at Pembroke Lodge or the Sheen entrance, though both fill up quickly given the event’s popularity — walking, jogging or cycling in is actively encouraged where possible. Regulars traditionally head to Pembroke Lodge afterwards for a coffee, roughly half a mile from the finish line.

Pubs Near Richmond Park

There’s no pub inside the park itself, but several good options sit just outside its gates. Near Richmond Gate, the historic Roebuck on Richmond Hill has served drinkers for centuries and comes with one of the best views in the area. Near Sheen Gate, The Victoria and The Plough are both well-regarded gastropubs a short walk into East Sheen, known for proper Sunday roasts. Near Kingston Gate, The Albert offers a relaxed atmosphere with a beer garden, useful for refuelling after a walk on that side of the park.

Richmond Park Walk Ideas

For a proper full-park walk, the complete Tamsin Trail loop (just over 7 miles) covers the whole perimeter and takes most walkers around 2.5 to 3 hours at a comfortable pace. For something shorter, a walk from Richmond Gate to Pembroke Lodge, King Henry’s Mound and back is under 2 miles and takes in the park’s best protected view, while the Isabella Plantation — a 42-acre woodland garden, especially striking during the May azalea and rhododendron bloom — makes a self-contained circular walk of its own from the Broomfield Hill or Ham Gate side.

Whichever route you choose, keep a genuine distance from the deer year-round, and be especially cautious during the rutting season in autumn and the birthing season in early summer, when the animals are considerably less predictable than they appear.

Accessibility

The Tamsin Trail and the park’s internal roads are largely flat or gently graded, and are used regularly by mobility scooter and wheelchair users, though surfaces vary between tarmac and looser gravel in places. Accessible toilets are available at Pembroke Lodge and Kingston Gate, and dedicated disabled parking bays are provided at every car park, with an additional Blue Badge-only car park serving the Isabella Plantation directly.

Managing Body

Richmond Park is managed by The Royal Parks, an independent charity responsible for London’s eight Royal Parks, operating under powers delegated from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport via the Crown Lands Act 1851. The park remains Crown land rather than being privately owned.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Richmond Park flying field?

Near Sawyer’s Hill, in a designated area jointly regulated by The Royal Parks and the Metropolitan Police. It’s the only place in the park where model aircraft and drones can legally be flown, with rules on wingspan, height and distance.

Is parking free in Richmond Park?

Currently yes, at all seven car parks, though The Royal Parks has approved plans in principle to introduce charges pending Parliamentary approval. Check the current position before your visit.

Where is the coffee shop in Richmond Park?

The main café is at Pembroke Lodge near Richmond Gate, with a second at Roehampton Gate and smaller kiosks at Pen Ponds and Broomfield Hill.

What is the Tamsin Trail?

Richmond Park’s main circular route, just over 7 miles around the park’s perimeter, shared by walkers, joggers and cyclists, and linking every gated entrance to the park.

Is there a parkrun in Richmond Park?

Yes, every Saturday at 9am, a free timed 5km run starting near Richmond Gate. It’s open to all abilities and requires a free online registration for a scannable barcode.

Richmond Park pairs naturally with our guide to Kew Gardens, a short journey away on the other side of the Thames. Browse the full Parks & Gardens collection for more of London’s green spaces, and see our England guide for the wider country these landscapes belong to.