Richmond Green

Richmond Green is a recreation area located near the centre of Richmond, a town of about 20,000 inhabitants situated in south west London. Owned by the Crown Estate, it is leased to the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.^[2] The Green, which has been described as "one of the most beautiful urban greens surviving anywhere in England",^[3] is essentially square in shape and its open grassland, framed with broadleaf trees, extends to roughly twelve acres. On the north-east side there is also a smaller open space called Little Green.^[4] Richmond Green and Little Green are overlooked by a mixture of period townhouses, historic buildings and municipal and commercial establishments including the Richmond Lending Library and Richmond Theatre. On summer weekends and public holidays the Green attracts many residents and visitors. It has a long history of hosting sporting events; from the 16th century onwards tournaments and archery contests have taken place on the Green, while cricket matches have occurred since the mid 18th century,^[5] continuing to the present day.

History and description

Maids of Honour Row

Grade II* listed ornamental iron railings at 11, Richmond Green

Richmond Palace Gate House, which is Grade I listed

Jousting tournaments took place on Richmond Green in the Middle Ages, when English monarchs were living in or visiting what is now called Richmond.^[6] For over 400 years, Richmond Green has been edged by houses and commercial premises – built to provide accommodation for people serving or visiting Richmond Palace. In 1625 Charles I brought his court here to escape the plague in London and by the early 18th century these had become the homes of "minor nobility, diplomats, and court hangers-on".^[7]

The construction of the railway in the mid-19th century cut the Green off from Old Deer Park, and led to the building of Victorian villas for the more prosperous commuters to London. The A316 road, built in the early 20th century, worsened this separation.

Today the northern, western and southern sides of the Green are residential while the eastern side, linking with Richmond's high street, George Street, is largely retail and commercial. Public buildings line the eastern side of Little Green and pubs and cafés cluster in the corner by Paved and Golden Courts – two of a number of alleys that lead from the Green to George Street. These alleys are lined with mostly privately owned boutiques.

To the west of the Green is Old Palace Lane, running gently down to the river. Adjoining to the left is the renowned terrace of well-preserved three-storey houses known as Maids of Honour Row. These were built in 1724 for the maids of honour (trusted royal wardrobe servants) of Queen Caroline, the queen consort of George II. As a child, Richard Burton, the Victorian explorer, lived at number 2.^[8]

Buildings

Richmond Green, usually "The Green", is also a street address. Numbers 1–6, 11–12 and 32, Richmond Green are all Grade II* listed.^{[9][10][11][12][13]} Numbers 7–10 Richmond Green are all Grade II listed,^{[14][15][16][17]} as are nos 14–18, 21–25 and 29–31.^[18] The ornamental iron railings at no 11 are Grade II* listed.^[11] The Cricketers public house is between 24, Richmond Green and 25, Richmond Green. Another public house, The Prince's Head, is at 28, Richmond Green.^[14] 8, Richmond Green, is the location of the Richmond Charities, which manages Richmond's almshouses.

The late 19th-century drinking fountain at the south corner of Richmond Green and a pair of K6 red telephone boxes are Grade II listed,^[1][19] as is a lamp standard outside 1, Richmond Green.^[20]

The houses on the south-western side of the Green include Maids of Honour Row. The houses, and their gates and railings, at numbers 1-4 Maids of Honour Row are Grade I listed.^[21] The Wardrobe and the Gate House, both Grade I listed,^[22][23] are surviving structures from Henry VII's Richmond Palace. The Gate House was built in 1501, and was let on a 65-year lease by the Crown Estate Commissioners in 1986. The Trumpeters' House, which is also Grade I listed,^[24] is an early 18th-century house built on the site of Richmond Palace's Middle Gate.

The street bounding Richmond Green on the north-west is called Pembroke Villas. Numbers 1 to 10, Pembroke Villas are Grade II listed.^[25] The street running along the north east of the Green, where it joins Pembroke Villas, is called Portland Terrace. Numbers 1 to 4, Portland Terrace are Grade II listed.^[26] Between Pembroke Villas and Portland Terrace is a gate that used to be the entrance to Old Deer Park and is now open only to pedestrians. Just a few yards beyond the gate, a footbridge crosses the railway to lead to Old Deer Park Car Park. Portland Terrace runs past Little Green to become Duke Street, where Duke Street Church is located.

Cricket on the Green

The Cricketers pub

The Green was a popular venue for cricket matches during the 18th century and before. The earliest reference to cricket on Richmond Green is from an 1666 letter by Sir Robert Paston, a resident of Richmond.^[27]

The Green is presently home to two village cricket teams each affiliated to two of Richmond's pubs, The Prince's Head and The Cricketers. Midweek matches are contested in the modern limited overs format of Twenty20 usually on a Tuesday or Thursdays, where surrounding village teams compete for the Len Smith Charity Shield.

Richmond Green in art

Two watercolours by Edward Walker, made in 1942, showing nos 10, 11 and 12 Richmond Green^[28] and the south side of the Green,^[29] are in the Recording Britain collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Societies

The Friends of Richmond Green, an amenity action group, seek to "protect and enhance the Green for local residents, visitors and future generations".^[30]

Gallery

• 

  View of the northern half of Richmond Green, showing Pembroke Villas and Portland Terrace

• 

  Houses on Portland Terrace

• 

  The south corner of Richmond Green

• 

  Footpaths crossing Richmond Green

• 

  Park Gates house, in Pembroke Villas, is next to the old entrance to Old Deer Park

Map of Richmond Green

See also

• Richmond Green cricket ground
• Richmond Green United Reformed Church
• Richmond Palace
• Richmond Theatre

References

Further reading

• "Richmond Green properties", Local history notes, Local Studies Collection, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, 3 August 2009

External links

• Friends of Richmond Green
• Richmond Local History Society
• The Richmond Society

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
Districts	Barnes East Sheen Fulwell Ham Hampton Hampton Hill Hampton Wick Kew Mortlake Petersham Richmond St Margarets Strawberry Hill Teddington Twickenham Whitton
Railway stations	Barnes Barnes Bridge Fulwell Hampton Hampton Wick Kew Gardens Mortlake North Sheen Richmond St Margarets Strawberry Hill Teddington Twickenham Whitton
River Thames bridges, islands and river services	Bridges Benn's Island Corporation Island Eel Pie Island Glover's Island Platts Eyot Swan Island Tagg's Island Trowlock Island Hammerton's Ferry Hampton Ferry Kew Pier Richmond Lock Teddington Lifeboat Station Teddington Lock former Twickenham Ferry
Other rivers and streams	Beverley Brook River Crane Duke of Northumberland's River Longford River Sudbrook and Latchmere stream River Thames
Sports venues	Athletic Ground, Richmond Barn Elms Playing Fields The Championship Course Cricket clubs and grounds Golf clubs and courses Hampton Pool The Lensbury Pools on the Park Royal Tennis Court, Hampton Court Teddington Pools and Fitness Centre Thames Young Mariners Twickenham Stadium Twickenham Stoop former Ranelagh Club former Richmond Ice Rink
Events	Annual sports events Hampton Court Palace Festival Hampton Court Palace Flower Show IRB Rugby Aid Match
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Theatres, cinemas and music venues	The Bull's Head Crawdaddy Club Olympic Studios Orange Tree Theatre Puppet Theatre Barge Richmond Theatre TwickFolk Wathen Hall former Eel Pie Island Hotel
Film and recording studios	Astoria The Boathouse, Twickenham Eel Pie Studios Olympic Studios Teddington Studios Twickenham Film Studios
Media and publishing	Richmond and Twickenham Times former Gaydar Radio former Hogarth Press
Historical royal palaces	Hampton Court Palace Kew Palace Richmond Palace
Other places of interest	123 Mortlake High Street 18 Station Road, Barnes 70 Barnes High Street Asgill House Brinsworth House Bushy House Chapel House Chapel in the Wood Clarence House Diana Fountain, Bushy Park Doughty House Douglas House Downe House East Sheen Filling Station Fulwell bus garage Garrick's Temple to Shakespeare Garrick's Villa Grove House, Hampton Ham House Hampton Youth Project Harrods Furniture Depository Hogarth House The Homestead, Barnes King's Observatory Kneller Hall Langham House Langham House Close Latchmere House Lichfield Court Marble Hill House Montrose House The Naked Ladies National Physical Laboratory Normansfield Theatre The Old Court House Ormeley Lodge Pembroke Lodge Pope's Grotto Poppy Factory The Queen's Beasts Royal Military School of Music Royal Star and Garter Home St Leonard's Court Strawberry Hill House Sudbrook House and Park The Terrace, Barnes Thatched House Lodge University Boat Race Stones Victoria Working Men's Club West Hall, Kew White Lodge The Wick Wick House Yelverton Lodge York House
History	Adana Printing Machines Admiralty Research Laboratory Alcott House Ashe baronets Barnes rail crash Camp Griffiss Cross Deep House GHQ Liaison Regiment Hampton Court Conference Kew Letters Mortlake Tapestry Works Mount Ararat, Richmond Murder of Amélie Delagrange Murder of Julia Martha Thomas Petersham Hole Pocock baronets Pope's villa Radnor House Richmond Flyers Richmond, Petersham and Ham Open Spaces Act 1902 Ringway 2 Sheen Priory Star and Garter Hotel, Richmond Towpath murders Treaty of Hampton Court (1562) Twickenham Park Vandeput baronets Warren-Lambert Wigan baronets
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Other topics	Almshouses Archives, museums and art galleries Cemeteries, crematoria and memorials Grade I listed buildings Grade II* listed buildings Hospitals Local government People Places of worship Public art Schools, colleges and universities Sports clubs
Parks, open spaces and nature reserves in Richmond upon Thames

Parks and open spaces in London
Royal parks	Bushy Green Greenwich Hyde Kensington Regent's Richmond St James's
Large urban parks	Alexandra Arnos Barking Barra Hall Battersea Blackheath Brockwell Burgess Clissold Crystal Palace Dulwich Enfield Town Finsbury Forster Memorial Hampstead Heath Hanworth Holland Mayesbrook Mountsfield Old Deer Parsloes Primrose Hill Pymmes Queen's Park Ravenscourt Ruskin Southwark Valentines Victoria Wandsworth Wanstead West Ham Wimbledon
Country parks	Bayhurst Wood Bedfont Lakes Belhus Woods Eastbrookend Fairlop Waters Fryent Hainault Forest Havering High Elms Hornchurch Lee Valley South Norwood Stanmore Stockley Trent
Commons	Barnes Blackheath Bostall Heath Clapham Ealing East Sheen Hackney Marsh Hainault Forest Ham Hampstead Heath Hayes Keston Mitcham Monken Hadley Peckham Rye Plumstead Stanmore Streatham Tooting Tylers Wandsworth Wimbledon and Putney Winn's Woolwich Wormwood Scrubs
Marshes & Wetlands	Aveley Crayford Erith Hackney Hornchurch Ickenham Ingrebourne Leyton Rainham Tottenham Walthamstow Wennington Woodberry Wetlands WWT London Wetland Centre
Woodland	Bostall Coldfall Copse Dulwich Epping Forest Grangewood Park Highgate Lesnes Abbey Mad Bess Old Park Oxleas Park Petts Queen's Russia Dock Sydenham Hill
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Entry-fee charging	Kew Gardens London Wetland Centre
Community gardens	Phoenix Garden Calthorpe Project

Coordinates: 51°27′42″N 0°18′25″W / 51.46167°N 0.30694°W / 51.46167; -0.30694