A Royal and Bucolic London Getaway
‘‘Richmond’s great for walking,’’ says a patron named Bruce, raising a glass of ale to his mouth. ‘‘It’s best for seeing real history, without running into crowds,’’ counters Alan, who shares a wooden bench with him near the crackling fireplace in the cozy Victoria Inn. It’s easy to join conversation here and they field my questions about the town with pride.
‘‘What it is,’’ says John, the bartender, ‘‘is a place with everything but the irritations of the city. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love London. But we’ve got almost everything it’s got.’’ He takes a moment to enumerate, ‘‘Palaces, theaters, parks, gardens, historic houses.’’ Bruce adds, ‘‘Don’t forget the Thames.’’
Two young women smile overhearing the conversation. One pipes up, ‘‘Richmond’s simply a good place.’’ Her companion chimes in, ‘‘Good food, too,’’ as she catches a whiff of the fish and chips cooking in the kitchen behind the bar. ‘‘Everyone has his or her own Richmond,’’ Bruce concludes, as he orders roast chicken and returns to his ale.
A long weekend here makes a perfect getaway. Only 15 minutes by train from central London and in spring and summer a delightful 22-mile ferry ride on the Thames from Westminster Pier, Richmond has enticed Londoners and other visitors for centuries. Quieter and calmer than a big city, it boasts gracious hotels and inns and pubs and restaurants that serve everything from classic British cuisine to Indian, Thai, and Spanish food. It more than lives up to its original name, Shene, which means ‘‘refuge’’ in Anglo-Saxon.
You won’t lack for things to see and do. The 2,500-acre Richmond Park and the London Wetland Centre would take years to explore fully. Many sights are near the Thames, among them majestic Hampton Court Palace, built by Cardinal Wolsey in the early 16th century and later owned by King Henry VIII (1491-1547). This magnificent Tudor palace occupies 60 well-manicured acres beside the Thames.
The 400-year-old Ham House has an exceptionally fine collection of 17th century furniture and textiles. The formal gardens are particularly appealing, with trees, flowers, shrubs and vegetables common in the 17th century. At the 300-acre Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew you can explore glasshouses, climb a tree canopy, delve into a rainforest, visit a giant pagoda, and discover more on a guided tour. Since their creation in 1759, the gardens have made a great contribution to the study of plant diversity and economic botany.
The 110-year-old Richmond Theater on Richmond Green, designed by acclaimed architect Frank Matcham, draws audiences of over 300,000 people a year. Some places might look familiar, as they served as locations in films including ‘‘Shakespeare in Love,’’ ‘‘Billy Elliott,’’ ‘‘The Hours,’’ ‘‘Finding Neverland,’’ and ‘‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.’’
Richmond’s bucolic atmosphere has seduced artists as well as royalty. Painter Camille Pissaro, writers William Wordsworth, Charles Dickens, T.S. Eliot, and Virginia Woolf, and composer Felix Mendelssohn extolled its charms, many taking up residence here, their houses now designated with markers. Today Mick Jagger, Roger Daltry, Jerry Hall, David Attenborough, Kevin Spacey and many other notables call it home.
With all the hearty walks available in Richmond, you will be pleased to know that the town boasts excellent dining spots to fuel your explorations. They run the gamut from relaxed and casual pubs to elegant restaurants serving haute cuisine. In only a week, I found a few favorites. For morning coffee and warm pastries, I loved the tranquility of the Hollyhock Café, a quaint cottage hidden away in the tranquil Terrace Gardens, between Richmond Hill and the river. You can relax on the shaded veranda and enjoy the view or in winter sit inside in front of the fire and thaw out.
For lunch, I often returned to the leafy Petersham Nurseries Cafe & Teahouse, which is located in the heart of the nurseries in a renovated garden shed. Lunch offerings include homemade sandwiches made with naturally leavened breads and soups, such as borlotti bean and vegetables, sweet potato and ginger as well as savory dishes. I would break up the afternoon at The Tea Box, which serves and sells a select list of loose teas, alongside homemade sandwiches, salads, snacks, cakes and biscuits – also available to takeaway. I split my evenings between two sophisticated dining rooms, the Restaurant at the Petersham Hotel and the Bingham, both with views and first-class, international menus. That was on the evenings when I didn’t return to the Victoria Inn, for fish and chips.
No better place exists to contemplate Richmond’s beauty than across from the Victoria Inn, a view decreed sacrosanct by an Act of Parliament in 1902 and the only protected one in the United Kingdom. Down a sloping hill, the Terrace Gardens, with their robust shrubberies and acres of rolling meadowlands and green woods stretch to the horizon. The Thames winds its way here past snug houseboats and crowded docks. Along the river’s edge joggers run past the herons perched under ancient Richmond Bridge.
The panorama appears little changed since Sir Walter Scott described it in 1818, ‘‘The equipage stopped on a commanding eminence, where the beauty of the English countryside was displayed in the utmost luxuriance… The Thames, here turreted with villas and there garlanded with forests, moved on slowly and placidly, like the mighty monarch of the scene.’’
Take a path down the hill to the riverbank where restaurants and cafes offer a good vantage point from which to watch boats ply the river. From there, it’s a short walk into town, which is full of shops, restaurants, pubs and movie theaters, as well as cobblestone streets and 400-year-old cottages. At the Town Hall, a tourist office helps with maps, information about the local sights, and ferry, bus and train schedules. Since the Richmond Museum is also in the Town Hall, it’s worth a stop to view exhibits that give a sense of the town’s 1,000-year history.
Armed with a map, a little history, and the recommendations from the denizens of the Victoria Pub, you can easily find your own Richmond.
The area code for Richmond, U.K. is (44). For more information about traveling to Richmond, log on to www.visitrichmond.co.uk
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Where to Sleep:
The Petersham – Classic 4 star hotel and restaurant overlooking the Thames and surrounding meadows. 60 individually styled bedrooms. Nightingale Lane, Richmond. 44 20 8940 7471 www.petershamhotel.co.uk
Riverside Hotel – Privately owned Victorian town house on the banks of the Thames, with 12 rooms. Prices include VAT and English breakfast. 23 Petersham Rd. Richmond 44 20 8940 1339 www.riversiderichmond.co.uk
The Victoria – A public house and dining room with seven hotel rooms, situated on a leafy residential road of East Sheen, a five- minute walk from Richmond Park. Owned by acclaimed Chef Paul Merrett, who runs the superb kitchen, it offers an a la carte dining in the beautiful conservatory or in the classic pub. 10 West Temple Sheen, East Sheen. bookings@thevictoria.net www.thevictoria.net
Where to Eat and Drink:
Tide Tables – Delicious, vegetarian food, with a wide range of cakes to choose from, all while you sit out by the river. 2 The Archways, Richmond Bridge. 44 20 8948 8285 www.tidetablescafe.com
Petersham Nurseries Cafe & Teahouse – The Tea House at Petersham Nurseries pays homage to the greatest camellia of all, camellia sinensis – commonly known as the tea plant – serving an extensive range of delicious and fragrant, fine, whole leaf white, green and jasmine Chinese teas. 44 20 8605 3627 or 44 20 8605 3627. Reservations are essential for the restaurant but not for the cafe. They accept bookings up to one month in advance.
Restaurant at the Petersham Hotel – With its blend of British cooking and European influences and spectacular views of the Thames, this sophisticated dining room fills with locals and knowledgeable visitors. Nightingale Lane, Richmond. 44 20 8939 1084. www.petershamhotel.co.uk
Bingham – The best of British food in a glamorous setting. Recently won a Michelin star. Offers extensive cheese counter, fine wine list and heated balcony for alfresco dining on warm nights. Thames views. Also a comfortable hotel. 61-63 Petersham Rd. Richmond 44 20 8940 0902 www.thebingham.co.uk
The Tea Box – A specialist tea house that serves, and sells, a select list of loose leaf world teas, alongside homemade sandwiches, salads, snacks, cakes and biscuits. 7 Paradise Road, Richmond. 44 20 8940 3521.
What to See and Do:
Hampton Court Palace – It was the center of royal and political life in England into the 18th century: there King Henry VIII spent his honeymoon with Anne Boleyn in 1533 and married his sixth wife Catherine Parr ten years later, while King Charles I was held prisoner in its rooms in 1647 by Oliver Cromwell. A famous maze was planted in the North Gardens in 1702. Walk through the Tudor kitchens, the Queen and King’s lavish apartments for insight into the royal way of life. Most impressive is the Great Hall, England’s last and greatest medieval hall, which is decorated with lavish tapestries. www.hrp.org.uk 44. 20 8781 9500.