"Richmond,Surrey" a Richmond Travel Page by diosh

Richmond is an attractive town,outside London,but within easy reach by tube and mainline trains and buses,to central London.
It is on the bank of the Thames,delightful for walking to nearby Kew or Ham.The riverside is well served with pubs,all of which provide food.
Richmond is famous for its Park,historic buildings (remains of the old Palace,built by Henry V111, and where Queen Elizabeth I died.).

It is plentiful in restaurants and cafes and good shops.Larger supermarkets are to be found out of town.
Cricket is played on The Green in summer and the Richmond Theatre is near by.
The Orange Tree theatre is opposite the station.
Of course,Richmond is where the Rolling Stones,Yardbirds and many other 60s R.&B. groups started their careers.They played at clubs in Richmond as well as at the famous Eel Pie Island,in Twickenham.There is a thriving Eel Pie revival club held at the Cabbage Patch pub in Twickenham.(see Eel Pie Island web sites).
Nearby Kew Gardens can be visited easily by bus(10 minutes away).
There is a large swimming pool at Pools on the Park,with indoor and outdoor and kids' pools.+ gym,sauna,etc. facilities.
Many 'stars' of stage and film and TV screen live here and you are likely to bump into them shopping in Tesco or strolling down the high street!
Overall, a truly delightful place to live,or visit,with green,open spaces,yet near to London
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These boats can be hired so one can take a leisurely row down the river.
The boatyard on the river bank still makes traditional wooden boats-wherries.

This is one of the ponds in the park-Pen Ponds.The ponds are so named as they form the shape of a fountain pen.Many swans, coots, moorhens, ducks, etc. make these ponds their home.
These ponds were camouflaged during the war, by being completely covered over with mock bushes, trees and shrubbery.They would have been such a landmark, so near to London, for enemy aircraft they had to be disguised.
Nowadays they are visited by walkers and provide a beautiful , tranquil place to sit and picnic, or just admire the view.
There is a tunnel under the water, linking the two ponds and providing an overflow if the ponds ever flood.Daring kids have been known, in the past,to swim to the tunnel, dive down and swim through it, coming out at the other end into the smaller pond!