Description
Champions Wharf consists of a largely paved terrace with balustrade overlooking the river, with raised beds planted with heathers and shrubs. For a time it was laid out as a small sculpture court and known as Champions Wharf Sculpture Park, displaying abstract sculptures by Guy Rushworth-Harden and Mike Jensen, who were based at Eel Pie Island Boatyard. The garden was re-designed post 2015 and now reflects the proximity of Alexander Pope's villa, with a recreation of Pope's Urn and inscriptions with his quotations on benches. Adjacent to the garden is Champions Wharf Play Beach, laid out in 2013 with play features including a Viking Boat, a Wherry or Victorian Water Taxi and archaeological dig items from Twickenham Museum.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Wharf Garden; Champions Wharf Sculpture Park |
|---|---|
| Site location | Riverside, Twickenham |
| Postcode | TW1 3DT |
| What3Words | ///pizza.boots.richer |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Richmond |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Play Beach |
| Public Transport | Rail: Twickenham. Bus: H22, R68, R70, 33, 90, 290 |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2014 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The site is maintained as part of York House Gardens to which there is access via a gate in the wall to the west of the sculpture court.
Champions Wharf Sculpture Garden was re-designed in 2015/16, following a proposal by Poet in the City to create a contemporary version of Alexander Pope's Urn inscribed with contemporary poetry and framed by 4 Amelanchier trees, together with new paving and seating, and planting of parasol plane trees and a perennial meadow. Alexander Pope's villa and garden was located up the river and today Pope's Grotto (q.v.) remains although his villa and garden have been built over. Consultation on the scheme closed in April 2015 and the new garden was laid out c.2016. The Pope Urn and plinth, fabricated in Corten steel, is based on a design by Pope for Hagley Park, Worcestershire. Benches are inscribed with memorable quotations by Pope, such as - but not necessarily including - the following:
'Fools rush in where angels fear to tread...'
'Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind...'
'To err is human, to forgive divine...'
'A little learning is a dangerous thing...'
'Hope springs eternal in the human breast...'
'Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.'
Champions Wharf Sculpture Garden was re-designed in 2015/16, following a proposal by Poet in the City to create a contemporary version of Alexander Pope's Urn inscribed with contemporary poetry and framed by 4 Amelanchier trees, together with new paving and seating, and planting of parasol plane trees and a perennial meadow. Alexander Pope's villa and garden was located up the river and today Pope's Grotto (q.v.) remains although his villa and garden have been built over. Consultation on the scheme closed in April 2015 and the new garden was laid out c.2016. The Pope Urn and plinth, fabricated in Corten steel, is based on a design by Pope for Hagley Park, Worcestershire. Benches are inscribed with memorable quotations by Pope, such as - but not necessarily including - the following:
'Fools rush in where angels fear to tread...'
'Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind...'
'To err is human, to forgive divine...'
'A little learning is a dangerous thing...'
'Hope springs eternal in the human breast...'
'Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.'
Adjacent to the garden is Champions Wharf Play Beach. Following the success of providing a temporary play beach here in 2011 and 2012, Richmond Council constructed the permanent play facility, which opened in August 2013. It provides a historical and educational space as well as being a space for play, with references to the human and natural history of the area, including Mesolithic, Neolothic and Bronze Age ï¬nds, and examples of earlier means of river transport in the form of the Viking boat and Victorian Wherry, the latter used for river transport up until the 1860s. Seating has been installed, summer shade provided and the balustrades modiï¬ed for safety, in order to provide a secure space for children to play.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ165732 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.076 |
| Site Ownership | LB Richmond |
| Site Management | Environment Planning and Review, Parks and Open Spaces |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Richmond |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Twickenham Riverside |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Thames Policy Area |
Gallery
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
Twickenham was a medieval village around the parish church, and the first settlement here was probably opposite Eel Pie Island, later a favourite place for boating excursions. The old medieval parish church became neglected and the nave had collapsed by the time the current church was built in the early C18th. The church and churchyard are well above the level of the river, thereby protected from the high floods that continue to take place. The churchyard was extended over the years and has some fine tombs among grass with paths running through it and a number of mature trees, including yew.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
The Manor of York was the property of the Crown from Henry VIII's reign and the land leased out from the mid C17th-mid C19th. York House was built in the C17th and by 1661 was one of the largest houses in Twickenham. Over the years it had various illustrious tenants. For a time part of its grounds were detached, but it was reassembled by James Whitchurch in 1746 since when the boundaries have remained virtually unchanged. By early C19th the grounds included a paddock, formal kitchen garden, lawn with gravelled terrace walk, an elm grove with serpentine walks, a small formal garden and many additional buildings and outhouses. When Indian industrialist Sir Ratan Tata bought the house in 1906 he substantially altered the gardens, including a sunken garden near the house and, near the river, a hedged formal garden with a substantial fountain of large female figures, and a Japanese garden. In 1924 York House was acquired by Twickenham UDC and converted for council use, the gardens becoming public open space in perpetuity.
The Manor of York was the property of the Crown from Henry VIII's reign and the land leased out from the mid C17th-mid C19th. York House was built in the C17th and by 1661 was one of the largest houses in Twickenham. Over the years it had various illustrious tenants. For a time part of its grounds were detached, but it was reassembled by James Whitchurch in 1746 since when the boundaries have remained virtually unchanged. By early C19th the grounds included a paddock, formal kitchen garden, lawn with gravelled terrace walk, an elm grove with serpentine walks, a small formal garden and many additional buildings and outhouses. When Indian industrialist Sir Ratan Tata bought the house in 1906 he substantially altered the gardens, including a sunken garden near the house and, near the river, a hedged formal garden with a substantial fountain of large female figures, and a Japanese garden. In 1924 York House was acquired by Twickenham UDC and converted for council use, the gardens becoming public open space in perpetuity.
Diamond Jubilee Gardens is a new public garden created on part of the former site of Twickenham Swimming Pool, which opened in 1935 in commemoration of the Jubilee of George V. The public swimming pool closed for repairs in 1981 but did not re-open and the site became derelict. Part of the land opened in 2005 as a public open space. Following public consultation the new riverside garden was created in 2012, renamed in commemoration of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee; a black poplar was planted by HRH Princess Alexandra on 23 June 2012. The design of the garden recalls the former use with swimming lanes demarcated in the grass of the main lawn.