Description
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.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Jubilee Gardens |
|---|---|
| Site location | The Embankment, Twickenham |
| Postcode | TW1 3DX |
| What3Words | ///print.stow.herds |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Richmond |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Sunshine Café (Mon-Sat 10-5.30/Sun 11-3.30), play areas for under 7s and 7-13 year-olds, two boules courts |
| Events | Events throughout the year |
| Public Transport | Rail: Twickenham. Bus: 33, 110, 267, 281, 290, 490, H22, R68, R70 |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2014 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
In 1924 Twickenham Urban District Council purchased land between the Thames, King Street,
Water Lane and Wharf Lane in order to provide public recreational space. The Ministry of Health enabled the purchase through a loan. In 1928 a large house on part of the land, Richmond House, was demolished and in 1929 part of the land was sold off; the King Street Parade was later built here in 1937. In 1935 Twickenham Lido had opened in commemoration of George V's Silver Jubilee. A popular facility, it was eventually closed for repairs in 1981 but did not re-open, and gradually the neglected site became derelict. However, for many years the Twickenham Riverside Terrace Group campaigned to save the old lido site from development and to return it as a public amenity for the community. In 2005 part of the site was laid out as Jubilee Gardens, with a café and playground. Later, following public consultation, the garden was re-ordered and re-named Diamond Jubilee Gardens in honour of Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, opening to the public on 24 June 2012. HRH Princess Alexandra officiated at the opening ceremony, organised by the Twickenham Riverside Trust and LB Richmond Council, sponsored by the Rugby Football Union.
The riverside garden has won two awards in its short life, including a RHS Britain in Bloom 2013 Sustainable Landscaping Award. In 2013 the Frame Gardens Festival Commission was mounted on the east boundary wall, a series of artworks by Emily Allchurch with pupils at Orleans Park School celebrating the cultural heritage of the architecture, parks and gardens in the borough. They were inspired by C18th topographical prints of the borough and had assistance from Kew Gardens to identify local plants and flowers with beneficial medical properties.
Adjacent to the gardens along the riverside is an area of landscaping, laid out as part of the Twickenham Embankment Upgrade Scheme Phase 2. designed to create a pleasant environment linking the riverside open spaces between Diamond Jubilee Gardens and York House Gardens (q.v.). The upgrade works are due to be completed in May 2014.
The riverside garden has won two awards in its short life, including a RHS Britain in Bloom 2013 Sustainable Landscaping Award. In 2013 the Frame Gardens Festival Commission was mounted on the east boundary wall, a series of artworks by Emily Allchurch with pupils at Orleans Park School celebrating the cultural heritage of the architecture, parks and gardens in the borough. They were inspired by C18th topographical prints of the borough and had assistance from Kew Gardens to identify local plants and flowers with beneficial medical properties.
Adjacent to the gardens along the riverside is an area of landscaping, laid out as part of the Twickenham Embankment Upgrade Scheme Phase 2. designed to create a pleasant environment linking the riverside open spaces between Diamond Jubilee Gardens and York House Gardens (q.v.). The upgrade works are due to be completed in May 2014.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ163731 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.225 |
| Site Ownership | LB Richmond |
| Site Management | Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | 2005, 2012 |
| 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 | No |
| Other LA Designation | Public Open Space |
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
From 1782 Holly Road Burial Ground served the parish of St Mary, Twickenham but was full by 1835 at which point Oak Lane Cemetery was opened. It was officially closed in 1868 although some burials in family graves continued until c.1875. In 1930 196 monuments and tombstones naming 450 people could be read, but there were probably many more burials than this. In 1953 the burial ground was laid out as a public garden and called Holly Road Garden of Rest. It was later restored and replanted in 1991.
The Art Deco Thames Eyot flats were built in 1935 on the site of Poulett Lodge, an C18th mansion that replaced an earlier house of c.1701 that burnt down in 1734. It is named after the 3rd Earl Poulett who inherited the property in 1774. From the early C18th there were fine riverside gardens here. By 1842 the estate included parkland on the west side of Cross Deep that became a nursery in the late C19th, but was developed in 1926 as a crescent of private houses. Poulett Lodge was demolished in 1933 when the Thames Eyot flats were built but the former coach house and stables survive. The main ornamental feature is the riverside lawn with its 160m river frontage and long stone balustrade, at the south end of which is a possibly C18th stone loggia, at the west end of which a small square grotto with a barrel vaulted roof decorated with shell work and blue slag. At the north end is a C19th boathouse, with wet dock.
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.