Description
King George's Field takes its name from King George V who originally gave the land to the borough. King George's Fields Foundation was set up as a memorial following the King's death in 1936, and provided funding for the creation or improvement of a great many playing fields before it was finally dissolved in 1965. The Foundation provided a grant of £2,000 to Ham Borough Council for the 13.5 acre site. The gate piers at the entrance have the standard heraldic stone plaques that denote all King George's Fields.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Walnut Tree Meadow |
|---|---|
| Site location | Ham Street, Ham |
| Postcode | TW10 7RS |
| What3Words | ///train.sugar.novel |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Richmond |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | Mon - Sat: 7.30am - dusk/Sun & Bank Hols: 9am - dusk |
| Facilities | Playing fields, cricket pitch, tennis court, changing rooms, car park |
| Public Transport | Bus: 371 |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The King George's Fields Foundation was established on 3 November 1936 in order to promote the establishment of playing fields in memory of the late King George. It was considered that the King would have approved of such a living memorial, which would benefit the 'individual well-being and the general welfare of the nation', and young people in particular, by providing them with the environment and opportunity for open air exercise. The Trust Deed of the Foundation defined a playing field as 'any open space used for the purpose of outdoor games, sports and pastimes.' Local authorities were able to apply to the Foundation, whose trustee was the National Playing Fields Association, for a grant to provide these new facilities for public recreation. Each new playing field was to be known as King George's Field and was generally provided with heraldic panels that would distinguish it as such. It was a condition of the grant that the tenure of the site was sufficiently secure so that it would provide a meaningful legacy to the king's memory; the land must have been acquired only for the purpose of public recreation. The design of the entrance and the ground's layout had to be approved by the Foundation, which was to receive an annual report for the first five years from the acceptance of the offer. 471 playing fields across the UK were funded and following the demise of the scheme in 1965, their protection has been undertaken by the Fields in Trust. The largest King George's Field is Enfield Playing Fields (q.v.), some 128 acres, and the smallest is in the City of London, King George's Field in Portsoken Street (q.v.).
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ169729 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 4.04 |
| Site Ownership | LB Richmond |
| Site Management | Environment Planning & Review, Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | 1936 |
| 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 | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Thames Policy Area |
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
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Ham House is the remains of a C17th estate and its gardens. Built in 1610, Ham House was extended in the 1670s for the Duke and Duchess of Lauderdale, who laid out formal gardens, planting fine approach avenues to the east and south of the house, which also had fine riverside views. The Lauderdales' gardens were praised by John Evelyn in 1678. The house and c.7 hectares of the grounds were given to the National Trust in 1948, and restoration of the gardens to their late C17th form began in the mid-1970s.
Ham House is the remains of a C17th estate and its gardens. Built in 1610, Ham House was extended in the 1670s for the Duke and Duchess of Lauderdale, who laid out formal gardens, planting fine approach avenues to the east and south of the house, which also had fine riverside views. The Lauderdales' gardens were praised by John Evelyn in 1678. The house and c.7 hectares of the grounds were given to the National Trust in 1948, and restoration of the gardens to their late C17th form began in the mid-1970s.
Built in the early C18th, the house was later known as Orleans House after Louis Phillippe, Duc d'Orleans who lived here in exile from France in 1800-14 and 1815-17, before he became King of France in 1830. His widow returned to Twickenham and purchased Orleans House in 1852, her son owning it until 1877. The early C18th house was demolished in 1926/7 and the only surviving buildings are stables, wings of the main house and the Octagon, a garden room of c.1720, now Orleans House Gallery, set in shady woodlands. The riverside Orleans Gardens were originally linked to Orleans House via a tunnel under the road and were purchased by Twickenham Corporation in the 1930s.
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.
