Description
Providing a rare opening to the Thames in this stretch of the river, Manor Road Recreation Ground has fine mature horse-chestnuts in a short avenue of three trees leading towards the river where a tarmac terrace with seating runs along the front, looking across to Teddington Lock. The park is largely grassed, with a raised area running across the site, either side of which are curious brick semi-circular structures set into the slope. Along the road-side of the park are a number of trees (sweet chestnut) planted on 31 January 1995 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations. The plaque set into a tree stump for this occasion is the only indication of the park's name.
Practical Information
| Site location | Manor Road, Twickenham |
|---|---|
| Postcode | TW11 8BF |
| What3Words | ///yoga.shots.suffer |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Richmond |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | Mon - Sat: 7.30am - dusk/Sun & Bank Hols: 9am - dusk |
| Public Transport | Rail: Teddington then bus. Bus: R68. |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ165714 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.41 |
| Site Ownership | LB Richmond |
| Site Management | Environment Planning & Review, Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | C20th |
| 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 | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Thames Policy Area |
| Other LA Designation | Proposed area for environmental improvement |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Teddington was a medieval fishing village, and the old church of St Mary has brickwork in the south aisle that may date from the C16th. The remainder of the building dates from the 1753-4 apart from the chancel, which is C19th. St Mary's became too small for the growing population as Teddington developed from the 1860s and a new large church of St Alban replaced it in 1888. However it was rededicated in 1938 and now once again serves the parish of Teddington. St Mary's small burial ground was enlarged over the years and the earliest legible tombstones date from the mid C18th and are in the north-west part of the churchyard. The most recent date on a gravestone is 1952. Mature trees include lime and yew and the churchyard is managed in parts, and left wilder elsewhere. The churchyard of St Alban across Ferry Road was cleared in 1991 and has been built on although some of the larger, mature trees remain.
Udney Hall Gardens is a fragment of the grounds of Teddington Place, former seat of the C18th magnate Sir Charles Dunscombe, one of the richest men of his day and Lord Mayor of London in 1709. Udney Hall was the original name given to the house, which was built In c.1700 but eventually demolished in 1946. The gardens today are an open area of grass, with some mature trees and paths running across it, adjacent to the large church of St Alban.
Grove Gardens were provided as a secluded public green as part of a cottage housing estate built by the Royal Dutch Shell Company in the 1920s. The small estate was designed along 'garden suburb' principles. The railed gardens are surrounded by mature pine trees, with grass and shrubs, seats and paths. The garden has a bowling green, with two timber pavilions between which is a sculpture of a huntress or goddess with a deer. The garden at one time had a putting green.