Description
Richmond Golf Club was established here in 1898 on the former estate of Sudbrook Park, an early C18th Palladian mansion, now used as the golf clubhouse. It was built for the 2nd Duke of Argyll and Greenwich who had been given a lease on 12 hectares of Richmond Park by King George I in recognition of the part he played in defeating Louis XIV and the Hanoverian Succession. John Rocque's map of 1741-5 shows the extensive formal layout of the park at that time. Gibbs may have brought in landscape gardener Charles Bridgeman to help with the planning of the garden. The estate remained in the family until 1842 and was later a spa and then a hotel before it was taken over by Richmond Golf Club.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Sudbrook Park |
|---|---|
| Site location | Sudbrook Lane, Petersham |
| Postcode | TW10 7AS |
| What3Words | ///rushed.hedge.salad |
| Type of Site | Private Open Land |
| Borough | Richmond |
| Open to Public | Partially |
| Opening Times | Members club but visitors welcome to play on course Mon - Fri (no bookings necessary), and weekends/Bank Holidays after 2pm, subject to availability |
| Facilities | Facilities for visitors include changing rooms, driving range, chipping area, large putting green |
| Public Transport | Rail/London Overground/Tube (District): Richmond then bus. Bus: 65, 371. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Sudbrook Park was built in 1726-28 by architect James Gibbs for John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll and Greenwich, and has been described by Nikolaus Pevsner as 'especially interesting as a transitional building poised between Baroque and Palladian'. The house has a famous Cube Room, and the south front is on the garden side and has a fine open stair towards the entrance, which starts in two flights, parallel with the facade and then joins up into one. Rocque's map of 1741-5 shows the extensive formal layout of the park at that time. Gibbs may have brought in Charles Bridgeman to help with the planning of the garden. The Duke built extensions to the west of the house, which included a separate annexe where his 'useless pack' of five daughters were brought up by servants. The family remained at Sudbrook Park until 1842, upon which the Crown re-purchased the estate and leased it for a hydropathic spa offering a water cure, which Charles Darwin is known to have taken. By 1891 the house was a hotel and in 1898 it was taken over by the Richmond Golf Club, with the house as its clubhouse, which continues to maintain the house and grounds.
The golf course was designed by Tom Dunn, who designed a number of London golf courses including Wanstead Golf Course on the former grounds of Wanstead Park (q.v.). The club at one time had as its captain the Duke of York, later to become King George VI.
The golf course was designed by Tom Dunn, who designed a number of London golf courses including Wanstead Golf Course on the former grounds of Wanstead Park (q.v.). The club at one time had as its captain the Duke of York, later to become King George VI.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ184725 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 12 |
| Site Ownership | The Richmond Golf Club |
| Site Management | The Richmond Golf Club |
| Dates | 1726-8 |
| Designers | ? Charles Bridgeman. Golf course: Tom Dunn |
| Listed Structures | LBI: Richmond Golf Clubhouse (Sudbrook Park) |
| 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 | Richmond Park |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | No |
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
St Peter's Church has a picturesque setting from where footpaths lead across farmland to Petersham Meadows. The walled churchyard has some fine trees and numerous gravestones and chest-tombs including that of Lord Buccleuch and the simple tomb of Captain George Vancouver (d.1798) of the Royal Navy, an explorer who discovered the island off the west coast of Canada that is named after him. Others buried here include Revd. Albert Henry Scott, (d.1864), whose carved granite tomb was designed by his father the architect Sir George Gilbert Scott who lived at the Manor House in Ham. The entrance to the churchyard has a metal arch with lamp erected in 1997 in memory of Murray and Clare Vines, from where a herringbone brick path leads to the church.
Ham Common is adjacent to Richmond Park beyond Ham Gate. In 1635 the local inhabitants were granted certain rights on the common by Charles I in return for the 483 acres he took when creating his New Park, later called Richmond Park. There are a number of fine C18th houses overlooking the common, particularly the western open area, such as Cassel House, now a hospital and St Michael's Convent, formerly Orford Hall. The South Avenue that leads from the riverside Ham House extends onto Ham Common. Ham Pond is the focal point here, where horses were watered in the past. East of the main road Ham Common Woods are thickly planted, and have paths and horse tracks crossing it.
St Michael's Convent overlooks Ham Common and is the former grounds of the early C18th Orford Hall. Behind the convent is an extensive garden that includes a walled vegetable garden, orchards, vine house, ancient mulberry tree, extensive borders, a labyrinth, meditation and Bible gardens. The Sisters at St Michael's Convent are members of the Community of the Sisters of the Church, a worldwide Anglican religious order founded in 1870 by Mother Emily Ayckbowm, who opened schools for the education of poor children, first in London, then in other cities.