Description
Richmond Green has been an important open space since medieval times when jousting tournaments and pageants took place, although as commonland it was used for grazing sheep. From the C14th the Lord of the Manor was the King and the Green was overlooked by Richmond Palace, then called Sheen Palace, occupied by monarchs until the late C17th. The royal connection led to the early growth of Richmond, which continued to develop as a fashionable town, and a popular place for excursions in the C19th. In 1899 Richmond Theatre was built on Little Green, an extension of the main green to the east. Criss-crossed by paths, the Green is bordered by fine mature trees and is surrounded by historic buildings.
Practical Information
| Site location | The Green, Richmond |
|---|---|
| Postcode | TW9 1LX |
| What3Words | ///wrong.global.soccer |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Richmond |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Cricket pitches (leased to clubs) |
| Events | Cricket matches. Various events include annual May Fair and Victorian Evening at Christmas |
| Public Transport | Rail/London Overground/Tube (District): Richmond. Bus: 190, 33, 337, 371, 371, 391, 419, 485, 490, 65, H22, H37, R68, R70 |
| Research Updated | 1 July 2005 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
'One of the most beautiful urban greens surviving anywhere in England' (Pevsner), Richmond Green has been an important open space since medieval times when jousting tournaments and pageants took place here, although it was commonland which was used by villagers for grazing sheep. From the C14th the Lord of the Manor was the King and the Green was overlooked by Richmond Palace, then called Sheen or Shene Palace, occupied by monarchs until the late C17th. The Green is just outside the old palace gateway and linked the palace with the Old Deer Park (q.v.). A survey of 1649 described the Green as 20 acres of 'excellent land . . . Well turfed, level, and a splendid ornament to the palace. One hundred and thirteen elm trees, forty-eight whereof stand all together on the west side, and include in them a very handsome walk'. On the south-east side of the Green are late C17th and early C18th terraces of smart townhouses and Richmond continued to develop as a fashionable town, and in the C19th was a popular place for excursions. In 1861 Charles Dickens describes the Green in 'Great Expectations' where 'Some ancient trees before the house were still cut into fashions as formal and unnatural as the hoops and wigs and stiff skirts'.
In 1879-81 the Public Library was built on the Green and in 1899 Richmond Theatre, designed by Frank Matcham, was built on Little Green, an extension of the Green to the east, which has been so-called since at least the C18th. This was not the first theatre on the Green, a Theatre Royal modelled on Drury Lane having been built in the north-west corner in the 1760s which was not pulled down until 1884. In its heyday Edmund Kean, Charles Macready and Mrs Siddons had performed here and Kean is buried in the churchyard of St Mary Magdalene, Richmond (q.v.).
Today the Green is a rectangular grassed space, criss-crossed by paths, with clusters of mature trees around the periphery. The fine Portland stone late C19th drinking fountain in the south west corner of Richmond Green was restored by private subscription in commemoration of Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee in 1977. Surrounding the Green are excellent houses including Maids of Honour Row, 1724, the entrance to Richmond Palace and Old Palace Yard and substantial C19th houses. In 2001 Kim Wilkie Associates drew up a long-term landscape assessment and strategy to ensure its future management conserves the historic green.
In 1879-81 the Public Library was built on the Green and in 1899 Richmond Theatre, designed by Frank Matcham, was built on Little Green, an extension of the Green to the east, which has been so-called since at least the C18th. This was not the first theatre on the Green, a Theatre Royal modelled on Drury Lane having been built in the north-west corner in the 1760s which was not pulled down until 1884. In its heyday Edmund Kean, Charles Macready and Mrs Siddons had performed here and Kean is buried in the churchyard of St Mary Magdalene, Richmond (q.v.).
Today the Green is a rectangular grassed space, criss-crossed by paths, with clusters of mature trees around the periphery. The fine Portland stone late C19th drinking fountain in the south west corner of Richmond Green was restored by private subscription in commemoration of Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee in 1977. Surrounding the Green are excellent houses including Maids of Honour Row, 1724, the entrance to Richmond Palace and Old Palace Yard and substantial C19th houses. In 2001 Kim Wilkie Associates drew up a long-term landscape assessment and strategy to ensure its future management conserves the historic green.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ177750 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 4.8 |
| Site Ownership | Crown Estate Commissioners |
| Site Management | LB Richmond, Environment Planning & Review, Parks and Open Spaces. Friends of Richmond Green |
| Dates | medieval onwards |
| Listed Structures | LBI: Former Gateway to Palace, Old Palace & Gate House, gates & railings to Maids of Honour Row 1-4. LBII*: Oak House, gates and railings, Old Court House, Old Friars gates & railings, Old Palace Place, Nos. 2-6, 10, railings to 11, 12, 32 Richmond Green. LBII: Lamp standard outside No 1, Pair K6 telephone kiosks, Drinking Fountain, Wentworth House, wall & piers, Nos 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 & 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21 & 22, 23 & 24, 25, 29, 30, 31, 44 Richmond Green; Pembroke Villas 1-20, Portland Terrace 1-4 |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | Yes: Green (TVG25) |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Richmond |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Richmond Green |
| Tree Preservation Order | To be checked |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| 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
Maids of Honour Row, facing onto Richmond Green, was built in 1717-21 on part of the site of Richmond Palace as a speculative development. Two houses were rented for the Maids of Honour to the Princess of Wales. Walled gardens front and back were probably part of the original design, and all houses have retained their garden walls and handsome iron railings and gates at the front. The gardens are now all arranged individually. No very early designs are recorded although there is one design for No.4 in the 1860s.
The main front of the Trumpeters' House with its grand portico faces the river across a lawn and gardens planted with numerous mature trees. The lawn was the former site of the Privy Lodgings of Richmond Palace. In the garden and close to the river is an C18th castellated summer house / gazebo, of one storey high but set on a high plinth in order to provide a good view over the river. Nearby is a knot garden and a modern aviary for doves. It gets its name from two medieval figures of trumpeters that once stood outside the entrance of Old Palace Yard.
St Mary Magdalene is the old parish church of Richmond. A chapel existed here by 1220 when the parish was known as Shene, later renamed Richmond. The churchyard was enlarged on the west side in 1745, and in 1790 a new burial ground was consecrated nearby at Vineyard Passage. Among the important tombs in the churchyard is that of Sir Matthew Decker and his grandson Viscount Fitzwilliam who founded the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge; and that of Sir Richard Levett of Kew whose estate became part of the Royal Gardens.