Richmond Park
A Royal Park Of About 2,500 Acres Enclosed By Charles I In 1637 As A Deer Park, Now A National Nature Reserve And Site Of Special Scientific Interest With Some 600 Red And Fallow Deer. King Henry'S Mound Has A Protected Sightline To St Paul'S Cathedral. · London, England
Richmond Park is the largest of London's Royal Parks, about 2,500 acres of open grass, bracken and old oaks in the south-west of the city. Charles I enclosed it in 1637 as a deer park, and roughly 600 red and fallow deer still roam it, which is the real draw. It is a National Nature Reserve, so it feels more like moorland than a city park, and on a quiet weekday morning you can forget the traffic. It suits walkers, cyclists, runners and families with a car or a bike. It is large, so plan a slice of it rather than the whole. The deer are wild animals, not a petting zoo: keep well away, especially in the autumn rut. Weekends are busy on the main roads and around the cafes, and the park is a shortcut for commuting cyclists at rush hour. Allow a half day for Pembroke Lodge, the views and a woodland walk, and a full day only if you cycle. Entry is free. Cafes and toilets are few, so carry water.
Largest of London's Royal Parks in the south-west of the city, with gates at Richmond, Kingston, Roehampton and Putney, free to enter on foot and by bike, with deer herds roaming open grassland, London, England, United Kingdom
The park is free to enter and open every day, but the vehicle gates open and close at set times that change with the season, commonly earlier opening in summer and a dusk closing in winter. Exact times are not fixed here, so confirm on the Royal Parks site or at the gate. Pedestrian gates are generally open for longer than car gates, and on foot or by bike you can usually enter early and leave late. Pembroke Lodge and the other cafes keep daytime hours and are shorter in winter. The Isabella Plantation is open all day in season, but is at its best in April and May. Paths and roads are not lit at night, and the park is dark after closing, so plan your exit before sunset.