Richmond

 Here I am at the last station on the District Line. It has taken me over two years to complete this line. With 60 stations the District Line has more than any other line but I had already visited 20 stations as they were shared with either the Bakerloo, Circle or Central Lines. I began my 'Above the Underground' challenge of the District Line in June 2019 and am delighted I have managed to complete it so soon with the difficulties presented by Covid restrictions and more recently a broken foot. I took a photo of this map at Richmond thinking it would show all the stations I have visited but for some unknown reason it does not show the District branch line to Wimbledon which branches off from Earls Court with another 8 stations. 

With seven platforms the station serves National Rail, the Overground as well as the District underground line. Platforms one and two are through platforms for South Western railway services. All the other platforms are terminating platforms for the Underground and Overground.

I could not find the underground roundel with the station's name, only one that says underground.  

A station first opened in Richmond in 1846, but it wasn't until 1869 that the forerunner of the District Line was first opened here which connected with Gunnersbury and Hammersmith. This art deco styled station was built in 1937 and has an unusual square clock embedded within a window.  It was a very busy Sunday when I visited and it was impossible to take photos which did not include members of the public.

After leaving the station I turned left passed The Railway Tavern. Built in 1855 it was The Railway Hotel. It no longer offers overnight accommodation but is so close to the station it is probably still used by many railway users. 

This pub was rebuilt in its present form in 1888

The floral decorations along the frontage make sure this pub stands out from the other shops and cafes.

An old chapel now used as an estate agents

Within the town centre there are a number of narrow, cobbled streets. These ones still have the original Victorian houses.

The clock tower is a grade II listed building just round the corner from the station. 

Originally it was a fire station built in 1870. It has three carved heads set in the façade:

Two of the heads are of firemen but I'm not sure who the third head represents.

On the same road is St Mary Magdalene Church.

A place of worship has stood here since at least the 13th century. The earliest reference to a church in Richmond, originally known as Sheen, confirms that a church existed in the time of William of Conqueror (1100-1135). The exact location of that church is not clear but the first recorded place of prayer on this site was a chapel built c1220 in the reign of Henry II (1216-1272). Sheen was renamed Richmond in 1501after the Earl of Richmond (in Yorkshire) took the throne as Henry VII, founder of the Tudor dynasty. The renaming commemorated the rebuilding of the Royal Palace on the riverside a few minutes walk away.

Few parts survive from the Tudor period and as the church was closed I couldn't go in and have a look. The bell chamber was added in 1624 and then in 1904 the church was refaced in Kentish flint.

There are some impressive memorials outside the church.

Inside the church there is a slate memorial to the daughter and grand-daughter of Sir Richard Attenborough, actor and film director who lived in Richmond. They died in the Indian Ocean tsunami on Boxing Day 2004. The ashes of Richard Attenborough and his wife Sheila Sim are interred in an adjacent memorial.

Turning right brought me back onto the High Street. Here there were more narrow streets taking you to Richmond Green.

 

This is one of the oldest streets in Richmond. It was named Brewers Lane after a former resident William Brewer who owned a copyhold cottage (copyhold means the property was owned by the lord of the manor) in the street from 1576 to 1625. He was so well known that from 1608 the lane was known as Brewer's Lane.

The Green was the site of jousting in the 15th and 16th century when Tudor Kings and Queens stayed at Richmond Palace. The Green is now used for cricket, traditional fairs and community celebrations.

For the past 400 years the Green has been surrounded by houses and commercial buildings. The first buildings were erected to provide accommodation for people serving or visiting Richmond Palace. You can still see the remains of the Palace in 'Old Palace Yard' 

 

Edward III  extended a manor house here in 1277 and it became the first Sheen Palace. After his death in 1377 it was used by his next three descendants until falling into disrepair. 

It was Henry VII who rebuilt a palace here in 1501. Being the Earl of Richmond (Yorkshire) he renamed it Richmond Palace and the local area also became known as Richmond. To distinguish it from Richmond in Yorkshire people refer to it either by adding London or upon-Thames to its name. Richmond Palace was a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I who died here in 1603. It remained a Royal Palace until the execution of Charles I in 1649 after which Parliament sold the palace so that the stones and timbers could be re-used elsewhere as building materials.

 

 After the restoration of the Monarchy, James II had parts of the surviving buildings renovated for use as a royal nursery in 1688. But future Kings and Queens were not interested in the building and at the beginning of the 18th century it was disposed of to private residents.  New houses replaced the old crumbling remains of the palace. 

As you go through the Tudor archway into Palace Yard, the building on the left is known as the wardrobe. This Grade I building is one of the few remaining parts of the Palace. It was given a new façade during the reign of Queen Anne. It is believed that Sir Christopher Wren was in charge of the work. 

 

The engraved plaque between the windows states:

George Cave of Richmond, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain 1922-28, Chancellor of Oxford University 1925-28, lived in this house, the wardrobe of Henry VIII for thirty eight years.

 

It remained one house until 1957 when the Crown sympathetically converted it into three houses.

The Wardrobe building had been joined up to the gate House in 1688-9. Most of the other buildings now called 'Old Palace' were rebuilt about 1740.

Trumpeters' House was built in 1702 on part of the Richmond Palace site. The name comes from two statues of trumpeting figures that were part of the middle gate of the old palace and were erected on this building. The house was bomb damaged in 1944 and its residents moved out. It was then used by the Inland Revenue until 1951 when it was converted into four apartments and a small house.

I walked back to the Green to have a look at some of the other places of interest there. During the 19th century a number of the houses were used as dame schools ( small primary schools run by elderly ladies in their own home). Other houses were used as offices and consulting rooms by solicitors and medical practitioners. This one advertises ophthalmic appliances.

This grand building is Richmond Theatre. Built in 1899, the theatre is a purpose built Victorian building which retains many of its original features. Sadly, due to Covid, it is not yet open to visitors but plans to reopen by the end of September. 

Next to the theatre is Richmond Library. The library opened in 1881 and so was here before the theatre. Although it suffered damage in the war the outside has not changed since it was built. I like the stone carving at the top of the building letting everyone know that it is free for the public to borrow books.

I almost walked past this small building but then I read the blue sign in the window. Definitely worthy of a mention.

The Crawdaddy Club was established in 1962 and along with Eel Pie Island in Twickenham and the Ealing Club it was at the forefront of Britain's R and B Music scene. It was the first residency of the Rolling Stones and helped to launch the careers of Eric Clapton with the Yardbirds, Manfred Mann, Long John Baldry amongst many others. It outgrew the venue here at the Station Hotel in 1963 and moved to Richmond Athletic ground, a short distance away.

In December 1971, the Richmond Fringe Theatre opened in the upper room of this pub, the Orange Tree. It was a success right from the start and in 1987 plans were approved to convert a disused school across the road from the pub into a theatre. The new Orange Tree Theatre opened in 1991.

I retraced my steps back to Richmond Green walking past some inviting pubs on the way.

The notice above the door says: 'The Old Ship has stood on this site since at least 1735. Stage coaches used to stop here six times a day for passengers and mail deliveries and collection to and from Hampton Court.  The Old Ship has been serving beer from the Ram Brewery since 1869.'

I also wandered down one of the lanes admiring the many independent shops.

 

No time for shopping as there was much more for me to see.

This road led me away from the Green and onto the Thames Path.

I turned right onto the path and under Richmond railway bridge built in 1908.

The bridge running alongside the railway bridge is Twickenham Bridge.

On the other side of the tow path to the river is the Old Deer Park, formerly a hunting park attached to Richmond Palace.

I walked East along the River Thames as far as Richmond Lock and Weir. Opened in 1894 it was built to stop water in the upper tidal Thames from draining away when the tide goes out.

There is a footbridge going over the weir. Three vertical steel sluice gates are suspended from the footbridge. For two hours each side of high tide the sluice gates are raised allowing water and boats to pass. For the rest of the day the gates are closed.

River traffic then passes through this integrated lock.

I returned back along the tow path following it towards Richmond Bridge. 

On the left is Asgill House . The house was built in 1758 on the site of the old Richmond Palace brewhouse.

For centuries the Thames was the main transport route providing access from London to the palaces at Richmond, Kew and Hampton Court. Boat building continues today in the arches alongside Richmond Bridge. It is remarkable that the craftsmen still use the same method that was used in the days of Alfred the Great.

The waterfront at Richmond is usually very busy with people enjoying a drink or meal by the riverside.

Up ahead I could see Richmond Bridge. This is the oldest bridge over the Thames. Built of stone between 1774-9 it replaced a ferry service between the North and South Banks.

It is also a busy part of the river with pleasure boats, rowing boats and kayaks enjoying the beautiful scenery.

Next to the river is Petersham meadows. The Thames regularly floods the meadows here.

There are a number of memorial benches along this section of the Thames Path, this being a beautiful section of the river and a wide enough path to accommodate seating.  But this particular bench brought a tear to my eye.

Casper Alexander Basher

31. 12. 18 * 7.1. 19

Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart

On the opposite bank lies Marble Hill House. This was built in the 1720s for Henrietta Howard, the mistress of Henry II.

There is a ferry point here to take you across making it easy to visit marble Hill House.

It costs £1 for adults and 50p for children.

On this side of the river is another mansion. This is Ham House, a 17th century country home with extensive gardens. I left the riverbank here and returned to Richmond town centre via Richmond Park

Richmond Park is the largest Royal Park in London covering an area of 2500 acres. It has changed little over the centuries with its varied landscape of hills, woodland gardens and grassland set amongst ancient trees. Its royal connections go back to Edward (1272-1307) when the area was known as the Manor of Sheen. The name was changed to Richmond during Henry VII's reign. In 1625 Charles I brought his court to Richmond Palace to escape the plague in London and turned it into a park for red and fallow deer. His decision in 1637 to enclose the land was not popular with the local residents but he did allow pedestrians the right of way. To this day the walls remain, although they have been partially rebuilt and reinforced. As a result of public pressure, Edward VII disbanded the Royal Hunt and opened the park to the public in 1904.

Going back into the town I passed the Royal British Legion poppy factory. The charity moved to Richmond in 1926 along with the many wounded, sick and injured veterans of  the First World War. They were employed to produce Remembrance wreaths and products for the Royal Family and the British Royal Legion. The work continues at the factory today. 

The last of the buildings of note is this art deco cinema  which opened in April 1930. One fact I found interesting was that in 1940 it changed its name from the Richmond Cinema to the Premier Cinema. This was because they needed to remove the name Richmond from the cinema in case German parachutists landed nearby.

There has been a lot to see in Richmond and not wanting to overdo the walking, with my nearly healed foot, I needed a couple of trips to see what the town had to offer. It is many, many years since I spent so much time in Richmond and I had forgotten what a beautiful place it is. I hope you have enjoyed following my visits to the District Line stations and the views above ground. I have really enjoyed finding new and interesting buildings to research. It has also delighted me to find how much greenery still exists in this city of almost 9 million people. Thank you for reading my posts and for taking the time and trouble to comment.