Richmond Park: London's Most Spectacular Royal Park

Richmond Park is the largest Royal Park in London and one of the finest urban nature reserves anywhere in the world — a 2,500-acre enclosure of ancient woodland, grassland, and ponds that has remained substantially unchanged since Charles I enclosed it as a deer park in 1637. More than 600 red and fallow deer roam the park freely, completely unperturbed by the cyclists, joggers, and picnickers sharing their space — the sight of large antlered stags resting under ancient oak trees while cyclists pass within metres is one of the most extraordinary wildlife experiences available in any capital city in the world.

The Pen Ponds in the centre of the park are the finest birdwatching location in London — great crested grebes, Egyptian geese, and kingfishers visible from the pond edges year-round, with winter bringing significant numbers of migratory ducks and waders. The Isabella Plantation, a 40-acre woodland garden within the park, explodes with azaleas and rhododendrons each spring (mid-April through May) in a floral display that draws visitors from across the city and is free to enter. Pembroke Lodge serves food and coffee from a hilltop garden that overlooks the Thames Valley toward Windsor — the view west on a clear day extends 35 miles.

Cycling the perimeter road (9 miles) or the interior tracks is the most popular way to explore — bike rental is available near the Richmond Gate entrance. The park is at its most magical at dawn when mist lies over the grassland and the deer are most active, and at sunset when the light through the ancient pollarded oaks creates one of the great landscape experiences within the M25. Sheen Cross and Kingston Gate entrances provide good access from the surrounding residential areas. The park is free to enter at all times — one of London's greatest gifts to its residents and visitors alike.