Hotel Richmond

Numerous people may want to stay at hotels in Richmond. Some may want to stay at large or small apartments. Some may want to stay at old or new apartments. Some may want to stay hotels that have an impressive reputation. Some may want to stay at high quality accommodation. Some may want to stay at hotel apartments that are well known. Some may want to stay at hotels with access to parking facilities.

Numerous people may want to stay at hotels in Richmond. Some may want to stay at hotels that reflect Richmond culture.

Richmond is a town within the Borough of Richmond upon Thames in London, England.
It is located 8.3 miles west south west of Charing Cross.

The district sits on the south side of the River Thames opposite East Twickenham, but owing to the way this stretch of the Thames meanders Richmond actually lies east of the river, which curves northwards around the town in its course from Petersham to Kew.

The town now known as Richmond was formerly part of Shene until about five centuries ago, but Shene was not listed in the Domesday Book, although it is depicted on the map as Sceon, which was its Saxon spelling in 950AD.

Henry VII was fond of Richmond Castle in Yorkshire. When a fire destroyed his manor in Sheen in 1497 he built a palace there and named it Richmond Palace in 1501. Many people assume that the folk song "Lass of Richmond Hill" refers to Richmond upon Thames, but it originated in the Yorkshire Richmond. In William Shakespeare's "Richard III", and in "Henry VI part 3", Henry VII is referred to as Richmond. This is because he was Earl of Richmond.

Richmond Palace was a royal residence from 1327 to 1649 on The Green in Richmond which was then a village in Surrey and is now a suburb of London, England. The first, pre-Tudor version of the palace was known as Sheen Palace. It was positioned roughly at what is now the garden of Trumpeters' House.

Henry I lived briefly in the King's house in Sheanes (or Shene or Sheen). In 1299 Edward I "Hammer of the Scots", took his whole court to the manor-house at Sheen, a little east of the bridge, and close by the river side, which thus became a royal palace. William Wallace ("Braveheart") was executed in London in 1305, and it was in Sheen that the Commissioners from Scotland went down on their knees before Edward. The Percy family from Northumberland were rewarded for their loyalty by receiving a barony at Sheen in 1310. To this day the Dukes of Northumberland divide their time between Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, and Syon House, just north of Richmond. Edward II did not fare as well as his father. Following his defeat at the hands of the Scots at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, he founded a monastery for Carmelites at Sheen. When the boy-king Edward III came to the throne in 1327 he gave the manor to his mother Isabella. Almost 50 years later his wife, also called Isabella died. Edward then spent over 2,000 pounds on improvements. In the middle of the work Edward III himself died at the manor in 1377. In 1368 Geoffrey Chaucer served as a yeoman at Sheen.

Richard II was the first English king to make Sheen his main residence in 1383. Twelve years later Richard was so distraught at the death of his wife Anne of Bohemia at the age of 28, that he, according to Holinshed, "caused it [the manor] to be thrown down and defaced; whereas the former kings of this land, being wearie of the citie, used customarily thither to resort as to a place of pleasure, and serving highly to their recreation." It rebuilt 1414-1422, but destroyed by fire 1497. The palace was rebuilt again and renamed Richmond Palace by King Henry VII. It was not used after 1649, and the bulk had decayed by 1779.

Richmond is a green and leafy town and it is surrounded by accessible open spaces. To the east and south lies Richmond Park, a large area of wild heath and woodland that was first enclosed by Charles I as a hunting park. To the north lie the wide green lawns and playing fields of the Old Deer Park which run down to the River Thames, and beyond it Kew Gardens.

The river has a lively frontage between Richmond Bridge and the railway bridge, with many bars and restaurants. Opposite the town here is the leafy Corporation Island and the two small Flowerpot Islands.

On the other side of Richmond Bridge, rising above the river are the Terrace Gardens. These gardens were laid out in the 1880s and were extended down to the River Thames some forty years later.
Part of the famous view from Richmond Hill

The broad gravel walk along the top of the hill is of earlier vintage and the view from there west towards Windsor has long been famous. A grand description of the view can be found in Sir Walter Scott’s novel The Heart of Midlothian (1818). Apart from the great rugby stadium at Twickenham and the aircraft landing and taking off from London Heathrow Airport the scene has changed little in two hundred years. The view from Richmond Hill now forms part of the Thames Landscape Strategy which aims to protect and enhance this section of the river corridor into London.

The riverside is a major contributor to the interest that Richmond inspires in many people. The Thameside walkway provides access to residences, pubs and terraces, and various parks, lanes and footpaths through Richmond. The stretch of the Thames below Richmond Hill is known as Horse Reach, and includes Glover's Island. Skiffs (fixed seat boats) can be hired by the hour from local boat builders close to the bridge, and there is a large tour boat that departs hourly from the Richmond bank of the river.

Whether or not actor and playwright William Shakespeare personally appeared at Richmond Palace is uncertain, although circumstantial evidence makes it more than likely that he did. Court records for the years 1575 to 1603 survive to reveal the range of entertainments, including plays, masques and other revels, that were regularly mounted at Richmond Palace when the court was in residence there at Christmas or Shrovetide (Lent).

The town has a compact centre, largely focused on George Street and Hill Street, with some pleasant narrow alleyways running off towards The Green. Shops tend to be at the upper end of expectations with numerous designer boutiques as well as more recognisable names such as Marks & Spencer and House of Fraser. Unlike nearby Kingston, Richmond has no indoor shopping centres and is largely populated by smaller units which add to its appeal, although the main streets are frequently choked with traffic.

Nearest places

Kew
Mortlake
Sheen
Petersham
Ham
Teddington
Twickenham
St Margarets
Isleworth
Whitton

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