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Click on the headings to find out more:
Kew Gardens (next door to Richmond) lives up to its reputation with one of the world's finest
collection of plants. There are over 120 hectares of lawns, greenhouses and gardens and is a must-see for
those who have, or admire, a green thumb. It is also the venue for a series of fabulous outdoor concerts in
the summer, classical, jazz & opera. A fantastic 'must see' visitor attraction - even if you are not into gardens - this is the most magnificent collection of rare and endangered plants and flowers in the world...!
Kew is also the home of the Public Records Office (PRO) for Great Britain. It is the national
archive and is open to the public, (take your passport with you) & holds documents dating back to the 11th
century, including such amazing records as the Doomsday Book, medieval manuscripts and maps, Bligh's account
of the mutiny on the Bounty, Guy Fawkes confessions, Jane Austen's will, Shakespeare's will, charts drawn
by Captain Cook on his voyages to the Antipodes, sketch maps by Lawrence of Arabia amongst a host of documents.
Visitors are welcome to inspect any document or image they like. The 1901 census returns are available to
view for those undertaking family tree research, (also available online!). Housed in a massive complex
the size of a city block, the PRO requires careful planning pre visit to find your way around and what
you require in this massive complex. Ancestor Travel
has a list of specialists that can help you with preplanning for here.
Nearby Richmond (also called Richmond-upon-Thames) is also acknowledged as a "suburb" of London and is only 8 miles from the centre of London. Richmond is famous since ancient times as one of the loveliest areas of England.
Located on the Thames river, it has a beautiful relaxed village atmosphere, great shopping, cinemas,
lots of excellent restaurants and clubs, as well as some truly great pubs right on the river itself.
Also lots of trendy antique shops, a stunning bucolic old English village green where cricket is played in summer,
beautiful houses, and excellent rail links to the city with both the Tube and overland rail, being only 18 minutes from London
Waterloo with over-ground British Rail services. Not to be missed, it is worth a day trip itself. Climb
Richmond Hill and look out over a stunning vista of riverland and the Thames, and from here you can either
walk into (or cycle!) to nearby Richmond Park, which is a huge Royal Park being home to herds of deer as well
as many birds, foxes and badgers.
If you go at dusk or even after dark, you may well catch a glimpse of one
of these elusive creatures. There is an abundance of parks and the river walks go for miles, upriver to either
Hampton Court or down river to nearby beautiful Kew Gardens. Take your beloved rowing on the Thames on a lazy
summer afternoon! A must do on a visit to London!
Nearby Kingston (also called Kingston -upon-Thames) is easily reached from Richmond via a 10 minute leisurly drive through beautiful Richmond Park.
Kingston is part of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, and is an ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned. Kingston was built at the first crossing point of the
River Thames upstream from London Bridge and a bridge still exists at the same site. It also has a historic past in that it was also a
major military aircraft manufacturing centre in the 20th century - notably with the Sopwith, Hawker Aviation and British Aerospace companies. It is also the home of Kingston University.
Today Kingston is a large and thriving town best known for its daily market in the town centre which has been there since ancient times.
It is also famous for its unrivalled retail shopping and entertainment complexes. It has good parking facilties and also is a busy commercial centre with numerous small office buildings.It is one of the main centres of the south west London bus network, and is connected to Twickenham, Richmond upon Thames, Wimbledon, and London Waterloo by overland train.
An excellent pedestrian mall contains many shops including the large shpping complex - "The Bentall Centre" as well as large branches of all major stores found in most British high streets. There is a also a large branch of the John Lewis department store with a Waitrose supermarket in the basement. The "Rotunda" near the railway station includes a bowling alley, fitness centre, a 14-screen Odeon multiplex cinema and trendy fast-food restaurants. Recent developments along the riverside south of Kingston Bridge have also added new restaurants and a theatre.
Nearby to Richmond is the big 'must-see' Hampton Court Palace. Jaw-dropping in its
grandeur this is England's finest and most splendid palace, steeped in history with magnificent gardens.
Allow a full day to enjoy this, especially to experience the famous 300 year old maze. You will be a-mazed!
(This only takes about 20 minutes to get to the centre, but you will want more time for the gardens
themselves and the palace itself should be taken at a leisurely pace.) A visit will give you an
insight into the world of Henry VIII - and what a world it was! Look for the ghost of Catherine Howard
(Henry's fifth wife) in the Haunted Gallery, where she ran screaming from the guards after being charged
with adultery. You can get there by bus or rail but the boat trip up the Thames from Westminster Pier is
most rewarding. Stop off at Richmond on the way!
Rugby lovers will know of nearby Twickenham also, and there is a Museum of Rugby where you
can trace the history of the game and re-live some of the matches played on this hallowed ground.
Wimbledon is a beautiful gentrified green and leafy suburb, and although not serviced that well with transport as other suburbs, it is a beautiful peaceful
haven away from the hustle and bustle of London. The old world village area of Wimbledon in particular, is very popular in the summer with locals and visitors alike. Tennis buffs will want to
seek out the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum and if you visit in June, the Wimbledon Tournament itself. It may be hard to get seats to the Centre Court but you
will catch the stars on the outer courts in the early rounds and get to tuck into some fine strawberries and cream! A must visit in summer even if you don't catch the tennis.
Hammersmith, trendy upmarket Fulham and Chiswick are full of great riverside (and non-riverside) London pubs but for the non-imbibing Hampton Court and Kew Gardens should be on the must-do list.
Fulham Palace was the summer home of the bishops of London from 1704 to 1973. It's now a museum with a lovely walled garden.
Around genteel Chiswick ('Chizzick'), Hogarth's House and Chiswick House are also well worth a visit.
Nearby Putney on the west side of the river is also a super trendy area now with oodles of trendy restaurants, eating houses and nightclubs, and is a favourite haunt for hip Londoners.
It is also a great spot (Putney Bridge) to watch the annual "Head of the River" boat race between Cambridge and Oxford!
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