Richmond Green
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Richmond Green is a recreation area near the centre of
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...
, a town of about 20,000 inhabitants situated in south-west
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. Owned by the
Crown Estate The Crown Estate is a collection of lands and holdings in the United Kingdom belonging to the British monarch as a corporation sole, making it "the sovereign's public estate", which is neither government property nor part of the monarch's priva ...
, it is leased to the
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames () in south-west Greater London, London, England, forms part of Outer London and is the only London boroughs, London borough on both sides of the River Thames. It was created in 1965 when three smaller ...
. The Green, which has been described as "one of the most beautiful urban greens surviving anywhere in England", is roughly square in shape and its open grassland, framed with broadleaf trees, extends to roughly twelve
acres The acre ( ) is a unit of land area used in the British imperial and the United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one chain by one furlong (66 by 660 feet), which is exactly equal to 10 square chains, ...
(5 hectares). On the north-east side there is also a smaller open space called Little Green. Richmond Green and Little Green are overlooked by a mixture of period townhouses, historic buildings and municipal and commercial establishments including the Richmond Lending Library and Richmond Theatre. On summer weekends and public holidays the Green attracts many residents and visitors. It has a long history of hosting sporting events: from the 16th century onwards tournaments and
archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a Bow and arrow, bow to shooting, shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting ...
contests have taken place on the Green, while
cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
matches have been played since the mid-18th century, continuing to the present day.


History and description

Jousting Jousting is a medieval and renaissance martial game or hastilude between two combatants either on horse or on foot. The joust became an iconic characteristic of the knight in Romantic medievalism. The term is derived from Old French , ultim ...
tournaments took place on Richmond Green in the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
, when English monarchs were living in or visiting what is now called Richmond. For over 400 years, Richmond Green has been edged by houses and commercial premises – built to provide accommodation for people serving or visiting
Richmond Palace Richmond Palace was a Tudor royal residence on the River Thames in England which stood in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Situated in what was then rural Surrey, it lay upstream and on the opposite bank from the Palace of Westminste ...
. In 1625 Charles I brought his court here to escape the plague in London and by the early 18th century these had become the homes of "minor nobility, diplomats, and court hangers-on". The construction of the railway in the mid-19th century cut the Green off from
Old Deer Park Old Deer Park is an area of open space within Richmond, London, Richmond, owned by the Crown Estate, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England. It covers of which are leased as sports grounds for sports, particularly rugby, gol ...
, and led to the building of Victorian
villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house that provided an escape from urban life. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the f ...
s for the more prosperous commuters to London. The A316 road, built in the early 20th century, worsened this separation. Today the northern, western and southern sides of the Green are residential while the eastern side, linking with Richmond's
high street High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym fo ...
, George Street, is largely retail and commercial. Public buildings line the eastern side of Little Green and pubs and cafés cluster in the corner by Paved Court and Golden Court – two of a number of alleys that lead from the Green to George Street. These alleys are lined with mostly privately owned
boutique A () is a retail shop that deals in high end fashionable clothing or accessories. The word is French for "shop", which derives ultimately from the Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in anc ...
s. To the west of the Green is Old Palace Lane, running gently down to the river. Adjoining to the left is the renowned terrace of well-preserved three-storey houses known as Maids of Honour Row. These were built in 1724 for the maids of honour (trusted royal wardrobe servants) of Queen Caroline, the
queen consort A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king, and usually shares her spouse's social Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and status. She holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles and may be crowned and anointed, but hi ...
of George II. As a child,
Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s and gave a memor ...
, the Victorian explorer, lived at number 2.


Buildings

Richmond Green, usually "The Green", is also a street address. Numbers 1–6, 11–12 and 32, Richmond Green are all
Grade II* listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
. Numbers 7–10 Richmond Green are all Grade II listed, as are nos 14–18, 21–25 and 29–31. The ornamental iron railings at no 11 are Grade II* listed. 8, Richmond Green, is the location of the Richmond Charities, which manages Richmond's
almshouses An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) is charitable organization, charitable public housing, housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the Middle Ages. They were often built for the povert ...
. The Cricketers
public house A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...
is between 24, Richmond Green and 25, Richmond Green. Another public house, The Prince's Head, is at 28, Richmond Green. Next to No. 33 is a row of six terraced houses, known as Old Palace Terrace. All seven houses are Grade II* listed. Number 5 was the home of James Stephen Rigaud, Assistant Observer at the King's Observatory. The late 19th-century
drinking fountain A drinking fountain, also called a water fountain or water bubbler, is a fountain designed to provide drinking water. It consists of a basin with either continuously running water or a tap. The drinker bends down to the stream of water and s ...
at the south corner of Richmond Green is Grade II listed. It was restored in 2021. A pair of K6 red telephone boxes at the south corner are also Grade II listed, as is a lamp standard outside 1, Richmond Green. The houses on the south-western side of the Green include Maids of Honour Row. The houses, and their gates and railings, at nos 1–4 Maids of Honour Row are Grade I listed. The Wardrobe and the Gate House, both
Grade I listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
, are surviving structures from Henry VII's
Richmond Palace Richmond Palace was a Tudor royal residence on the River Thames in England which stood in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Situated in what was then rural Surrey, it lay upstream and on the opposite bank from the Palace of Westminste ...
. The Gate House was built in 1501, and was let on a 65-year lease by the
Crown Estate The Crown Estate is a collection of lands and holdings in the United Kingdom belonging to the British monarch as a corporation sole, making it "the sovereign's public estate", which is neither government property nor part of the monarch's priva ...
Commissioners in 1986. The Trumpeters' House, which is also Grade I listed, is an early 18th-century house built on the site of Richmond Palace's Middle Gate.


Pembroke Villas and Portland Terrace

The street bounding Richmond Green on the north-west is called Pembroke Villas, comprising five pairs of large semi-detached Victorian villas, formerly the site of the house of the Dutchman Sir Matthew Decker, 1st Baronet (1679–1749). It descended to his grandson
Richard FitzWilliam, 7th Viscount FitzWilliam Richard FitzWilliam, 7th Viscount FitzWilliam (1 August 1745 – 4 February 1816) of Mount Merrion, Dublin, Ireland, and of FitzWilliam House in the parish of Richmond in Surrey, England, was an Anglo-Irish nobleman in the Peerage of Irelan ...
(1745–1816) of Mount Merrion, Dublin, Ireland, who named it "FitzWilliam House" and there formed his famous art collection and by his will founded the
Fitzwilliam Museum The Fitzwilliam Museum is the art and antiquities University museum, museum of the University of Cambridge. It is located on Trumpington Street opposite Fitzwilliam Street in central Cambridge. It was founded in 1816 under the will of Richard ...
in Cambridge. The monument to Sir Matthew Decker and Richard FitzWilliam survives against the external wall of St Mary Magdalene's Church, Richmond. FitzWilliam's heir was his cousin George Herbert, 11th Earl of Pembroke (1759–1827), of
Wilton House Wilton House is an English country house at Wilton near Salisbury in Wiltshire, which has been the country seat of the Earls of Pembroke for over 400 years. It was built on the site of the medieval Wilton Abbey. Following the dissolution ...
in Wiltshire, who renamed the house "Pembroke House". It was demolished in 1840. Numbers 1 to 10, Pembroke Villas are Grade II listed. The street running along the north east of the Green, where it joins Pembroke Villas, is called Portland Terrace. Numbers 1 to 4, Portland Terrace are Grade II listed. Between Pembroke Villas and Portland Terrace is a gate that used to be the entrance to
Old Deer Park Old Deer Park is an area of open space within Richmond, London, Richmond, owned by the Crown Estate, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England. It covers of which are leased as sports grounds for sports, particularly rugby, gol ...
and is now open only to pedestrians. Just a few yards beyond the gate, a footbridge crosses the railway to lead to Old Deer Park Car Park. Portland Terrace runs past Little Green to become Duke Street, where Duke Street Church is located.


Cricket on the Green

The Green was a popular venue for
cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
matches by the 18th century. The earliest reference to cricket on Richmond Green is from a letter in May 1666 by Sir Robert Paston to his wife mentioning that their son played in "a game of criquett (''sic'') on Richmond Green". A photo of the letter is in the source. The Green is presently home to two village cricket teams each affiliated to a Richmond
pubs A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...
, ''The Prince's Head'' and ''The Cricketers''. Midweek matches are contested in the modern limited overs format of
Twenty20 Twenty20 (abbreviated T20) is a shortened format of cricket. At the professional level, it was introduced by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2003 for the county cricket, inter-county competition. In a Twenty20 game, the two t ...
usually on a Tuesday or Thursdays, where surrounding village teams compete for the Len Smith Charity Shield.


Richmond Green in art

Two
watercolours Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin 'water'), is a painting method"Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to the S ...
by Edward Walker, made in 1942, showing nos 10, 11 and 12 Richmond Green and the south side of the Green, are in the Recording Britain collection at the
Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (abbreviated V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen ...
.


Societies

The Friends of Richmond Green, an amenity action group, seek to "protect and enhance the Green for local residents, visitors and future generations".


Gallery

Image:Richmond Green 5260-6s.jpg, View of the northern half of Richmond Green, showing Pembroke Villas and Portland Terrace File:Splendid Victorian Houses on Richmond Green, London-5057587834.jpg, Houses on Portland Terrace File:Houses_At_Richmond_Green,_London-95369622.jpg, The south corner of Richmond Green File:Richmond Green, London-geograph-2621535-by-Philip-Halling.jpg, Footpaths crossing Richmond Green File:North side of Richmond Green-geograph-2498025-by-Marathon.jpg, Park Gates House, in Pembroke Villas, is next to the old entrance to
Old Deer Park Old Deer Park is an area of open space within Richmond, London, Richmond, owned by the Crown Estate, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England. It covers of which are leased as sports grounds for sports, particularly rugby, gol ...


See also

* Richmond Green cricket ground * Richmond Green United Reformed Church *
Richmond Palace Richmond Palace was a Tudor royal residence on the River Thames in England which stood in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Situated in what was then rural Surrey, it lay upstream and on the opposite bank from the Palace of Westminste ...
* Richmond Theatre (London)


References


Further reading

* Cloake, John (2001). ''Richmond Palace: Its History and Its Plan''.
Richmond Local History Society Richmond is a town in south-west London,The London Government Act 1963 (c.33) (as amended) categorises the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames as an Outer London borough. Although it is on both sides of the River Thames, the Boundary Commis ...
. .
"Richmond Green properties", Local history notes, Local Studies Collection, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, 10 February 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
* Robinson, Derek; Fowler, Simon (2020). ''Old Palace Lane: Medieval to Modern Richmond''. (Second ed.)
Richmond Local History Society Richmond is a town in south-west London,The London Government Act 1963 (c.33) (as amended) categorises the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames as an Outer London borough. Although it is on both sides of the River Thames, the Boundary Commis ...
and Museum of Richmond. . * 140 pages. .


External links


Friends of Richmond Green

Richmond Local History Society

The Richmond Society
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