Living in the Richmond Borough

h1. Your guide to living in the Richmond Borough *Richmond* Richmond possesses a timeless charm more akin to a village than a town. Henry VII named Richmond after his favourite Earldom, Richmond in Yorkshire , and the gateway of his magnificent Palace, favoured by Elizabeth I, still remains. This can be found on Richmond Green once the scene of tournaments and pageants, is surrounded by elegant period houses. Richmond Bridge, the oldest spanning the Thames, sits alongside a riverside development which evokes memories of the 18th and 19th centuries. The view from the top of Richmond Hill, a source of inspiration for artists and poets throughout the years, has been protected by an Act of Parliament since 1902. From here Ham House an outstanding Stuart House filled with rare 17th century furniture and textiles, is visible slightly up river. Below, the River Thames flows through an ocean of trees with rowing boats and passenger craft wending its way upstream. Beyond the hill lies the 2,500 acre Richmond Park , enclosed by Charles I as a favoured hunting ground, where large herds of red and fallow deer wander freely. Richmond shopping centre offers an enticing mix, bringing together top designer names with small specialist and antiques shops. A lively cultural calender offers the finest entertainment outside central London, with many West End shows previewing at Richmond Theatre and at the exciting Orange Tree Theatre, with seating 'in the round'. *Barnes, Mortlake and Sheen* Mortlake is the finishing point of the annual Oxford v Cambridge boat race and where eccentric Victorian explorer Richard Burton is buried on a splendid tent shaped tomb in the cemetery. East Sheen was also home to Whig Prime Minister Earl Grey. The 52 acre East Sheen common is owned by the National Trust. Nearby Barnes village was home to the composer Gustav Holst and novelist Henry Fielding. Barnes pond and common add to the traditional village feel complete with ducks and geese. Barnes, is also home to the award winning London Wetland Centre (opened in 2000) which provided a home for London's wetland flora and fauna. *Kew* Kew is world famous for the Royal Botanic Gardens, where 300 acres (120ha) of land and splendid glasshouses contain over 40,000 species of plant life and 9,000 trees. Kew village retains all the charm of the eighteenth century when the Hanoverian Royal Family made it their home. The painter Thomas Gainsborough is buried in Kew Church. The National Archive (formerly the Public Record Office) is also based in Kew, holding 900 years of historical records, including the Domesday Book. *Twickenham and St Margarets* With a proud history dating from Neolithic times, Twickenham is the internationally recognised home of the English Rugby union. Twickenham was the 18th century equivalent of Beverley Hills, popular with the foremost artisans. Henrietta Howard, mistress of George II, had Marble Hill House built for her and regularly entertained the greatest poets and wits of the day. Both Horace Walpole and Alexander Pope left their mark on Twickenham: Walpole's gothic fantasy at Strawberry Hill and Pope's Grotto. The waterfront consists of historic buildings, wharves and a footbridge link to Eel Pie Island, famous for Rolling Stones concerts in the 1960s. A riverside stroll uncovers beautiful gardens and open spaces, the York House garden sculptures and the baroque Octagon Room of Orleans House. Nearby St Margarets is home to the Twickenham Film Studios. Formed in 1929, the studios are the most important post production studios in the UK. Films such as 'A Fish called Wanda' and 'Shirley Valentine were filmed here. Twickenham Studios website. *Getting to Richmond and surrounding areas* Train and Underground Richmond station is a London Underground (District Line) and National Rail station located in Richmond Town Centre. The station is the south-western terminus of the London Underground's District Line and the western terminus of the Silverlink North London Line service; the next station eastwards is Kew Gardens. Richmond is also served by South West Trains to and from Waterloo, Windsor and Eton Riverside, Kingston and Reading, on these services the station is between North Sheen and St. Margarets stations. Richmond station is one of the western termini of the District Line on the London Underground system. It is also the western terminus of the North London Line to North Woolwich and served by trains from Waterloo station on the National Rail service, connecting it with Reading, Staines, Windsor, Wimbledon and Weybridge. By Underground (tube) The Borough is served by the District Line of the London Underground Service to Richmond and Kew Gardens. Hammersmith Station is also within striking distance of Barnes, Mortlake and East Sheen and offers access onto the Piccadilly Line, District Line and Hammersmith and City Line. By Train There are 15 SWT (South West Trains) Railway Stations in the Borough including Richmond, Mortlake, North Sheen, Barnes, Barnes Bridge, St Margarets and Twickenham Stations. From Clapham Junction you can get a driect train to anyone of the stations in the borough. Clapham Junction can be reached from London Waterloo or London Victoria in under 10 minutes. Waterloo station can be reached directly in 20 minutes from Richmond allowing good connections to the city, the West End, as well as the south-east coast. National Railways Enquiry Tel: 08457 48 49 50 By SilverLink Trains Richmond and Kew Gardens also connect to north London via the SilverLink Trains line. By Eurostar The Eurostar from Paris or Brussels arrives in London St Pancras. Trains to the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames leave from Waterloo on a regular basis. Trains to Richmond takes 20 minutes. By Bus London Transport Travel Information - Journey planning advice, times and fares for all buses and rail travel in London. Tel : 020 7222 1234 By Coach National Express coaches run regularly to central London (Victoria Coach Station) from across the UK. Then take the underground (District Line to Kew or Richmond) or a train to Clapham Juntion (only 2 stops) and then a South West Train directly to the Richmond area. Tel: 08717 818181 *Airports* From Heathrow Airport Heathrow Airport is 12 miles away (under half an hour by car or taxi). Alternatively buses run from all terminals at Heathrow to Feltham station every 10 minutes. From Feltham there are direct trains to Twickenham and Richmond. Alternatively take the Piccadilly underground line from Heathrow and change for the 65 bus(Richmond & Kingston) at South Ealing underground station. From Gatwick Airport Gatwick Airport is 30 miles away and takes about 45 minutes by car or taxi. Alternatively take the train from Gatwick direct to Clapham Junction (NOT the Gatwick express which goes direct to London Victoria). From Clapham junction there are direct trains to any of the railway stations in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Borough. From City of London Airport The airport is situated only 10 miles from the West End and six miles from the City of London. At the front of the terminal you can take a special airport shuttlebus to link up with Canning Town, Canary Wharf and Liverpool Street, all on the London Underground. You can then take the tube to London Waterloo and get a train to Richmond upon Thames, or change onto the District Line of the Underground for Richmond, Kew or Hammersmith. From Stanstead Airport The Stanstead express train leaves from Liverpool Street, London. The journey time is 41 minutes. From Liverpool street take the underground to London Waterloo. Direct trains to Richmond upon Thames leave on a regular basis from London Waterloo. From Luton Airport The airport is 35 miles from central London with easy access to the M1 and M25. Trains to central London take about 25 minutes. A constant, free shuttle bus service operates to and from Luton Airport Parkway station, situated just 1.8km from the airport terminal building.