Richmond Park Perambulation

A Haven of Tranquility Within Sight of the City of London

Richmond Park is the largest of the Royal Parks, covering an area of 2,500 acres. Its bracken-covered, rolling grassland landscape, dotted with plantations, supports a diverse flora and fauna, including ancient oaks, herds of deer, and many species of birds. Declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1992, it provides a peaceful natural setting for a country walk, yet on a clear day offers excellent panoramas of central London. The walk begins at the car park near Pembroke Lodge, an attractive building set in pleasant gardens once tenanted by Lord John Russell and his grandson, philosopher Bertrand Russell.

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Start Point

Pembroke Lodge

Grid Ref: TQ 18713 72844

Total Distance

5.7 miles (9.2 km)

Total Climbing

75 metres

Estimated Time

3 hours

Difficulty Grade

Easy

Trail Navigation Files:

💾 Download GPX Route Google Earth (KMZ) 📖 About Richmond Park

Ordnance Survey Explorer Map (1:25,000)

Essential paper map for exploring London South:

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The Walk Report

The route passes through open parkland toward the Isabella Plantation (a delightful woodland garden created in the 19th century with flowering shrubs, azaleas, and meandering brooks), then continues to Pen Ponds (created from 18th-century gravel pits and frequented by numerous waterfowl).

Passing White Lodge, Barn Wood, and the Holly Lodge Centre, the route returns via King Henry VIII's Mound, which offers a protected sight-line framing St Paul's Cathedral through a gap in Sidmouth Wood.

🌐 Royal Parks - Richmond Park Official Visitor Information

Acknowledgment: Text derived from the Out and Out Series; Discovering the Countryside on Foot. Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia.

Richmond Park Perambulation

Ordnance Survey Explorer Map (1:25,000)

The Walk Report

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