Richmond, London Totally Explained

Everything about Richmond London totally explained

Richmond is a town and the principal settlement of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in London, England. It is located 8.3 miles (13.4 km) west south-west of Charing Cross. The district sits on the south side of the River Thames opposite St. Margarets, but because of the way the river twists around it, Richmond town is actually north-east of Richmond Bridge.

History

Sheen (Sheen Palace was later renamed Richmond Palace by Henry VII) wasn't listed in Domesday Book, but is shown on the map as Sceon, its spelling in 950AD.

Etymology

Henry VII was fond of Richmond Castle in Yorkshire. When a fire accidentally destroyed his manor in Sheen in 1497 he built a palace there and re-named it Richmond 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. This Richmond was the source of the name chosen for Richmond, Virginia, and the two Richmonds are sister cities.

Royal connections

See main article: Richmond Palace. 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 didn't 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 [themanor] 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 wasn't used after 1649, and the bulk had decayed by 1779.
Surviving structures include the Wardrobe, and the Gate House. The latter was built 1501, and was made available on a 65 year lease by the Crown Estate Commissioners in 1986. It has 5 bedrooms.

Did Shakespeare play Richmond Palace?

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). These accounts also list dates and places of performance, plus the names of the companies and, sometimes, the titles of plays. For example, The Lord Admiral’s Company was among the theatrical groups that performed at Richmond, although whether Christopher Marlowe was personally in attendance as one of the writers for the group isn't recorded; and neither are there indicated any play titles that may have been his. As for Shakespeare, though, The Chamberlain’s Men - the theatrical company of which he was a member - is shown to have appeared at Richmond on nine occasions. This makes it highly likely that he was among their number on at least some of those occasions. No play titles are recorded for these appearances, however, so it isn't known from these records whether any of Shakespeare’s own plays were performed at Richmond Palace.
However, speculation that Shakespeare may well have played Richmond, and with a play of his own, was renewed in April 2007 when a 'new' poem by him was published for the first time. The short poem ‘To The Queen by the players’ is thought to have been written as an epilogue for one of Shakespeare’s plays and was apparently read aloud as part of a performance in the presence of Queen Elizabeth I at Richmond Palace on Shrove Tuesday 20th February 1599. Just 18 lines long and previously neglected, it was reappraised by American scholars William Ringler and Steven May while searching through manuscript collections of Elizabethan court poetry. They came upon it while studying the notebook of Henry Stanford, who was attached to the household of Lord Hunsdon, the Lord Chamberlain, who supervised court festivities and was the official patron of Shakespeare's company The Chamberlain’s Men.
Though first uncovered some 30 years previously and known to scholars, the poem was somehow omitted by the editors of the 1986 Oxford edition of the Complete Works of Shakespeare, although it has now been included in a new edition, The RSC Shakespeare (2007), edited by Jonathan Bate and Eric Rasmussen of Nevada University. According to the editors, it wouldn't have been unusual for the poem - written in the same style as the epilogue to A Midsummer Night's Dream - to have been spoken by Shakespeare himself. Professor Bate comments: "When plays were put on at court, it was a requirement that there should be a prologue and an epilogue tailor-made for the occasion… Shakespeare was probably in the habit of dashing some lines down on the back of an envelope and then chucking them away. By chance, this one example has survived… We know that Shakespeare's company played at court that day, but unfortunately we don't know which play they performed. However, the allusion in the first line of the poem to the 'dial hand' of a clock chimes with some of the language in As You Like It, which was new in 1599."

Historic buildings around Richmond Green

In 1688 James II ordered partial reconstruction of the palace, this time as a royal nursery. The trumpeter's house, built around 1700 still exists. Close by is a well preserved terrace of three-story houses, called Maids of Honours Row. It was built in 1724 for the maids of honour (trusted royal wardrobe servants) of the wife of George II. Richard Burton, the Victorian explorer, lived at number 2. In Dickens' Great Expectations Estella comes to London to meet Mrs Brandley who lives here. From the sixteenth century, tournaments and archery contests have taken place on Richmond Green. As you look across the Green from the old Palace you can see a pub called "The Cricketers". Cricket matches have taken place here since about 1650. There was a pub of this name in 1770, but it burned down in 1844. It was soon replaced by the present building, a grade II listed building. Samuel Whitbread, founder of the Whitbread brewery part owned it with the Collins family who had a brewery in Water Lane, close to the old Palace.
The first inter-county cricket match which is recorded was played on the Green in 1730 between Surrey and Middlesex. The old palace overlooks the river on the other side. One of the earliest detailed paintings of a morris dance was painted here. It dates from about 1620 and shows a fool, a hobby-horse, a piper, and Maid-Marian and three dancers on the bank of the Thames.
The beautiful Victorian theatre Richmond Theatre has been used as a movie set in many recent films (for example Finding Neverland and The Hours). The theatre is now part of the Ambassadors Theatre Group and has a weekly schedule of plays and musicals, usually given by professional touring companies. Pre West End shows can sometimes be seen. There is a Christmas and New Year pantomime tradition and many of Britain's greatest music hall and pantomime performers have appeared.

Local government

The Richmond St Mary Magdalene parish, alternatively known as Richmond or Sheen, formed the Municipal Borough of Richmond in Surrey from 1890. The municipal borough was expanded in 1892 by the addition of Kew, Mortlake and Petersham and in 1933 Ham was added to the borough.

Shopping and entertainment

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.
   Richmond is also well known for its pubs, secluded cafés, and its farmers market which takes place on Saturdays 11 to 3. Traders from a wide range of backgrounds come to sell culinary goods such as dairy products, meats, baked goods and vegetables.
   The town has two professional theatres, the Richmond Theatre, which receives major national tours, and the Orange Tree Theatre, a producing theatre in the round.
   The town also has three cinemas, an independent Richmond Filmhouse

in Water lane and two Odeon cinemas, one located upon entry to Richmond via the bridge, and the second set further back.

Leisure on the river

The river side is a major contribution to most people's interest in Richmond. The Thames provides access to many pubs, parks and paths through Richmond and can prove to be an interesting way of spending an afternoon. 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's a large tour boat that departs hourly from Richmond's side of the Thames.
The only rowing club on this bit of the Thames is Twickenham Rowing Club but they're joined on the water by Richmond Canoe Club. If rowing or paddling isn't your strong point, there are tow paths and tracks that lead along either side of the Thames which are frequented by joggers, walkers, cyclists and the average pedestrian. With fields, cafés and benches frequently posted along the way, it makes for an extremely pleasant walk.

Education

Richmond University - a private institution, also known as the American International University in London - is based here. Richmond degrees are accredited in the USA, and are validated in the UK.

Transport

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 Stratford and served by trains from Waterloo station on the National Rail service, connecting it with Reading, Staines, Windsor, Wimbledon and Weybridge.

Nearest places

Kew

Mortlake

Sheen

Petersham

Ham

Teddington

Twickenham

St Margarets

Isleworth

Whitton

Nearest tube stations

Richmond station

Nearest railway stations

Richmond station

St. Margarets railway station

North Sheen railway station

Kew Gardens stationFurther Information

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