Richmond upon Thames is every tourist's dream destination. It has, amongst others, the oldest bridge crossing the Thames, a view from Richmond Hill which is protected by an Act of Parliament dated 1902, a World Heritage Site in the beautiful Kew Gardens, the National Archives, a wide range of beautiful and historic parks and the home of English Rugby - Twickenham Stadium.



Although the borough is named after the town of Richmond upon Thames, the town of Twickenham was first recorded in 704 AD and is undoubtedly the oldest. Whitton, previously a market town famous for roses, lilies of the valley and the apple, plum and pear orchards has been settled from around 1,100 AD. Richmond is therefore a relative newcomer, having been named in 1,500 AD by Henry VII after his favourite Earldom, Richmond of Yorkshire.

The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames comprises the districts of Barnes (SW13), East Sheen (SW14), East Twickenham (TW1), Fulwell (TW11/ TW12), Ham (TW10), Hampton (TW12), Hampton Hill, Hampton Wick, Kew, Mortlake (SW14), North Sheen (TW9), Petersham (TW10), Richmond (TW9, TW10), St. Margarets (TW1), Strawberry Hill, Teddington (TW11), Twickenham and Whitton.

Day or night, and whatever the weather, Richmond offers something for everyone. For those with a desire for the outdoors, there are 5 walking routes, 4 of which are accessible for wheelchair users and 260 rights of way, all the parks make wonderful jogging and cycling routes, and there are many opportunities for horse riding. In addition there are opportunities to engage in a wide variety of sports and exercise from swimming to golf, and polo to badminton.

After dark, the only problem is choosing where to go and what to leave for the next visit.. The town of Twickenham alone has over 80 restaurants, wine bars and pubs! Overall, Richmond boasts a wide range of mouth watering options from the 2 AA Rosette winning ?Gates on the Park Restaurant? at the Richmond Gate Hotel to the warm and friendly Railway Bar & Diningroom which offers quality home cooked food. Further it is possible to enjoy foods from around the world, without leaving the beautiful Borough. Cuisines on offer include Japanese, Thai, a range of regional Italian and French as well as the more traditional English fayre.

There is a lively cultural calendar including a range of museums, theatres, art galleries, fairs and carnivals which mean that there is always something on the go. The Richmond Theatre and exciting Orange Tree Theatre, with seating ?in the round? offer tourists and residents alike the opportunity to preview a wide range of shows, many of which then go on to the West End.

With so much to do it is worth staying locally. Richmond has a full range of accommodation choices from the luxurious four star The Petersham, which has overlooked the River Thames since 1865, to Houseboat Riverine, a boat hotel with the wonderful website name www.feedtheducks.com.

If you are lucky, you may even rub shoulders with the rich and famous. Richmond has attracted many famous personalities over the years including Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend, Tim Rice, Linford Christie and Charles Dickens.