97-516: Built in 1886, and located in Richmond upon Thames , London , the Athletic Ground is a rugby ground, managed by Richmond Athletic Association, home to RFU Championship side London Scottish and National League 1 side Richmond . The first team pitch has a stand capable of seating around 1,000 people, though in the past temporary stands have been erected in the considerable space around
194-491: A charitable foundation . The location was used for a performance of The Six Wives of Henry VIII by rock keyboardist Rick Wakeman in 2009. The palace was the venue for the Road Cycling Time Trial of the 2012 Summer Olympics and temporary structures for the event, including a set of thrones for time trialists in the medal positions, were installed in the grounds. In 2015, Hampton Court celebrated
291-607: A major mortgage lender found that, on the quantitative statistical indices used, the borough had the best quality of life in London and was in the top quarter of local authorities nationwide. A neighbouring authority in Surrey achieved the best quality of life in that report. Richmond is one of London's wealthiest boroughs on many measures. It has the lowest rates of poverty, child poverty, low pay, child obesity and adults without level 3 qualifications of any London borough, according to
388-430: A 2017 research project by Trust for London . Demography is a diverse picture as in all of London: each district should be looked at separately and even those do not reflect all neighbourhoods. Whatever generalisations are used, "the fine-grained texture of London poverty" by its minutely localised geography must always be taken into account according to an influential poverty report of 2010. Richmond upon Thames has
485-542: A London borough has taken the top spot. There had been a borough called Richmond since 1890 when the Municipal Borough of Richmond was created. It was enlarged in 1892 to include Kew , Petersham and North Sheen , and again in 1933 to include Ham . The larger London Borough of Richmond upon Thames was created in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963 , covering the combined area of
582-453: A few years. In 1529, knowing that his enemies and the King were engineering his downfall, he passed the palace to the King as a gift. Wolsey died in 1530. Within six months of coming into ownership, the King began his own rebuilding and expansion. Henry VIII's court consisted of over one thousand people, while the King owned over sixty houses and palaces. Few of these were large enough to hold
679-547: A geometric system of paths. On a raised site overlooking the Thames is a small pavilion, the Banqueting House. This was built c. 1700 , for informal meals and entertainments in the gardens rather than for the larger state dinners which would have taken place inside the palace itself. A nearby conservatory houses the "Great Vine", planted in 1769; by 1968 it had a trunk 81 inches (2,100 mm) thick and has
776-481: A grace and favour apartment. She was in the habit of taking a lighted candle to her bedroom at night, which is thought to have started the fire. The Hampton Court fire led to a new programme of restoration work which was completed in 1990. The Royal School of Needlework moved to premises within the palace from Princes Gate in Kensington 1987, and the palace also houses the headquarters of Historic Royal Palaces ,
873-813: A large amount of equestrian activity; this includes the Horse Rangers Association and Ham Polo Club . Richmond's swimming pools, Pools on the Park , are located in Old Deer Park close to the town centre. The outdoor pool is open in the summer months only. There is also a heated outdoor pool in Hampton. The Twickenham Museum is a volunteer-run museum opposite St Mary's parish church . The Museum of Richmond , in Richmond's Old Town Hall , close to Richmond Bridge, has displays relating to
970-548: A length of 100 feet (30 m). It still produces an annual crop of grapes. The palace included apartments for the use of favoured royal friends. One such apartment is described as being in "The Pavilion and situated on the Home Park" of Hampton Court Palace. This privilege was first extended about 1817 by Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn , to his friend, Lieutenant General James Moore, and his new bride, Cecilia Watson. George IV continued this arrangement following
1067-571: A major tourist attraction, reached by train from Waterloo station in central London and served by Hampton Court railway station in East Molesey . Buses 111 , 216, 411 and R68 stop outside the gates. The structure and grounds are cared for by an independent charity, Historic Royal Palaces, which receives no funding from the Government or the Crown. The palace displays many works of art from
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#17327826719871164-465: A new "Tudor Garden" was created in Chapel Court, Hampton Court, designed by Todd Longstaffe-Gowan. To decorate the garden eight small wooden King's Beasts were carved and painted in bright colours, each sitting atop a 6-foot-high painted wooden column. The heraldic beasts, carved by Ben Harms and Ray Gonzalez of G&H Studios, include the golden lion of England, the white greyhound of Richmond,
1261-567: A regular venue for live music on Sunday nights, organised by TwickFolk . In 2015, Barnes, London became home to London's largest dedicated children's book event, the Barnes Children's Literature Festival, which is now the second largest in Europe. Richmond upon Thames is twinned with: 51°25′N 0°20′W / 51.417°N 0.333°W / 51.417; -0.333 Hampton Court Palace Hampton Court Palace
1358-528: A small group of Italian craftsmen working at the English court in the second and third decades of the sixteenth century. They specialised in the adding of Renaissance ornament to otherwise straightforward Tudor buildings. It was one of these, Giovanni da Maiano , who was responsible for the set of eight relief busts of Roman emperors which were set in the Tudor brickwork. Wolsey was only to enjoy his palace for
1455-463: A smaller amount being held at Kensington Palace , where it is displayed. The collection of over 10,000 items includes clothing, sketches, letters, prints, photographs, diaries and scrapbooks. The dress collection has designated status from Arts Council England . The timber and plaster ceiling of the chapel is considered the "most important and magnificent in Britain", but is all that remains of
1552-580: A weekly schedule of plays and musicals, usually given by professional touring companies, and 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 here. Close to Richmond railway station is the Orange Tree Theatre which was founded in 1971 in a room above the Orange Tree pub . As audience numbers increased there
1649-523: A wide variety of ages, using the converted stables and coach house as educational spaces. Garrick's Temple to Shakespeare in Hampton hosts a free Sunday afternoon Shakespeare exhibition from April to October and a series of summer drama, music and exhibitions. Richmond has two theatres. The Richmond Theatre at the side of Little Green is a Victorian structure designed by Frank Matcham and restored and extended by Carl Toms in 1990. The theatre has
1746-877: Is Andrea Mantegna 's Triumphs of Caesar housed in the Lower Orangery. The palace once housed the Raphael Cartoons , now kept at the Victoria and Albert Museum . Their former home, the Cartoon Gallery on the south side of the Fountain Court, was designed by Christopher Wren; copies painted in the 1690s by a minor artist, Henry Cooke , are now displayed in their place. Also on display are important collections of ceramics, including numerous pieces of blue and white porcelain collected by Queen Mary II, both Chinese imports and Delftware . Much of
1843-583: Is a Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames , 12 miles (19 kilometres) southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames . Opened to the public, the palace is managed by Historic Royal Palaces , a charity set up to preserve several unoccupied royal properties. The building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey , the chief minister of Henry VIII . In 1529, as Wolsey fell from favour,
1940-490: Is a large youth rugby organisation whilst the Richmond Heavies organise games for more veteran players. Cricket is played in many locations around the borough including Ham Common , Richmond Green and Kew Green. The River Thames flows through the borough and a number of sailing and rowing clubs are located along it. Richmond Canoe Club is situation a short distance up river from Richmond Bridge The borough has
2037-736: Is connected to central London and Reading by the National Rail services of the South Western Railway . Richmond upon Thames is not very well served by the London Underground compared with other boroughs in West London. Two stations, served by the District line , are located towards the borough's northeastern end: Richmond and Kew Gardens station . Both are also served by London Overground trains on
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#17327826719872134-591: Is likely that Wolsey had been inspired by Paolo Cortese 's De Cardinalatu , a manual for cardinals that included advice on palatial architecture, published in 1510. The architectural historian Sir John Summerson asserts that the palace shows "the essence of Wolsey – the plain English churchman who nevertheless made his sovereign the arbiter of Europe and who built and furnished Hampton Court to show foreign embassies that Henry VIII's chief minister knew how to live as graciously as any cardinal in Rome." Whatever
2231-556: Is often used as a stop-off for fans on their way to Twickenham Stadium . Rugby Union club London Scottish announced they would leave the Athletic Ground after 127 years following the 2020–21 season. However as Scottish 1st XV would not participate in the Championship season and there would be no community leagues in 2020–21 they would not play at the Athletic Ground in 2020–21. It was later confirmed they would remain at
2328-485: Is split between three constituencies . The entire portion of the borough south of the River Thames is included in the Richmond Park constituency , which also contains some of the northern wards of the borough of Kingston . Most of the portion of the borough north of the river forms the constituency of Twickenham , which does not contain wards from any other borough. However, since the 2024 general election ,
2425-463: Is the local education authority for the borough. Richmond upon Thames College opened in 1977 and was the first tertiary college in Greater London. The borough adopted a tertiary post-16 provision with virtually all 16-19 studies taking place at this college. This system lasted until 2012 when the council approved the creation of sixth forms in schools. Additionally the council approved
2522-582: Is the only London borough to straddle the River Thames . Minor boundary changes have occurred since its creation. The most significant amendments were made in 1994 and 1995, when areas of Richmond Park were transferred from the London Borough of Wandsworth and the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames . The borough is approximately half parkland, with notable parks including Richmond Park , Bushy Park , Kew Gardens , Old Deer Park and Hampton Court Park . There are over 100 parks and open spaces in
2619-401: The 1893 British Home Championship and winning 5-2. The FA Amateur Cup final was also played here in 1894, with Old Carthusians F.C. beating Casuals F.C. 2–1. London Borough of Richmond upon Thames The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames ( pronunciation ) in southwest London , England, forms part of Outer London and is the only London borough on both sides of
2716-506: The Duke of Cumberland . Today, the Queen's Private Apartments are open to the public. Since the reign of King George II, no monarch has resided at Hampton Court. In fact, George III , from the moment of his accession, never set foot in the palace: he associated the state apartments with a humiliating scene when his grandfather had once struck him following an innocent remark. He did however have
2813-633: The King James Version of the Bible . King James was succeeded in 1625 by his son, the ill-fated Charles I . Hampton Court was to become both his palace and his prison. It was also the setting for his honeymoon with his fifteen-year-old bride, Henrietta Maria in 1625. Following King Charles' execution in 1649, the palace became the property of the Commonwealth presided over by Oliver Cromwell . Unlike some other former royal properties,
2910-682: The National Physical Laboratory and The National Archives . The attractions of Kew Gardens , Hampton Court Palace , Twickenham Stadium and the WWT London Wetlands Centre are within its boundaries and draw domestic and international tourism . In 2023, the borough was ranked first in Rightmove 's Happy at Home index, making it the "happiest place to live in Great Britain"; the first time
3007-567: The North London line , which connects Richmond with inner North London before terminating in Stratford. The southwestern end of the district, encompassing areas such as Twickenham are served instead by suburban railway services. The other stations are: Barnes ; Barnes Bridge ; Fulwell ; Hampton ; Hampton Wick ; Mortlake ; North Sheen ; St Margarets ; Strawberry Hill ; Teddington ; Twickenham and Whitton . Richmond upon Thames
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3104-426: The River Thames . It was created in 1965 when three smaller council areas amalgamated under the London Government Act 1963 . It is governed by Richmond upon Thames London Borough Council . The population is 198,019 and the major communities are Barnes , East Sheen , Mortlake , Kew , Richmond , Twickenham , Teddington and Hampton . The borough is home to Richmond Park , the largest park in London, along with
3201-472: The Royal Collection . Apart from the palace itself and its gardens, other points of interest for visitors include the celebrated maze , the historic royal tennis court (see below), and a huge grape vine , the world's largest as of 2005 . The palace's Home Park is the site of the annual Hampton Court Palace Festival and Hampton Court Garden Festival . What would become Hampton Court Palace
3298-576: The Tudor dragon, the Seymour panther , and the Seymour unicorn . The set of Queen's Beasts at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II replaced the three Seymour items and one of the dragons by the gryphon of Edward III , the horse of Hanover , the falcon of the Plantagenets , and the unicorn of Scotland. In 2009 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the accession to the throne of King Henry VIII,
3395-455: The state apartments – reserved for the king and his family. Henry VIII stayed in the state apartments as Wolsey's guest immediately after their completion in 1525. In building his palace, Wolsey was attempting to create a Renaissance cardinal's palace of a rectilinear symmetrical plan with grand apartments on a raised piano nobile , all rendered with classical detailing. The historian Jonathan Foyle has suggested that it
3492-549: The 1960s the number of new residents declined, with the last admitted in the 1980s. However existing residents could continue to live there. In 2005 three remained, with none by 2017. In 1796, the Great Hall was restored and in 1838, during the reign of Queen Victoria , the restoration was completed and the palace opened to the public. The heavy-handed restoration plan at this time reduced the Great Gatehouse ( A ),
3589-523: The 500th anniversary of the groundbreaking of construction of the palace. The celebrations included daily dramatised historical scenes. The palace's construction began on 12 February 1515. On 9 February the following year, Vincent Nichols , the Catholic archbishop of Westminster , celebrated vespers in the Chapel Royal. This was the first Catholic service held at the palace for 450 years, and
3686-662: The American Vanderbilt family modelled their estate known as Florham , in Madison, New Jersey , US, after it. Florham was commissioned by Florence Adele Vanderbilt Twombly and Hamilton McKown Twombly from McKim, Mead & White . It was built in 1893. The palace has been used as a location for filming film and television shows, including The Private Life of Henry VIII , Three Men In A Boat , A Man For All Seasons , Vanity Fair , Little Dorrit , John Adams (2008), The Young Victoria , Pirates of
3783-685: The Athletic Ground was bordered by the Pools on the Park leisure centre, Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club , and health centre, and also a driving range. Three pitches have been marked out on the driving range which closed down in the 1990s as did Richmond Bowls Club which is now used as a play area for neighbouring Falcons School. The Athletic Ground is also host to the National Surveyor 7s, Lloyds Insurance 7s, Neptune City 7s, Law Society 7s, Middlesex Club 7s, NABs Media 7s and Rugby Rocks. The complex has considerable parking facilities for its size, and
3880-466: The Athletic Ground. In February 2021 it was confirmed that rugby league side London Broncos would move their academy to the Athletic Ground for three seasons from 2021. England played ten Test matches at the Athletic Ground between 1891 and 1909. In five of those matches against Scotland (listed below), England failed to win: In the association football code England enjoyed more success against Scotland , playing one match here in 1893 as part of
3977-529: The Base Court, ( B on plan ), was his creation, as was the second, inner gatehouse ( C ) which leads to the Clock Court ( D ) (Wolsey's seal remains visible over the entrance arch of the clock tower ) which contained his private rooms ( O on plan ). The Base Court contained forty-four lodgings reserved for guests, while the second court (today, Clock Court) contained the very best rooms –
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4074-594: The Great Vine planted here in 1763 and had the top two storeys of the Great Gatehouse removed in 1773. From the 1760s, the palace was used to house grace and favour residents. Many of the palace rooms were adapted to be rent-free apartments, with vacant ones allocated by the Lord Chamberlain to applicants to reward past services rendered to the Crown. From 1862 to his death in 1867, the scientist and pioneer of electricity Michael Faraday lived here. From
4171-499: The King and Queen's apartments are linked by the Hall of Mirrors . However, at Hampton Court, the linking gallery is of more modest proportions and decoration. The King's staircase was decorated with frescos by Antonio Verrio and delicate ironwork by Jean Tijou . Other artists commissioned to decorate the rooms included Grinling Gibbons , Sir James Thornhill and Jacques Rousseau ; furnishings were designed by Daniel Marot . After
4268-553: The King and one for the Queen. Each suite of state rooms was accessed by a state staircase. The royal suites were of completely equal value in order to reflect William and Mary's unique status as joint sovereigns. The King's Apartments face south over the Privy Garden, the Queen's east over the Fountain Garden. The suites are linked by a gallery running the length of the east façade, another reference to Versailles, where
4365-550: The King's Beasts, that stand on the bridge over the moat leading to the great gatehouse. Unlike the Queen's Beasts in Kew Gardens , these statues represent the ancestry of King Henry VIII and his third wife Jane Seymour . The animals are: the lion of England , the Seymour lion, the royal dragon , the black bull of Clarence , the yale of Beaufort , the white lion of Mortimer , the White Greyhound of Richmond ,
4462-586: The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames' art collection. This includes a portrait of James Johnston by Thomas Gibson , paintings of Orleans House by Arthur Vickers and several other artists, and the Burton Collection, which includes artwork, personal effects and photographs of the explorer Richard Francis Burton . The gallery is also the site of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames' arts service and provides educational workshops for
4559-539: The Order of St John of Jerusalem re-leased Hampton Court to Thomas Wolsey . Thomas Wolsey , Archbishop of York , chief minister to and a favourite of Henry VIII, took over the site of Hampton Court Palace in 1514. Over the following seven years, Wolsey spent lavishly (200,000 crowns ) to build the finest palace in England at Hampton Court. Today, little of Wolsey's building work remains unchanged. The first courtyard,
4656-711: The River Thames, which flows through the borough. The oars are from the Oxford University Boat Club and the Cambridge University Boat Club , reflecting the fact that the Boat Race between the two universities ends at Mortlake in the borough. London Heathrow Airport is located a short distance west, in the London Borough of Hillingdon . The borough is served by many Transport for London bus routes. The borough
4753-435: The Tudor decoration, after redecoration supervised by Sir Christopher Wren. The altar is framed by a massive but plain oak reredos with garlands carved by Grinling Gibbons during the reign of Queen Anne . Opposite the altar, at first-floor level, is the royal pew where the royal family would attend services apart from the general congregation seated below. The clergy, musicians and other ecclesiastical officers employed by
4850-402: The Tudor palace. His work ceased in 1694, leaving the palace in two distinct contrasting architectural styles, domestic Tudor and Baroque . While the palace's styles are an accident of fate, a unity exists due to the use of pink bricks and a symmetrical, if vague, balancing of successive low wings. George II was the last monarch to reside in the palace. The palace is open to the public and
4947-674: The Twelve Goddesses . On 6 January, Scottish courtiers performed a sword dance for Anne of Denmark . Their dance was compared to a Spanish matachin . Later in 1604, the palace was the site of King James' meeting with representatives of the English Puritans , known as the Hampton Court Conference ; while an agreement with the Puritans was not reached, the meeting led to James's commissioning of
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#17327826719875044-674: The administrative boundary. Although most addresses in the borough have TW postcodes , some have SW and KT postcodes. The council meets at York House in Twickenham and has its main offices at the adjoining Civic Centre at 44 York Street. Since 2000, for elections to the London Assembly , the borough forms part of the South West constituency, currently represented by the AM Gareth Roberts . The borough
5141-505: The anniversary of that King's accession to the throne. Sited on the former Chapel Court Garden, it has been planted with flowers and herbs from the 16th century and is completed by gilded heraldic beasts and bold green and white painted fences. The garden's architect was Todd Longstaffe-Gowan. The formal gardens and park are Grade I listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens . There are ten statues of heraldic animals, called
5238-490: The assembled court, and thus one of the first of the King's building works (in order to transform Hampton Court to a principal residence) was to build the vast kitchens. These were quadrupled in size in 1529, enabling the King to provide bouche of court (free food and drink) for his entire court. The architecture of King Henry's new palace followed the design precedent set by Wolsey: perpendicular Gothic-inspired Tudor with restrained Renaissance ornament. This hybrid architecture
5335-424: The blade of the dexter dark blue and that of the sinister light blue. The portcullis was taken from the arms of the Municipal Borough of Richmond ; the swan crest, from the arms of the Municipal Borough of Twickenham ; and the griffin supporters and shield from the arms of the Municipal Borough of Barnes . Red, gold and ermine are the royal livery colours, reflecting Richmond's royal history. The swan represents
5432-575: The borough and 21 miles (34 km) of river frontage. 140 hectares within the borough are designated as part of the Metropolitan Green Belt . The predominant other land use is residential. Most businesses within the borough consist of retail, property improvement/development and professional services. Parts of the borough, including Barnes , Richmond , St Margarets , Cambridge Park and Marble Hill , some areas of Twickenham and much of East Sheen rival Stanmore Hill and Kenley as
5529-409: The borough's northernmost ward on this side of the Thames, Whitton , has instead been included in the constituency of Brentford and Isleworth , the remainder of which consists of wards from the London Borough of Hounslow . Prior to the 2024 election, the entirety of the borough north of the Thames had formed the entirety of the Twickenham constituency since 1997 . In 2006, research commissioned by
5626-493: The borough; its main axis runs south to north, rather than west to east through more than half of the borough. London's German business and expatriate community is centred on this borough, which houses the German School London (DSL) and most of the capital's German expatriates. The local authority divides the borough into fourteen loosely bounded neighbourhoods, or "villages". Some of the neighbourhoods have
5723-467: The cardinal gave the palace to the king to check his disgrace. The palace went on to become one of Henry's most favoured residences; soon after acquiring the property, he arranged for it to be enlarged so it could accommodate his sizeable retinue of courtiers . In the early 1690s, William III 's massive rebuilding and expansion work, which was intended to rival the Palace of Versailles , destroyed much of
5820-469: The clock shows the time of day, the phases of the moon, the month, the quarter of the year, the date, the sun and star sign, and high water at London Bridge . This last item was of great importance to those visiting this Thames-side palace from London, as the preferred method of transport at the time was by barge, and at low water London Bridge created dangerous rapids. This gatehouse is also known today as Anne Boleyn 's gate, after Henry's second wife. Work
5917-401: The concepts were, the architecture is an excellent and rare example of a thirty-year era when English architecture was in a harmonious transition from domestic Tudor, strongly influenced by perpendicular Gothic , to the Italian Renaissance classical style. Perpendicular Gothic owed nothing historically to the Renaissance style, yet harmonised well with it. This blending of styles was realised by
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#17327826719876014-401: The country. The King's Guard Chamber contains a large quantity of arms: muskets, pistols, swords, daggers, powder horns and pieces of armour arranged on the walls in decorative patterns. Bills exist for payment to a John Harris, dated 1699, for an arrangement believed to be that still seen today. In addition, Hampton Court holds the majority of the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection , with
6111-432: The creation of a Catholic secondary school for the first time in the borough. The borough has a non-League football club, Hampton & Richmond Borough F.C. , who play at Beveree Stadium in Hampton. Twickenham Stadium hosts rugby internationals and the Twickenham Stoop is home to the Harlequins Rugby Team . Richmond Rugby Club are also active and share their grounds with London Scottish F.C. The Richmond Minis
6208-404: The death of Prince Edward on 23 January 1820. Queen Victoria continued the arrangement for the widow of General Moore, following his death on 24 April 1838. This particular apartment was used for 21 years or more and spanned three different sponsors. A well-known curiosity of the palace's grounds is Hampton Court Maze ; planted in the 1690s by George London and Henry Wise for William III. It
6305-439: The death of Queen Mary, King William lost interest in the renovations, and work ceased. However, it was in Hampton Court Park in 1702 that he fell from his horse, later dying from his injuries at Kensington Palace . He was succeeded by his sister-in-law Queen Anne who continued the decoration and completion of the state apartments. On Queen Anne's death in 1714 the House of Stuart 's rule came to an end. Queen Anne's successor
6402-434: The dominating feature of the grounds is the great landscaping scheme constructed for Sir Christopher Wren's intended new palace. From a water-bounded semicircular parterre , the length of the east front, three avenues radiate in a crow's foot pattern. The central avenue, containing not a walk or a drive, but the great canal known as the Long Water, was excavated during the reign of Charles II, in 1662. The design, radical at
6499-408: The façade turns the corner from the east to the south fronts. However, Hampton Court, unlike Versailles, is given an extra dimension by the contrast between the pink brick and the pale Portland stone quoins, frames and banding. Further diversion is added by the circular and decorated windows of the second-floor mezzanine. This theme is repeated in the inner Fountain Court, but the rhythm is faster and
6596-625: The first since the Elizabethan Religious Settlement established Protestantism as the national denomination. The palace houses many works of art and furnishings from the Royal Collection , mainly dating from the two principal periods of the palace's construction, the early Tudor (Renaissance) and the late Stuart to the early Georgian period. In September 2015, the Royal Collection recorded 542 works (only those with images) as being located at Hampton Court, mostly paintings and furniture, but also ceramics and sculpture. The full current list can be obtained from their website. The single most important work
6693-434: The former borough of Richmond plus the neighbouring Municipal Borough of Barnes and the Municipal Borough of Twickenham . Barnes and Richmond had both been in Surrey prior to the reforms, whilst Twickenham had been in Middlesex . The area was transferred to Greater London to become one of the 32 London boroughs. The new borough was named 'Richmond upon Thames' rather than just Richmond as the old borough had been called; it
6790-449: The grounds are separately Grade I listed, including the early 16th-century tilt yard tower (the only surviving example of the five original towers); Christopher Wren 's Lion gate built for Anne and George I; and the Tudor and 17th-century perimeter walls. In 1986, the palace was damaged by a major fire, which spread to the King's Apartments. The fire claimed the life of Lady Daphne Gale, widow of General Sir Richard Gale , who resided in
6887-431: The highest house-price districts and neighbourhoods in Outer London . The borough is home to the National Physical Laboratory and the attractions of Hampton Court Palace , Twickenham Stadium and the WWT London Wetlands Centre that draw domestic and international tourism. The River Thames becomes narrower than at any part of Inner London towards its flow into the borough and becomes non-tidal at Teddington Lock in
6984-497: The history of Richmond, Ham, Petersham and Kew. Its rotating exhibitions , education activities and a programme of events cover the whole of the modern borough. The museum's highlights include 16th-century glass from Richmond Palace and a painting, The Terrace and View from Richmond Hill, Surrey by Dutch draughtsman and painter Leonard Knyff (1650–1722), which is part of the Richmond upon Thames Borough Art Collection. Orleans House Gallery in Twickenham displays material from
7081-405: The lowest child poverty rates in London at 20% and contains at least one ward with an above-average level (for London) of working-age adults receiving out-of-work benefits but even this borough – reflecting the best result – has two standard poverty indices of sixteen in which it is placed in the worst quarter of boroughs. The borough's history is reflected in the coat of arms , which
7178-478: The monarch at Hampton Court, as in other English royal premises, are known collectively as the Chapel Royal ; properly used the term does not refer to a building. The grounds as they appear today were laid out in grand style in the late 17th century. There are no authentic remains of Henry VIII's gardens, merely a small knot garden , planted in 1924, which hints at the gardens' 16th-century appearance. Today,
7275-471: The original furniture dates from the late 17th and early 18th centuries, including tables by Jean Pelletier , "India back" walnut chairs by Thomas Roberts and clocks and a barometer by Thomas Tompion . Several state beds are still in their original positions, as is the Throne Canopy in the King's Privy Chamber. This room contains a crystal chandelier of c. 1700 , possibly the first such in
7372-489: The palace escaped relatively unscathed. While the government auctioned much of the contents, the building was ignored. After the Restoration , King Charles II and his successor James II visited Hampton Court but largely preferred to reside elsewhere. By current French court standards, Hampton Court now appeared old-fashioned. It was in 1689, shortly after Louis XIV 's court had moved permanently to Versailles , that
7469-492: The palace's antiquated state was addressed. England had joint monarchs, William III and Mary II . Within months of their accession, they embarked on a massive rebuilding project at Hampton Court. The intention was to demolish the Tudor palace a section at a time while replacing it with a huge modern palace in the Baroque style retaining only Henry VIII's Great Hall. The country's most eminent architect, Sir Christopher Wren ,
7566-522: The palace's principal entrance, by two storeys and removed the lead cupolas adorning its four towers. Once opened, the palace soon became a major tourist attraction and, by 1881, over ten million visits had been recorded. Visitors arrived both by boat from London and via Hampton Court railway station , opened in February 1849. On 2 September 1952, the palace was given statutory protection by being Grade I listed . Other buildings and structures within
7663-493: The palace: here, the King would dine in state seated at a table upon a raised dais . The hall took five years to complete; so impatient was the King for completion that the masons were compelled to work throughout the night by candlelight. The gatehouse to the second, inner court was adorned in 1540 with the Hampton Court astronomical clock , an early example of a pre- Copernican astronomical clock . Still functioning,
7760-428: The pitch to boost the seated capacity. Lower league side, Old Tonbridgians RFC, also play home games at the Athletic Ground. As well as rugby, a small football team by the name of Mortlake FC play at this ground. The original facilities include six other pitches and two bars which are available for hire, a canteen, changing rooms, a physio room, a shop and offices. Part of Old Deer Park , a huge continuous leisure area,
7857-622: The red dragon of Wales, and the white hart of Richard II , all carved from English oak. The historically correct colours were researched by Patrick Baty, paint/colour consultant at Hampton Court. The beasts are of a different design to those on the bridge, based on period drawings in the College of Arms . The palace is served by Hampton Court railway station which is immediately to the south of Hampton Court Bridge in East Molesey , and by London bus routes 111, 216, 411 and R68 from Kingston and Richmond. Inspired by Wren's work at Hampton Court,
7954-415: The resemblance to Versailles was too subtle and not strong enough; at this time, it was impossible for any sovereign to visualise a palace that did not emulate Versailles' repetitive Baroque form. However, the resemblances are there: while the façades are not so long as those of Versailles, they have similar, seemingly unstoppable repetitive rhythms beneath a long flat skyline. The monotony is even repeated as
8051-600: The same name as their associated political ward, but the boundaries are not officially aligned. There is also no direct alignment between these areas and postcode districts, which tend to cover much broader areas, crossing the borough boundaries. There are four post towns based in the borough: Hampton , Richmond , Teddington and Twickenham . Parts of the borough come under the London post town , including Barnes and Mortlake , and there are several other peripheral parts of post towns based in neighbouring boroughs which straddle
8148-411: The time, is another immediately recognizable influence from Versailles and was indeed laid out by pupils of André Le Nôtre , Louis XIV's landscape gardener. On the south side of the palace is the Privy Garden bounded by semi-circular wrought iron gates by Jean Tijou . This garden, originally William III's private garden, was replanted in 1992 in period style with manicured hollies and yews along
8245-448: The windows, unpedimented on the outer façades, are given pointed pediments in the courtyard; this has led the courtyard to be described as "Startling, as of simultaneous exposure to a great many eyes with raised eyebrows." During this work, half the Tudor palace was replaced and Henry VIII's staterooms and private apartments were both lost; the new wings around the Fountain Court contained new state apartments and private rooms, one set for
8342-487: Was George I ; he and his son George II were the last monarchs to reside at Hampton Court. Under George I six rooms were completed in 1717 to the design of John Vanbrugh . Under George II and his wife, Caroline of Ansbach , further refurbishment took place, with the architect William Kent employed to design new furnishings and décor including the Queen's Staircase, (1733) and the Cumberland Suite (1737) for
8439-581: Was Elizabeth who had the eastern (privy) kitchen built; today, this is the palace's public tea room. On the death of Elizabeth I in 1603, the Tudor period came to an end. The Queen was succeeded by her first cousin-twice-removed, James I of the House of Stuart . Two entertainments for the Stuart court were staged in the Great Hall in January 1604, The Masque of Indian and China Knights and The Vision of
8536-418: Was called upon to draw the plans, while the master of works was to be William Talman . The plan was for a vast palace constructed around two courtyards at right angles to each other. Wren's design for a domed palace bore resemblances to the work of Jules Hardouin-Mansart and Louis Le Vau , both architects employed by Louis XIV at Versailles. It has been suggested, though, that the plans were abandoned because
8633-406: Was considerably larger and could accommodate the entire court and more besides. Mary stayed at the palace awaiting the birth of the "child" for over five months, and only left because of the uninhabitable state of the palace due to the court being kept in the one location for so long. Her court departed for the much smaller Oatlands Palace . Mary was succeeded by her half-sister, Elizabeth I , and it
8730-553: Was informed of the adultery of his fifth wife, Catherine Howard . She was then confined to her room for a few days before being sent to Syon House and then on to the Tower of London . Legend claims she briefly escaped her guards and ran through the Haunted Gallery to beg Henry for her life but she was recaptured. King Henry died in January 1547 and was succeeded by his son Edward VI, and then by both his daughters in turn. It
8827-423: Was officially granted on 7 May 1966. It is: Ermine a portcullis or within a bordure gules charged with eight fleurs-de-lis or . The crest is: On a wreath argent and gules out of a mural crown gules a swan rousant argent in beak a branch of climbing red roses leaved and entwined about the neck proper. The supporters are: On either side a griffin gules, armed and beaked azure, each supporting an oar proper,
8924-597: Was originally a property of the Order of St John of Jerusalem . It was leased first to John Wode in the mid-15th century, and then to the statesman Sir Giles Daubeney in 1494. Daubeney expanded the previous structures, and built the Great Kitchens that still survive today (although much altered). After Daubeney's death in 1508, his 14 year-old heir, Henry Daubeney , had to wait until 1514 to inherit his father's possessions. A month later, he relinquished his lease, and
9021-440: Was originally planted with hornbeam ; it has been repaired latterly using many different types of hedge. There is a 3D simulation of the maze, see the external links section. Inspired by narrow views of a Tudor garden that can be seen through doorways in a painting, The Family of Henry VIII , hanging in the palace's Haunted Gallery, a new garden in the style of Henry VIII's 16th-century Privy Gardens, has been designed to celebrate
9118-554: Was pressure to find a more accommodating space and, in 1991, the company moved to current premises within a converted primary school. The 172-seat theatre was built specifically as a theatre in the round . It has acquired a national reputation for the quality of its work for staging new plays, and for discovering undeservedly forgotten old plays and neglected classics. Performance group Richmond Opera rehearse regularly at The Vineyard Centre . The Cabbage Patch pub on London Road near Twickenham railway station has, since 1983, been
9215-407: Was still under way on Anne Boleyn's apartments above the gate when Boleyn was beheaded. During the Tudor period, the palace was the scene of many historic events. In 1537, the King's much desired male heir, the future Edward VI , was born at the palace, and the child's mother, Jane Seymour , died there two weeks later. Four years afterwards, whilst attending Mass in the palace's chapel, the King
9312-443: Was to Hampton Court that Queen Mary I (Henry's elder daughter) retreated with King Philip to spend her honeymoon, after their wedding at Winchester . Mary chose Hampton Court as the place for the birth of her first child, which turned out to be the first of two phantom pregnancies . Mary had initially wanted to give birth at Windsor Castle as it was a more secure location, and she was still fearful of rebellion. But Hampton Court
9409-488: Was to remain almost unchanged for nearly a century, until Inigo Jones introduced strong classical influences from Italy to the London palaces of the first Stuart kings. Between 1532 and 1535 Henry added the Great Hall (the last medieval great hall built for the English monarchy) and the Royal Tennis Court . The Great Hall has a carved hammerbeam roof . During Tudor times, this was the most important room of
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