Richmond Park - Pembroke Lodge - Pen Ponds - Isabella Plantation

Ged Burnett

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Richmond Park is the largest open space in London, covering nearly 2,500 acres. The walk starts just inside the park at the car park of Pembroke Lodge, near Richmond Gate at the top of Richmond Hill. After a short trek through Sidmouth Wood, the walk emerges into open parkland down to and around the smaller of the two Pen Ponds in the centre of the park. It then goes on through the beautiful Isabella Plantation along a small brook slightly downhill to a duck-pond, before returning over open savannah-like grassland. Next comes a wooded section of shared pedestrian and cycle-path to the formal gardens of Pembroke Lodge, with fantastic views over Richmond and Twickenham to the west and a protected view of St Paul's Cathedral way off to the east through a corridor in the trees nearby and the skyscrapers of London in the distance.

England - South England - London - Common or Park

Features

Ancient Monument, Birds, Butterflies, Cafe, Flowers, Gift Shop, Good for Kids, Great Views, Lake/Loch, Nature Trail, River, Tea Shop, Toilets, Wildlife, Woodland

8/18/2018 - Mark Matten

I've done this walk a few times now. Beautiful/recommended.

9/3/2011 - Ben Woolf

Overall this walk is very good. Like the other reviewer we are local to the area and have walked in Richmond Park many times but still enjoyed the walk. Be careful at the very start, we went right instead of left and ended up missing the Sidmouth Wood part. The directions are a little lacking in the Isabella plantation, but essentially you need to exit via the gate nearest the pond.

6/23/2009 - Stephen Harris

Not a bad walk at all!. We're local to this park so know it well yet this walk still took us through a part we had never seen (Sidmouth Wood), which is enchanted and very nice to walk through. Directions were perfect but be careful through the Isabella Plantation as it's easy to get lost if you don't know the park. The flowers this time of year are amazing. Near to the end of the walk there is a bench marked 'Reasons to be cheerful'. This is a memorial bench to the late Ian Dury (Hit me with your rhythm stick). Take a pair of headphones with a 3.5mm jack and you can hear documentaries and songs from him. (Assuming it still works, the bench was installed some years back). Fantastic walk. 10/10.