A heron by Richmond BridgeRecently I wandered across Richmond bridge to St Margarets side and walked along the river towards Twickenham. It's nice to see everyone lying in the sun on the other side and I realise that one thing I probably never appreciated, or even noticed, walking along here as a child , was the beauty of peace! For someone who doesn't really crave isolation and country living, this is the perfect combination. A step away from the shopping joys of Richmond there you are - listening to wood pigeons coo, swans snarl, water lapping and the satisfied murmurs coming from people lazing in the sun or wandering along the river. I love it.
And I like that the relatively short walk to Twickenham can be as brief or long, as eventful or uneventful as you want to make it.
Marble Hill HouseMarble Hill park is so inviting with it's long green lawns. Perfect for a picnic and I remember playing in the adventure playground there when I was little. But what I loved most was going to see Shakespeare in the park with the beautiful Marble Hill House as a back drop.
Marble Hill house was built as a house for the mistress of King George II. Now that's not a bad incentive for being the other woman!! The house is open to the public and there is of course a cafe!!
Ham House
Hammertons FerryAcross the river from Marble Hill House you can see another large house partially hidden behind some trees. This is
Ham House. A 400 year old house with beautiful gardens open to the public. Just between Marble hill House and Ham house you come to Hammertons Ferry. This ferry has been operating here since 1908 and today, as then, you can let yourself be ferried from one beautiful side of the river to another.
If you carry on past Marble hill park you come to
Orleans House Gallery. They have several exhibitions every year in the main house and the adjacent Stables Gallery. And, inevitably, a cafe!
There is, on the whole, never a great problem finding somewhere to eat or drink along the river. Just carry on past Orleans house you will come to the White Swan pub where you can sit in their garden right on the riverfront and enjoy the sun and watch the life on the river.
If you wander on a little bit more you can sit at The Barmy Arms pub. I used to love this pub when I was a kid because of the upsidedown pub sign and the reversed his and hers pictures on the loos. It is unfortunately not nearly as nice as I remembered (no fun loo signs!) but you can't knock a shandy in the sun there anyway!
Eel Pie IslandYou can also look across to Eel Pie Island, once home to the notorious Eel Pie Island Hotel and dancehall. This place was famous in the 60's for concerts with the likes of David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, the Yardbirds..... After closing in the late sixties it was taken over and turned into what became the UK's largest hippie colony. It burnt down in 1971.
From the Barmy Arms you can wander up the lane into Twickenham, stopping for an ice cream on the way, and either do some more shopping or get the bus back into Richmond.
Richmond is the last stop on the district line. From Richmond to Twickenham, (or back) you can take any of these buses - 33, R68, R70, 290 or 490
