Why Does Richmond Park Have Such Extraordinary Trees?

When you walk through Richmond Park, one of the first things you notice is the trees. Some are enormous. Others are twisted, hollow and strangely shaped, looking almost as though they belong to another century. In some cases, they do.

Richmond Park's landscape has been shaped by royalty, deer, centuries of grazing and changing approaches to woodland management. Some of the park's oldest trees were already standing when kings were hunting here hundreds of years ago.

From Royal Hunting Ground to Ancient Landscape

Richmond Park's royal connections stretch back to the Middle Ages, but the landscape changed significantly under King Charles I. In 1625, Charles brought his court to Richmond Palace while escaping the plague in London. The surrounding countryside provided excellent hunting, and he developed the area as a royal hunting park. In 1637, an eight-mile brick wall was built around the park to contain the deer. Red and fallow deer have been part of Richmond Park ever since.

The Deer Helped Create the Landscape We See Today

The deer aren't simply another attraction in Richmond Park. They have helped shape it. As deer graze, they eat young shoots and tree seedlings. This helps maintain the park's distinctive mixture of open grassland and scattered mature trees. Look carefully at some trees and you can even see a browse line where lower leaves and shoots have been eaten.

Trees That Have Survived for Centuries

Richmond Park is particularly important for its ancient and veteran trees. Some have survived for hundreds of years, developing the huge trunks, hollows, dead wood and irregular branches that give the park so much character. These ageing trees are also valuable habitats for insects, fungi, birds and bats, helping make Richmond Park an important place for wildlife.

Why Isabella Plantation Looks Different

Inside Richmond Park, Isabella Plantation tells a slightly different story. The area was enclosed in 1831, when Lord Sidmouth, the Deputy Park Ranger, planted oak, beech and sweet chestnut trees. These were originally planted as a timber crop rather than to create the ornamental garden visitors know today. Many of those trees still contribute to Isabella Plantation's woodland character.

The colourful garden came later. From the 1950s, Park Superintendent George Thomson and head gardener Wally Miller transformed the area, developing its ponds, streams and clearings and introducing collections of rhododendrons, azaleas and other plants. Today Isabella Plantation is particularly famous for its colourful azaleas.

A Landscape Created by Nature and People

That is perhaps what makes Richmond Park so fascinating. What appears at first to be completely natural is actually the result of hundreds of years of interaction between people, animals and the landscape. Kings hunted here. Deer grazed beneath the trees. Oaks survived for centuries. Victorians planted woodland. Gardeners later introduced extraordinary plants from around the world.

Exploring Richmond Park from Kingston

If you're visiting Richmond Park or Isabella Plantation from the Kingston side, you can make a full day of exploring this remarkable part of southwest London. After your walk, The Pottery Tapas Bar in Kingston upon Thames is a relaxed place to stop for tapas, paella and drinks. From ancient trees and wandering deer to colourful woodland gardens and then a table full of tapas, it's a lovely way to experience another side of Kingston and Richmond.