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Richmond, London
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Richmond, London
Richmond is a town in south-west London, 8.2 miles (13.2 km) west-south-west of Charing Cross. It stands on the River Thames, and features many parks and open spaces, including Richmond Park, and many protected conservation areas, which include much of Richmond Hill. A specific Act of Parliament protects the scenic view of the River Thames from Richmond.
Richmond was founded following King Henry VII's building in the early 16th century of Richmond Palace (so named in 1501), from which the town derives its name. (The palace's manor itself took its name from King Henry's earldom of Richmond, North Yorkshire, the original Richmond.) The town and palace became particularly associated with Queen Elizabeth I (r. 1558–1603), who spent her last days there. During the 18th century, Richmond Bridge connected the two banks of the Thames, and many Georgian terraces were built, particularly around Richmond Green and on Richmond Hill. Those that have survived remain well preserved, and many have been designated listed buildings on account of their architectural or historic significance. The opening of Richmond railway station in 1846 was a significant event in the absorption of the town into a rapidly expanding London.
In 1890, the town of Richmond, formerly part of the ancient parish of Kingston upon Thames in the county of Surrey, became a municipal borough, which was later extended to include Kew, Ham, Petersham and part of Mortlake (North Sheen). The municipal borough was abolished in 1965, when local-government reorganisation transferred Richmond from Surrey to Greater London.
Since 1965, Richmond has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. As of 2011[update] it had a population of 21,469 (in the North Richmond and South Richmond wards). It has a significant commercial and retail centre with a developed day and evening economy. The name "Richmond upon Thames" refers to the London borough as a whole, not to the town of Richmond.
The area was known in the medieval period as Shene, a name first recorded (as Sceon) in the 10th century, and which survives in the neighbouring districts of East Sheen (also known as Sheen) and North Sheen. The manor entered royal hands, and the manor house eventually became known as Sheen Palace, before being largely destroyed by fire in 1497. Henry VII rebuilt it and in 1501 named it Richmond Palace, in allusion to his earldom of Richmond and his ancestral honour of Richmond in Yorkshire. The associated settlement took the same name, although for some years the two names were often used in conjunction (for example, "Shene otherwise called Richemount").
Henry I lived briefly in the King's house in "Sheanes". In 1299, Edward I, the "Hammer of the Scots", took his whole court to the manor house at Sheen, a little east of the bridge and on the riverside, and it thus became a royal residence; William Wallace was executed in London in 1305, and it was in Sheen that the Commissioners from Scotland went down on their knees before Edward.
Edward II, following his defeat by the Scots at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, founded a monastery for Carmelites at Sheen. When the boy-king Edward III came to the throne in 1327, he gave the manor to his mother Isabella. Edward later spent over £2,000 on improvements, but in the middle of the work, Edward himself died at the manor, in 1377. Richard II was the first English king to make Sheen his main residence, which he did in 1383. Twelve years later, Richard was so distraught at the death of his wife Anne of Bohemia at the age of 28 that, according to Raphael Holinshed, the 16th-century English chronicler, he "caused it [the manor] to be thrown down and defaced; whereas the former kings of this land, being wearie of the citie, used customarily thither to resort as to a place of pleasure, and serving highly to their recreation". It was rebuilt between 1414 and 1422, but destroyed by fire in 1497.
Following that fire, Henry VII built a new residence at Sheen, and in 1501 he named it Richmond Palace. The theatre company to which Shakespeare belonged performed some plays there during the reign of Elizabeth I. As Queen, Elizabeth spent much of her time at Richmond, as she enjoyed hunting stags in the "Newe Parke of Richmonde" (now Old Deer Park). She died at the palace on 24 March 1603. The palace was no longer in residential use after 1649 but, in 1688, James II ordered its partial reconstruction, this time as a royal nursery. The bulk of the palace had decayed by 1779, but surviving structures include the Wardrobe, Trumpeters' House (built around 1700), and the Gate House, built in 1501. The Gate House has five bedrooms and was made available on a 65-year lease by the Crown Estate Commissioners in 1986.
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Richmond, London
Richmond is a town in south-west London, 8.2 miles (13.2 km) west-south-west of Charing Cross. It stands on the River Thames, and features many parks and open spaces, including Richmond Park, and many protected conservation areas, which include much of Richmond Hill. A specific Act of Parliament protects the scenic view of the River Thames from Richmond.
Richmond was founded following King Henry VII's building in the early 16th century of Richmond Palace (so named in 1501), from which the town derives its name. (The palace's manor itself took its name from King Henry's earldom of Richmond, North Yorkshire, the original Richmond.) The town and palace became particularly associated with Queen Elizabeth I (r. 1558–1603), who spent her last days there. During the 18th century, Richmond Bridge connected the two banks of the Thames, and many Georgian terraces were built, particularly around Richmond Green and on Richmond Hill. Those that have survived remain well preserved, and many have been designated listed buildings on account of their architectural or historic significance. The opening of Richmond railway station in 1846 was a significant event in the absorption of the town into a rapidly expanding London.
In 1890, the town of Richmond, formerly part of the ancient parish of Kingston upon Thames in the county of Surrey, became a municipal borough, which was later extended to include Kew, Ham, Petersham and part of Mortlake (North Sheen). The municipal borough was abolished in 1965, when local-government reorganisation transferred Richmond from Surrey to Greater London.
Since 1965, Richmond has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. As of 2011[update] it had a population of 21,469 (in the North Richmond and South Richmond wards). It has a significant commercial and retail centre with a developed day and evening economy. The name "Richmond upon Thames" refers to the London borough as a whole, not to the town of Richmond.
The area was known in the medieval period as Shene, a name first recorded (as Sceon) in the 10th century, and which survives in the neighbouring districts of East Sheen (also known as Sheen) and North Sheen. The manor entered royal hands, and the manor house eventually became known as Sheen Palace, before being largely destroyed by fire in 1497. Henry VII rebuilt it and in 1501 named it Richmond Palace, in allusion to his earldom of Richmond and his ancestral honour of Richmond in Yorkshire. The associated settlement took the same name, although for some years the two names were often used in conjunction (for example, "Shene otherwise called Richemount").
Henry I lived briefly in the King's house in "Sheanes". In 1299, Edward I, the "Hammer of the Scots", took his whole court to the manor house at Sheen, a little east of the bridge and on the riverside, and it thus became a royal residence; William Wallace was executed in London in 1305, and it was in Sheen that the Commissioners from Scotland went down on their knees before Edward.
Edward II, following his defeat by the Scots at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, founded a monastery for Carmelites at Sheen. When the boy-king Edward III came to the throne in 1327, he gave the manor to his mother Isabella. Edward later spent over £2,000 on improvements, but in the middle of the work, Edward himself died at the manor, in 1377. Richard II was the first English king to make Sheen his main residence, which he did in 1383. Twelve years later, Richard was so distraught at the death of his wife Anne of Bohemia at the age of 28 that, according to Raphael Holinshed, the 16th-century English chronicler, he "caused it [the manor] to be thrown down and defaced; whereas the former kings of this land, being wearie of the citie, used customarily thither to resort as to a place of pleasure, and serving highly to their recreation". It was rebuilt between 1414 and 1422, but destroyed by fire in 1497.
Following that fire, Henry VII built a new residence at Sheen, and in 1501 he named it Richmond Palace. The theatre company to which Shakespeare belonged performed some plays there during the reign of Elizabeth I. As Queen, Elizabeth spent much of her time at Richmond, as she enjoyed hunting stags in the "Newe Parke of Richmonde" (now Old Deer Park). She died at the palace on 24 March 1603. The palace was no longer in residential use after 1649 but, in 1688, James II ordered its partial reconstruction, this time as a royal nursery. The bulk of the palace had decayed by 1779, but surviving structures include the Wardrobe, Trumpeters' House (built around 1700), and the Gate House, built in 1501. The Gate House has five bedrooms and was made available on a 65-year lease by the Crown Estate Commissioners in 1986.