Richmond Green — Attraction in London

Richmond Green is a recreation area located near the centre of Richmond, a town of about 20,000 inhabitants situated in south west London. Owned by the Crown Estate, it is leased to the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. The Green, which has been described as "one of the most beautiful urban greens surviving anywhere in England", is essentially square in shape and its open grassland, framed with broadleaf trees, extends to roughly twelve acres. On the north-east side there is also a smaller open space called Little Green. Richmond Green and Little Green are overlooked by a mixture of period townhouses, historic buildings and municipal and commercial establishments including the Richmond Lending Library and Richmond Theatre. On summer weekends and public holidays the Green attracts many residents and visitors. It has a long history of hosting sporting events; from the 16th century onwards tournaments and archery contests have taken place on the Green, while cricket matches have occurred since the mid 18th century, continuing to the present day.

Jousting tournaments took place on Richmond Green in the Middle Ages, when English monarchs were living in or visiting what is now called Richmond. For over 400 years, Richmond Green has been edged by houses and commercial premises – built to provide accommodation for people serving or visiting Richmond Palace. In 1625 Charles I brought his court here to escape the plague in London and by the early 18th century these had become the homes of "minor nobility, diplomats, and court hangers-on".

The construction of the railway in the mid-19th century cut the Green off from Old Deer Park, and led to the building of Victorian villas for the more prosperous commuters to London. The A316 road, built in the early 20th century, worsened this separation.

Today the northern, western and southern sides of the Green are residential while the eastern side, linking with Richmond's high street, George Street, is largely retail and commercial. Public buildings line the eastern side of Little Green and pubs and cafés cluster in the corner by Paved and Golden Courts – two of a number of alleys that lead from the Green to George Street. These alleys are lined with mostly privately owned boutiques.

To the west of the Green is Old Palace Lane, running gently down to the river. Adjoining to the left is the renowned terrace of well-preserved three-storey houses known as Maids of Honour Row. These were built in 1724 for the maids of honour (trusted royal wardrobe servants) of Queen Caroline, the queen consort of George II. As a child, Richard Burton, the Victorian explorer, lived...

YOU COULDN'T MAKE IT UP!! A MIND BLOWING EXPERIENCE!!

Picture the scene: it's 3pm on a chilly Sunday afternoon in early February. Children are playing games on the green, enjoying the last of the light before it's time to head home. Couples are strolling arm in arm, stretching their legs before a trip to the theatre, the cinema, a restaurant or one of the pubs that face on to the green. All is as it should be.

Suddenly and without warning what looks like hundreds of thousands or even millions of pink and white marsh mallows descend from the sky and cover every inch of the green. People are rushing about confused, not knowing whether to run for cover or record the phenomenon on their camera phones. It then starts to rain, hard. This turns the marsh mallows into a sticky gooey soup. All those who stayed on the green are now stuck where they stand.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

You couldn't make it...

A beautiful traditional Green in the centre of Richmond situated just behind the high street. It is surrounded by beautiful period house and buildings and tree. It's the perfect place to take time away from the hustle and bustle of life to relax. On any lovely warm sunny day you will find people relaxing on the green, it can get busy, but not overly so that you won't be able to find a place to sit or stroll. During summer weekends you will often see a game of cricket being played in the center of the green, it really is a step back in time. Richmond Theatre is also located just along and across from the end of the green and the green itself is connected to the high street via quaint little alleyways filled with many independent shops and food outlets selling artisan produce. This makes the green perfect for a picnic or a lunch time haven if you work...