Richmond Park is the largest royal park in London, covering 2,500 acres of land and has been a Royal Park since Edward I (1272 – 1307). There are around 650 deer that roam free and stand elegantly among the ferns, blending in to the landscape, which is why it is sometimes known as ‘The Deer Park’. We’re very lucky, as we live a stone’s throw away from the park and go almost daily. So I have some favourite places to mention…

We often park up at Pembroke Lodge* (a lovely canteen/tea-room which used to be the residence of our Prime Minister, Lord John Russell in 1847), and from there walk north to King Henry VIII’s mound, where on a clear day you can see 12 miles to St. Paul’s Cathedral! Or we head east across the road to the ponds. *Note: Pembroke Lodge tends to bring out freshly made (warm!) scones at around 3pm daily, served with cream and jam. There is nothing nicer than a sweet-treat after a bout of fresh air, I find.

On the other side of the park we love the Isabella Plantation which blooms with majestical (excuse the flamboyant language but if you’ve seen it you’ll understand) rhododendrons in May and is full of secret lakes and coves (perfect for treasure hunting and exploring). There is so much space and things to climb up and over that my son just can’t get enough of it.

Of course any big park is going to have a big playground and Richmond Park’s playground just so happens to be a hop, skip and jump from Petersham Nurseries, which as Courtney mentioned is a fantastic restaurant. You can drop in to the cafe for a slab of cake and a cuppa without booking, which makes for the perfect treat after a long spell on the swings (my love of cake may become a bit of a feature in my posts).

If visiting the Park for the first time then the Royal Parks website has some great tips for planning where to go and what to see and do.