Richmond

Riverside walking and parkland in Richmond

Richmond sits beside a broad bend of the River Thames in south-west London, directly on the Thames Path. The route follows the river through Richmond, connecting the town with Kew to the east and Twickenham, Teddington and Kingston farther upstream.

The Thames forms the centre of Richmond's walking landscape. Riverside paths lead through a mixture of built-up stretches, tree-lined riverbanks and open green spaces, allowing walks to begin directly from the town centre without needing to travel elsewhere first.

Immediately south of the town, Richmond Park provides a contrasting landscape of open grassland, woodland and historic parkland. Its extensive network of paths can be combined with the Thames to create circular walks between the riverside and higher ground above Richmond.

Richmond has shops, cafés, pubs, restaurants and good public transport connections, including National Rail and London Underground services. This makes it practical both for shorter riverside walks and as a base for exploring several sections of the Thames Path and the green spaces of south-west London.

Exploring Richmond on foot

From Richmond, the Thames Path can be followed downstream towards Kew, where the river passes close to Kew Gardens before continuing towards central London. In the opposite direction, the trail follows the Thames towards Twickenham, Teddington Lock and Kingston.

Walkers can also leave the riverside and climb towards Richmond Park, where paths cross grassland and woodland before reaching viewpoints over London and the Thames Valley. Combining the park with the river creates longer circular walks while keeping Richmond as the starting and finishing point.

The area's public transport also makes linear walking particularly practical. Sections of the Thames Path can be followed in either direction before returning to Richmond by train, Underground or bus, allowing several different stretches of the river to be explored from the same accommodation.

For walkers staying in Richmond, The Selwyn provides a base close to the town centre, the River Thames and Richmond Park. From here, walkers can follow the Thames Path towards Kew or Teddington, explore the paths and woodland of Richmond Park, or use Richmond's transport connections for longer linear walks through south-west London.