It was the sight of two horse riders entering Wimbledon Common ahead of us that led to my first, “We’re not in Kansas anymore” moment as we walked through the leafy south west of London. There are areas of London that simply don’t feel like the London I know, and Richmond and Wimbledon top that list. It feels like you’ve wandered into the Home Counties by mistake rather than being in one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities.
Wimbledon Common is an odd place. As well as being home to the UK’s largest breeding population of Wombles, a secretive group of furry creatures who live under the Common and collect and recycle litter left by “everyday folk”, the park is home to a 19th century windmill and the London Scottish Golf Club. Set up by Scottish soldiers stationed here in the 1860s, the club claims to be the oldest 18-hole course in England.
Wimbledon windmill, a smock windmill with eight sides covered in weatherboard dating from 1817, is one of very few to survive in London. Given the smock mill was invented at least 200 years earlier, and it had to compete with factory-milled flour, it’s an anomaly. It milled flour until 1864, surviving into the 21st century only after being converted into housing. It was lived in until 1975 before becoming a museum.
London Scottish golfers have to wear a red top because the course is in the middle of a public park, and not closed off from the public using the park. The park and golf course are criss crossed by paths so it’s worth keeping an eye out for anyone wearing red who looks like they’re about to launch a small, hard ball your way. Disappointingly, we hadn’t seen any Wombles by the time we left the Common and entered Richmond Park.
At almost 1000 hectares – Hyde Park in Central London is 142 hectares – Richmond Park is one of Europe’s largest urban parks and a true joy to explore. A cold, dry and sunny winter’s day was the perfect time to stroll through the woods, grasslands and rolling hills that make up the park. The park has a large population of deer, last time I was here over a decade ago, it was mating season. It’s much quieter without the rutting deer.
We entered through Robin Hood Gate and headed uphill towards White Lodge, a former hunting lodge (those deer are here for a reason) built in 1730 for King George II. The lodge has many famous connections, with artists, politicians and royalty – most famously Queen Victoria and Prince Albert regularly stayed here, as did Nicholas II, the last Russian Tsar. Today, it houses The Royal Ballet School.
Our route went between Pen Ponds, a lake divided in two by a causeway, and then uphill to Richmond and the terrance on Richmond Hill that offers incredible views west over the River Thames. We walked along the river towards Richmond Bridge, near to which stands (or rather sits) a statue of Virginia Woolf. She lived in Richmond for ten years. It brought back painful memories of having Mrs. Dalloway inflicted on me as a schoolchild.
As the sun started to set, the temperature began to drop and we made our way along the river front towards the White Swan. We passed an alarming number of people carrying Ted Lasso branded merchandise. The excellent TV series, set in Richmond and based on a fictional Richmond football team, appears to have given the area a tourism bump as fans of the show visit a neighbourhood that needs no extra tourism.
If there is one thing Richmond does well beyond Ted Lasso, unaffordable housing and absurdly large 4x4s, it is pleasant pubs serving upmarket British pub classics and a selection of decent beers. The White Swan was no exception. As we warmed up over a couple of beers, it felt like we were in a country pub.
