Isabella Plantation on a wet day in April

It was the prospect of rain that tempted me to Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park on the grounds that the rain would be a deterrent to most people and so it would be peaceful as well as pretty.

And so it was. There were a few other hardy souls braving the constant drivel but they passed fleetingly and were quickly forgotten.

The main benefits of this were the constant quiet (no unhappy or overly happy children being intrusive) and the absence of brightly coloured Cagouls blighting photographs.

As usual I started by the main gate at the bottom of the gentle slope. The main ditch leading into the pond was wet (for a change) and lined with subtly coloured heathers. Breaking the calm were the yellow flowers along the edge of the water. 

It was between times for a lot of the other flowers with some heralding fresh buds and others well past their best..A few fresh flowers could be found among their dead comrades adding spots of colour against a background of mixed greens under a grey sky. 

Most people follow the main path that borders the water straight down the centre of the garden but there are other paths and other water.

In one corner is an oasis of calm, even on busy days, with its own water that takes a more natural route down the slope where the pond waits.

This looks like a plantation with many trees of the same type and size suggested that they were planted together.

The pond is the start and end of the journey.

Normally it is ringed by children will bags of bread, as the ducks well know. With the rain keeping this distraction away the ducks could get on with their normal business for this time of year, which is fighting each other over the females.

I tend to keep away from Richmond Park simply because it is too popular and it is impossible to find the peace that you would expect to find in a large open space, Going in the rain solved that problem.

Back to Isabella Plantation

Having skilfully voided Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park for a few years I then get tricked in to going there twice in a few months.

In May it was the bluebells that caught the eye but as Summer starts to fade it is the heathers that have their turn to shine.

The sun chose not to shine though and they greyness did me a favour by keeping the usual hordes away.

The gravel path here should be guiding them through the gardens but it stands empty and lonely.

And that's just how I like it.

The thick flower beds cling tightly to the central path as it slips gently down from the top of the garden to the duck pond at the bottom.

And in those beds large clumps of flowers jockey for position, each eager for light, water and space to grow, like any family.

Each family has its own distinctive shape, style and colour but when they all come together the effect is a surprisingly harmonious blend rather than the discord that might have been expected.

It's as warm and welcoming as a patchwork quilt.

But the heathers do not get it all their own way.

The smallest of rivers trickles through the garden and the lush broad-leafed plants in triumphant British Racing Green guard it jealously.

Their strength overpowers the thin wispy plants who wisely keep their distance. Millennia of competing for survival has taught them when to fight and when to leave be.

Lifting you eyes slowly from the watery domain you first see the tall bushy flowers and then, looking higher still, the trees that give the plantation its name.

The variety and harmony of Isabella Plantation combined with its tranquillity are what call people to it and what makes them keep coming back.

Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park

I am not a great fan of Richmond Park as it's not wild enough for me and it's far too busy but Isabella Plantation is an exception.

It's an easy reach for me, a leisurely stroll to Ham Gate, a brisk stroll up to the main road then a short amble across the grass to the gate by the small disabled car park.

Almost as soon as you enter this gate you come to the large pond with a collection of unusual ducks surrounded by a collection of usual children pointing at them.

It took quite some effort to take a picture without any children in it. Perhaps I should make it easier for myself and learn PhotoShop!

The pond collects the water that flows gently through the centre of Isabella Plantation from one of the many small springs in the park.

The stream (if you can call it that) is flanked by tall bushes on both sides with paths on the other side. It's like a stick of rock.

These bushes both hide the stream, but not its murmurings, and give the garden shape and colour in exactly the same way that lawns don't.

It is here that most people congregate and the children nosily bounce across the many narrow bridges that cross the stream.

But not far away from this bustle there are quieter paths and these are the ones that I choose to tread.

Here the trees grow in confidence and spread themselves out more creating little glades that the Bluebells are quick to colonise.

The shrubs make good use of the extra space too and the Rhododendrons and Magnolias also stretch out like peacocks to show-off their colours.

There are dark shaded corners too where even the Bluebells fear to roam. And contorted tree that compel any stray boys to climb them.

Isabella Plantation is not that big but it is easy to spend an hour ambling through it savouring the smells and colours. A place of calm and beauty.

Water and wood

Richmond Park is not may favourite place to go for a walk because large sections of it are busy and featureless but it makes up for this in its size which lets you spend a lot of time well away from cars.

One of the park's main attraction is Pen Ponds which is located somewhere near the centre.

You are never that far from a car park in Richmond Park (I'd close the lot of them) but the nearest to Pen Ponds is a couple of hundred meters away, and it's uphill all the way back, so most of the people there are out for a serious walk.

The wild fowl know that people mean food so they cluster enthusiastically in the corner of the upper pond where it means the path from the car park.

Clearly many walkers cannot wait to get rid of any bread that they have bought with them and feed the birds at the first opportunity that they get rather than walking on a little to somewhere quieter and prettier.

Composing the picture to avoid the clump of bird feeders is easily done and provides a view that is devoid of people. This I like.

Much of Richmond Park is scrub land thick with ferns that flash green and brown as the seasons change. Not very interesting.

Raising the spirits are gangs of trees gathered together for mutual comfort and support.

Here the paths get lost under a carpet of leaves freeing the walker to head in any direction and I like to emerge from one not quite knowing where I am. What's the point of going for a long walk if you don't get lost?

Again the damp grey March weather has kept most people away and the countryside illusion is successfully maintained. All to soon the sun will come back and the hordes with it and Richmond Park will lose its magic.

Isabella Plantation (and zombies)

Richmond Park, with its sweeping hills thick with trees, grasses and ferns, hardly needs a garden to make it special but it has one anyway. Isabella Plantation, a short walk from Ham Gate, collects trees, bushes and shrubs around some small natural streams that trickle down to a duck pond by the entrance.

Isabella Plantation largely gives the impression that it has been left to grown on its own, and I've never seen a gardener at work there, but the many paths and the few trimmed bushes show that somebody has been busy at sometime.

One of the newer features to creep almost unnoticed in to the garden is another pond with its attendant water-loving plants and wildlife.

And in the middle-ground, a shock of red to remind you of the clumps of Azaleas that congregate in this part of the garden.

The discrete paths follow the streams and cross them frequently giving the impression of an overly complicated board game that involves something like collecting flowers, rescuing princesses from goblins or, more likely, disemboweling zombies.

Whatever games of imagination you want to play, Isabella Plantation is a great place to play them with its mysteries, colours and spaces.

On our bikes

I first joined the online meet-up site, http://www.meetup.com, a couple of years ago when somebody told me about a Czech/Slovak group that meets regularly in London but I had never managed to get to any meet-ups until last week when I went to two!

Or, to be more honest, I went to one event that was being co-hosted by two groups that I belong to so I RSVP'ed. The Kingston and Richmond Social Group and Twickenham Cycling Meetup Group jointly arranged a cycle around Richmond Park.

I could hardly refuse an invitation like that!

We met at the New Inn on Ham Common where my worries started as people turned up in a range of increasingly rugged bikes, wearing incredibly appropriate clothing and carrying useful supplies like inner tubes, pumps and water. Non of which I could claim to.

Luckily a few other people turned up in street clothes and normal bikes and I started to feel more comfortable. Quick introductions were made (and mostly forgotten) over a quick half and then we were off along Ham Gate Avenue to, er, Ham Gate.

The decision was made to go around Richmond Park anti-clockwise (not my preference) which meant a slow climb towards Kingston Gate and then a sharp climb up Kingston Hill where the group I was in politely waited for the ladies on bikes without gears to catch us up.

The rest of the ride was a playful scramble along the path that continually turns, dips, bends and rises to keep the journey interesting and the view ever-changing.

A high point was towards the end of the ride when we came across a group of deer grazing by the side of the road between Richmond Gate and Ham Gate.

After that the ride was all down hill and then a quick sprint back to the pub for our reward and more conversations.

Having dipped my toe into the world of meet-ups I'm sure that I'll be going on another one before too long, such as the walk from Putney to Waterloo next month.

Parking charges approved for Royal Parks :-)

The immediate reaction to today's news that car parking charges are to be introduced in Richmond Park has been overwhelmingly hostile.

For example, Shadow London minister Justine Greening said, “Richmond Park will become the preserve of the rich", and there has been some groaning on Twitter.

So I just wanted to publicly support these charges and to explain why they are a good idea.

Put simply, I believe that parks are for people, not cars. I want to see fewer cars in Richmond Park (which I can see through my study window as I write this) and if introducing parking charges discourages people from driving there then that is excellent news.

The whole point of Richmond Park is that it is a natural park and cars have no part to play in that. Attractions like Chessington World of Adventures need large car parks and having them does not impact on the reason for going there, but in Richmond Park they do.

If the discouraged motorists chose to walk or cycle there instead then that is even better.

There is also the side benefit of the extra income from the charges which can only be a benefit to the park and it's visitors.

Richmond Park was an unwelcoming mess until not that long ago but then they closed Robin Hood Gate and, later on, reduced the speed to 20mph, and now we can look forward to reduced use of the (over large) car parks.

Each of the other changes were introduced against wails of protest about the impact on the neighbouring areas and it was nonsense every time. Just as it will prove to be with the parking charges.

This is another step forward for the park which, as a local resident and regular visitor, I warmly welcome.

An early walk in Richmond Park

It seemed like a good idea at the time so I agreed to go for a walk in Richmond Park at six in the morning to avoid the massed hordes that fill the place on any fine day.

The route was fairly simple, enter the park at Ham Gate, follow the boundary wall anti-clockwise past Kingston Gate and on to Robin Hood Gate and come back through the centre of the park passing Pen Ponds and taking in Isabella Plantation.


The deer were out in force along the route and I saw five or six different groups of them during the walk. It was early in the day so the sun was bright but not that warm, however, the deer were still mostly keeping to the shade - which did not help the photography! Even though I was fairly close to them at times I only got a few respectful stares and managed to avoid panicking them in to running away.


It was very much end of season for most of the flowering plants in Isabella Plantation but there were a few trees still in bloom to provide large blotches of colour to contrast with the dark greens of the abundant foliage.


Isabella Plantation becomes uncomfortably busy during the day so it was especially nice to be able to enjoy it in peace. I saw only one or two other people in there and they were quickly hidden behind large shrubs and bushes.

Developments in Richmond Park

Whilst the Kingston upon Thames Society (KSoc) deals primarily with the built environment (buildings and roads etc.) it does also take an interest in Richmond Park, which is an important part of life in Kingston.

At the last KSoc meeting we were treated to an excellent talk by Simon Richards, the Park Manager, who gave an insight in to what he does to protect and develop the park, with a particular emphasis on the physical elements to suit the interests of the audience.

During the talk I noted quite a few things that caught my attention, including:

• The park comes under the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, rather than Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; which may say something of the Government's expectations of the park.
• The boundary of the park extends some 5m beyond the perimeter wall so that park officers can gain access to both sides of the wall for maintenance. Most of the land beyond the wall is leased and now forms part of people's gardens.
• High ambient lighting is an increasing problem for nocturnal life and one of the ways they try to manage this is to comment on planning applications that add external lighting near the park boundary.
• Plans to route more air traffic over Richmond Park and Wimbledon Common may suit some local residents but they will impact on the life and ambiance of the park.
• The views from Richmond Park, e.g. to St Paul's Cathedral, are important. The new T5 building almost masks Windsor Castle and the John Lewis building in Kingston blocked the view of Kingston Bridge.

The main point that came across to me from the long and interesting talk was the need to try and balance the often very conflicting needs of the various users of the park, especially when it comes to the cars v bikes v pedestrians debate. Being a reasonably elderly audience overall there was a strong bias towards cars and parking and little support for cyclists. I thought that discretion was the better part of valour and kept my view that cars should be completely banned from the park to myself!

Richmond Park in February

Richmond Park attracts hordes of visitors at weekends and they walk, jog, cycle and drive along the roads, paths and tracks. But if you keep away from these obvious routes then you can find yourself all alone and can forget that you are sharing the park with anybody else.

Richmond Park is worth exploring at any time of the year as the foliage, colours and light change with the seasons. In February, the browns dominate large areas where the ferns are still waiting for the warmer weather.

The trees are one of the best features of the park as they provide screening and shade when in leaf and become mysterious shapes when their branches are exposed.

To the West of the road between Kingston Gate and Richmond Gate, the park falls away toward Ham offering invigorating slopes, sights and spaces. It is also one of the quietest parts of the park, which is another good reason for going there.

Just over the brow of this hill is the section of the main path between Pembroke Lodge and Ham Gate but that's where the people and the cars are so it is best to keep well away.

In the corner of the park between Dysart Gate and Richmond Gate, the sleeping brown ferns give way to grass growing on small mounds of earth. The trees are fewer and the terrain more difficult but it's the only way to get to Richmond Gate so it's a route I often take. At least the changing ecosystems add interest to the exercise.

This part of the park is also wet, sometimes very wet. There are no rivers or gullies here but the water oozes out of the ground in several places and hangs around long enough to create the sort of mud that turns paths into slides and, somehow, leaps up to cover your shoes and trousers.

The path gets steeper and wetter as you approach Richmond Gate and the last few metres are only passable thanks to some stone steps but despite struggling through the mud and brambles I always regret leaving the park behind as I emerge from the gate on to the path to rejoin all the people and cars.

A walk in the park

On Sunday we were promised rain but the early omens were good so I set off on a walk with my younger son (14). His choice of route was a clockwise tour of Richmond Park, a walk of some 15km altogether.

For most of the way around the park there is a choice of three footpaths. The inner path follows the road that goes round the park connecting the five gates that allow traffic in and out of the park (there are several other gates that are for pedestrians and cyclists only). This path is the least interesting and is made unpleasant by the traffic so is used by very few walkers.




The middle path is the one most used by walkers and cyclists and was built specifically for them a few years ago. This path is mostly well away from the road and takes you in to wilder parts of the park. However its popularity is a drawback, as is the mixed use, and at times walking is a battle for space on the path with little opportunity to savour the park.

Luckily there is a third path in many places. This path follows the park wall quite closely and so is the longest route. It is through the grass (and mud) so only appeals to the more earnest explorers, which makes it the best route for enjoying the park as a wild and expansive place.

The photograph shows parts of this path as it follows the Beverley Brook along the northern edge of the park. The brook and trees obviously make this a pleasant place to walk but what I really like about it is that there are no people.

Le Tour de Richmond Park

While the Tour de France ambled through Paris I was tackling the hills, tight bends, little children and dogs on a circuit of Richmond Park.

There are various paths in the park but the best one for cycling is also the longest one which mostly follows the outer wall. This is a circuit of around 12 km.

I enter the park at Ham Gate (centre left on the map), which is about 1 km from where I live, and I go counter-clockwise. This is partially because I am a mathematician, and we measure angles counter-clockwise, but it also gets the biggest climb, up Kingston Hill (centre bottom), out of the way early on.

The kids and dogs apart, Richmond Park is a joy to cycle around because the cycle routes keep well away from the traffic and, instead, go through some of the wilder parts of the park. For example, this time I saw two herds of deer, the stags were close to Sheen Gate and the does were a little further round towards Bog Gate.