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Getting Oriented | Chiswick and Kew | Richmond

Updated by Jack Jewers

The upper stretch of the Thames unites a string of fashionable districts—Chiswick, Kew, Richmond, and Putney—taking in winding old streets, horticultural delights, cozy pubs nestling at water’s edge, and Henry VIII’s fiendish outdoor labyrinth at Hampton Court Palace. The neighborhoods dotted along the way are as proud of their village-y feel as of their stately history, witnessed by such handsome and historic estates as Strawberry Hill and Syon House. After the sensory overload of the West End, it’s easy to forget you’re in a capital city at all.

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Getting Oriented

Top Reasons to Go

Explore Hampton Court Palace: Go ghost hunting or just admire the beautiful Tudor architecture at Henry VIII’s beloved home, then lose yourself in the maze as dusk begins to fall.

Go “Goth” at Strawberry Hill: The 19th-century birthplace of connoisseur Horace Walpole’s “Gothick” style, this mock-castle is a joyous riot of color and invention.

Escape to magical Kew Gardens: See the earth from above by visiting Kew’s treetop walkway at the famous Royal Botanic Gardens.

Pay your respects to Father Thames: Enjoy a pint from the creaking balcony of a centuries-old riverside pub as you watch the boats row by on the loveliest stretch of England’s greatest river.

Feeling Peckish?

The Original Maids of Honour.
Most traditional of Old English tearooms, this is named for a type of jam tart invented here and still baked by hand on the premises. Legend has it that Henry VIII loved them so much he had the recipe kept under guard. Tea is served daily 2:30–6, lunch in two sittings at 12:30 and 1:30. | 288 Kew Rd., Kew | TW9 3DU | 020/8940–2752 | www.theoriginalmaidsofhonour.co.uk.

Getting There

The District line is the best of the Tube options, stopping at Turnham Green (in the heart of Chiswick but a fair walk from the houses), Gunnersbury (for Syon Park), Kew Gardens, and Richmond. For Hampton Court, overland train is your quickest option: South West trains run from Waterloo twice an hour, with most requiring a change at Surbiton. There are also regular, direct trains from Waterloo to Chiswick station (best for Chiswick House), Kew Bridge, Richmond (for Ham House), and St. Margaret’s (best for Marble Hill House). London overground trains also stop at Gunnersbury, Kew Gardens, and Richmond.

A pleasant, if slow, way to go is by river. Boats depart upriver from Westminster Pier, by Big Ben, for Kew (1½ hours), Richmond (2 hours), and Hampton Court (3 hours) several times a day in summer, less frequently from October through March. The boat trip is worth taking only if you make it an integral part of your day out, and be aware that it can get very breezy on the water.

Nearest Public Restrooms

Richmond Park, Kew Gardens, and all the stately homes have public restrooms available.

Making the Most of Your Time

Hampton Court Palace requires at least half a day to experience its magic fully, although you could make do with a couple of hours for any of the other attractions. Because of the distance between the sights, too much traveling eats into your day. Best to concentrate on one principal sight, add in a stately home or village stroll, then a riverside promenade before a pint at a pub.

A Good Walk

From Chiswick House, follow Burlington Lane and take a left onto Hogarth Lane—which is anything but a lane, in reality—to reach Hogarth’s House. Chiswick’s Church Street (reached by an underpass from Hogarth’s House) is the nearest thing to a sleepy country village street you’re likely to find in London. Follow it down to the Thames and turn left at the bottom to reach the 18th-century riverfront houses of Chiswick Mall, referred to by locals as “Millionaire’s Row.” There are several pretty riverside pubs near Hammersmith Bridge.

Chiswick and Kew

On the banks of the Thames just west of central London, far enough out to escape the crush and crowds you’ve probably just started to get used to, Chiswick is a low-key, upmarket district, content with its run of restaurants, stylish shops, and film-star residents. No doubt its most famous son wouldn’t approve of all the conspicuous wealth, though; Chiswick was home to one of Britain’s best-loved painters, William Hogarth, who tore the fabric of the 18th-century nation to shreds with his slew of satirical engravings. Hogarth’s House has been restored to its former glory. Incongruously stranded among Chiswick’s terraced houses are a number of fine 18th-century buildings, which are now some of the most desirable suburban houses in London. By far the grandest of all is Chiswick House, a unique Palladian-style mansion borne from the 3rd Earl of Burlington’s love of classical and Renaissance architecture—a radical style at the time. A mile or so beyond Chiswick is Kew, a leafy suburb with little to see other than its two big attractions: the lovely Kew Palace and the Royal Botanic Gardens—anchored in the landscape for several miles around by a towering, mock-Chinese pagoda.

Exploring Chiswick and Kew

Chiswick House.
Completed in 1729 by the 3rd Earl of Burlington (of Burlington House—home of the Royal Academy—and Burlington Arcade fame), this extraordinary Palladian mansion was envisaged as a kind of temple to the arts. Burlington was fascinated by the architecture he saw in Italy while on the Grand Tour as a young man. When his country home was destroyed by fire in 1725, he seized the chance to rebuild it in homage to those classical and Renaissance styles. The building is loosely modeled on the Villa Capra near Vicenza, while the colonnaded frontage is a partial replica of the Pantheon in Rome (which also inspired the domed roof). The sumptuous interiors were the work of the top decorator of 18th-century England, William Kent (1685–1748). His extraordinary salons, like the Blue Velvet Room, with its gilded decoration and intricate painted ceiling, along with the layout of Chiswick House, sparked a great deal of interest—such ideas were radical in England at the time—and you’ll see its influence reflected in numerous later buildings. The rambling gardens are one of the hidden gems of West London. Italianate in style (of course), they are filled with classical temples, statues, and obelisks. | Burlington La., Chiswick | W4 2RP | 020/8995–0508 | www.chgt.org.uk | £5.50 | Grounds daily 7–dusk; house Mar.–Oct., daily 10–4 | Station: Turnham Green, Chiswick.

Hogarth’s House.
Besieged by a roaring highway that somewhat spoils the atmosphere, and now fully restored after a major fire, the home of the satirist and painter William Hogarth (1697–1764) is worth a visit by fans of his amusing, moralistic engravings (such as “The Rake’s Progress” and “Marriage à la Mode”). The artist’s tomb is in the cemetery of St. Nicholas’s church on nearby Chiswick Mall. | Hogarth La., Great West Rd., Chiswick | W4 2QN | 020/8994–6757 | www.hounslow.info/arts/hogarthshouse | Free | Tues.–Sun. noon–5 | Station: Turnham Green.

Quick Bites: Some of the loveliest pubs in London sit beside the Thames at Chiswick, stretching along the northern bank of the river as far as Hammersmith Mall—the last remaining fragment of what was once a pretty old village, now all but replaced by urban sprawl.

Blue Anchor. Briefly famous in the late 1990s, thanks to the movie Sliding Doors, the Blue Anchor is a cozy 18th-century watering hole with rowing memorabilia lining the walls. | 13 Lower Mall, Hammersmith | W6 9DJ | 020/8748–5774 | www.blueanchorlondon.com.

City Barge. Opposite a tiny island in the middle of the Thames, the City Barge has a lovely riverside terrace and honest pub grub. | 27 Strand-on-the-Green, Chiswick | W4 3PH | 020/8994–2148.

Dove Inn. This spot retains the charm of its 300-plus-year heritage, and the tiny terrace is a tranquil place to watch the river flow by. The food is good here, too (especially Sunday lunch). | 19 Upper Mall, Hammersmith | W6 9TA | 020/8748–9474 | www.fullers.co.uk.

Kew Gardens.
Enter Kew Gardens and you are enveloped by blazes of color, extraordinary blooms, hidden trails, and lovely old follies. Beautiful though it all is, Kew’s charms are secondary to its true purpose as a major center for serious research. Academics are hard at work on more than 300 scientific projects across as many acres, analyzing everything from the cacti of eastern Brazil to the yams of Madagascar. First opened to the public in 1840, Kew has been supported by royalty and nurtured by landscapers, botanists, and architects since the 1720s, and with more than 30,000 species of plants, there is interest and beauty in spades.

Although the plant houses make Kew worth visiting even in the depths of winter (there’s also a seasonal garden), the flower beds are, of course, best enjoyed in the fullness of spring and summer.

Kew Gardens Highlights

Two great 19th-century greenhouses—the Palm House and the Temperate House—are filled with exotic blooms, and many of the plants have been there since the final glass panel was fixed into place. The Temperate House, once the biggest greenhouse in the world, today contains the largest greenhouse plant in the world, a Chilean wine palm rooted in 1846. You can climb the spiral staircase to the roof and look down on it. Architect Sir William Chambers built a series of temples and follies, of which the crazy 10-story Pagoda, visible for miles around, is the star turn. The Princess of Wales conservatory houses 10 climate zones, and the Rhizotron and Xstrata Treetop Walkway takes you 59 feet up into the air.

Kew Gardens Tips

Free guided tours by garden volunteers leave daily from the Guides’ desk inside Victoria Plaza at 11 and 1:30, and a seasonally themed tour leaves at noon. Come early as tours are limited to 15 people.

The Kew Explorer bus runs on a 40-minute, hop-on, hop-off route around the gardens every hour from 11 am. Tickets cost £2.

Discovery Tours are specially adapted for disabled visitors. Options include walking tours designed for deaf or blind visitors, or bus tours for those with mobility problems. Walking tours are £5 per group, bus tours £30 per group.

Fresh air and natural beauty made you peckish? Treat your taste buds to a light tea at the Victoria Terrace Café or a meal at the elegant Orangery, or dine outside at White Peaks.

Download the official Kew Gardens guide as an app for your mobile phone, free on the website.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey (main entrance is between Richmond Circus and traffic circle at Mortlake Rd.) | TW9 3AB | 020/8332–5655 | www.kew.org | £13.90 | Mid-Feb.–mid Mar., daily 9:30–5:30; late Mar.–Aug., weekdays 9:30–6:30, weekends 9:30–7:30; Sept. and Oct., 9:30–6; Nov.–early Feb. 9:30–4:15. Glasshouses and galleries close 5:30 (3:45 Nov.–early Feb., 5 mid-Feb.–late Mar.) | Station: Kew Gardens.

Kew Palace and Queen Charlotte’s Cottage.
The elegant redbrick exterior of Kew, the smallest of Britain’s royal palaces, seems almost humble when compared with the grandeur of, say, Buckingham or Kensington Palaces. Yet inside is a fascinating glimpse into life at the uppermost end of society from the 17th to the 19th century. This was one of the havens to which George III retired when insanity forced him to withdraw from public life. Queen Charlotte had an orné—a rustic-style cottage retreat—added in the late 18th century. In a marvelously regal flight of fancy, she kept kangaroos in the paddock outside. The main house and gardens are maintained in the 18th- century style. There are extended tours of the palace on a few Sunday evenings each summer that cover areas not usually on show, such as the Tudor undercroft. Check the website for details. | Kew Gardens, Kew | TW9 3AB | 0844/482 7777 | www.hrp.org.uk | £5.30, in addition to ticket for Kew Gardens | Apr.–Sept., Tues.–Sun. 10–5, Mon. 11–5 | Station: Kew Gardens.

Richmond

Named after the (long-vanished) palace Henry VII started here in 1500, Richmond is still a welcoming suburb with a small-town feel, marred only by choking levels of traffic. Duck away from the main streets to find many handsome Georgian and Victorian houses, antiques shops, a Victorian theater, a grand stately home—and, best of all, the largest of London’s royal parks.

Exploring Richmond

Ham House.
To the west of Richmond Park, overlooking the Thames and nearly opposite the memorably named Eel Pie Island, Ham House was built in 1610 and remodelled 50 years later. It’s one of the most complete examples in Europe of a lavish 17th-century house, together with a restored formal garden that has become an influential source for other European palaces and grand villas. The original decorations in the Great Hall, Round Gallery, and Great Staircase have been replicated, and all the furniture and fittings are on permanent loan from the Victoria & Albert Museum. A tranquil and scenic way to reach the house is on foot, which takes about 30 minutes, along the eastern riverbank south from Richmond Bridge. | Ham St., Richmond | TW10 7RS | 020/8940–1950 | www.nationaltrust.org.uk | House, gardens, and outbuildings £10.90; gardens only £3.65 | House mid-Feb.–Mar., Sat.–Mon. 11:30–3:30; Apr.–Sept., Sat.–Wed. noon–4; Oct. and Nov., Sat.–Tues. 11:30–3. Gardens Nov.–early Feb., daily 11–4; mid-Feb.–Oct., daily 11–5 | Station: Richmond, then Bus 65 or 371.

Fodor’s Choice | Hampton Court Palace.
The beloved seat of Henry VIII’s court, sprawled elegantly beside the languid waters of the Thames, this beautiful palace really gives you two for the price of one: the magnificent Tudor redbrick mansion, begun in 1514 by Cardinal Wolsey to curry favor with the young Henry, and the larger 17th-century baroque building, which was partly designed by Christopher Wren (of St. Paul’s fame). The earliest buildings on this site belonged to a religious order founded in the 11th century and were expanded over the years by its many subsequent residents, until George II moved the royal household closer to London in the early 18th century.

Hampton Court Palace Highlights

Wander through the State Apartments, decorated in the Tudor style, complete with priceless paintings, and on to the wood-beamed magnificence of Henry’s Great Hall, before taking in the strikingly azure ceiling of the Chapel Royal. Topping it all is the Great House of Easement, a lavatory that could sit 28 people at a time.

Feel a chill in the air? Watch out for the ghost of Henry VIII’s doomed fifth wife, Catherine Howard, who literally lost her head yet is said to scream her way along the Haunted Gallery. Weirdly, the ambient temperature really is prone to drop noticeably and nobody knows why. Latter-day masters of the palace, the joint rulers William and Mary (reigned 1689–1702), were responsible for the beautiful King’s and Queen’s Apartments, Georgian Rooms, and a fine collection of porcelain.

Don’t miss the world’s most famous maze, its ½ mile of pathways among clipped hedgerows still fiendish to negotiate. There’s a trick, but we won’t give it away here: It’s much more fun to go and lose yourself. Also on the grounds, the Lower Orangery Exotic Garden shows off thousands of exotic species that William and Mary, avid plant collectors, gathered from around the globe.

Hampton Court Palace Tips

Avoid the queue and save by buying your tickets online. Family tickets can mean big savings, with £43.50 covering two adults and up to six children.

Choose which parts of the palace to explore based on a number of self-guided audio walking tours. Come Christmas time, there’s ice-skating on a rink before the West Front of the palace.

Special programs, such as cooking demonstrations in the cavernous Tudor kitchens, bring the past to life. In summer months, arrive in style by riverboat (see Thames River, below).

Hampton Court Palace, East Molesley, | Surrey | KT8 9AU | 0844/482–7799 tickets, 0844/482–7777 information (24 hrs) | www.hrp.org.uk/hamptoncourtpalace | Palace, maze, and gardens £16; maze only £3.85; gardens only £5.30. | Late Mar.–Oct., daily 10–6 (last ticket sold at 5; last entry to maze at 5:15); Nov.–late Mar., daily 10–4:30 (last ticket sold at 3:30; last entry to maze at 3:45); check website before visiting | Station: Richmond, then Bus R68; National Rail, South West: Hampton Court station, 35 mins from Waterloo (most trains require change at Surbiton).

Marble Hill House.
Set in 66 acres of parkland on the northern bank of the Thames, this handsome Palladian mansion is located almost opposite Ham House. Marble Hill House was built in the 1720s by George II for his mistress, the “exceedingly respectable and respected” Henrietta Howard. Later the house was occupied by Mrs. Fitzherbert, who was secretly married to the Prince Regent (later George IV) in 1785. Restored in 1901 it now looks like it did in Georgian times, with extravagant gilded rooms in which Ms. Howard entertained such literary superstars as Pope, Gay, and Swift. A ferry service from Ham House operates during the summer; access on foot is a half-hour walk south along the west bank of the Thames from Richmond Bridge. Entry is by guided tours, which start at 10:30 and noon at weekends, with additional tours at 2:15 and 3:30 on Sunday. | Richmond Rd., Twickenham, Richmond | TW1 2NL | 020/8892–5115 | www.english-heritage.org.uk | £5.30 (guided tour only) | Apr.–Oct., Sat. 10–2, Sun. and bank holidays 10–5; Nov.–Mar., prebooked tours only | Station: Richmond.

Richmond Park.
Like practically all other London parks, this enormous park was enclosed in 1637 for use as a royal hunting ground. Unlike the others, however, Richmond Park still has wild red and fallow deer roaming its 2,360 acres (that’s three times the size of New York’s Central Park). Of special note is the Isabella Plantation (near the Ham Gate entrance), an enchanting and colorful woodland garden, first laid out in 1831. TIP There’s a splendid, protected view of St. Paul’s Cathedral from King Henry VIII’s Mound, the highest point in the park. Find it and you have a piece of magic in your sights. The park is also home to White Lodge, a 1727 hunting lodge that now houses the Royal Ballet School. | Richmond | 020/8948–3209 | www.royalparks.org.uk | Mar.–late Dec., daily 7–dusk; late Dec.–Feb., daily 7:30–dusk | Station: Richmond, then Bus 371 or 65. White Lodge Museum. Though the school isn’t open to the public, it does contain the small White Lodge Museum dedicated to the history of the school and ballet in general. Entry is on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons during the school year only and prebooking is essential. | 020/8392–8440 | www.royal-ballet-school.org.uk | Free | School term, Tues. and Thurs. 1:30–3:30; occasional days in school holidays (call to check) | Station: Mortlake rail

Quick Bites: White Cross. Overlooking the Thames so closely that the waters almost lap at the door in high tide, the White Cross is a popular spot that serves traditional pub grub. | Water La., Richmond | TW9 1TH | 020/8940–6844 | www.youngs.co.uk.

Strawberry Hill.
From the outside, this Rococo mishmash of towers, crenulations, and dazzling white stucco is almost fairy-tale-ish in its faux-medieval splendor. Its architect, Sir Horace Walpole (1717–97), knew a thing or two about imaginative flights of fancy—the flamboyant son of the first British prime minister, Robert Walpole, he all but single-handedly invented the Gothic Revival style with his novel The Castle of Otranto (1764). Once inside, the forbidding exterior gives way to a veritable explosion of color and light, for Walpole boldly decided to take elements from the exteriors of Gothic cathedrals and move them inside for interior accents. The detail is extraordinary, from the cavernous entrance hall with its vast Gothic trompe l’oeil, to the Great Parlour with its Renaissance stained glass, to the Gallery, whose extraordinary fan vaulting is a replica of the vaults found in Henry VIII’s chapel at Westminster Abbey. Neglected for years, Strawberry Hill reopened in 2011 after a stunningly successful £9 million restoration. The gardens have also been meticulously returned to their original 18th-century design, right down to a white marble love seat sculpted into the shape of a shell. | 268 Waldegrave Rd., Twickenham | W4 2QN | 020/8744–3124 | www.strawberryhillhouse.org.uk | £8 | Timed entry, every 20 mins; Apr.–early Nov., weekends noon–4:20, Mon.–Wed. 2–4:20 | Station: Richmond, then Bus 33; National Rail: Strawberry Hill station.

Fodor’s Choice | Syon House and Park.
The residence of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, this is one of England’s most lavish stately homes—and, even better, the only one reachable by Tube stop. Set in a 55-acre park landscaped by Capability Brown, the core of the house is Tudor—Henry VIII’s fifth wife, Catherine Howard, and the extremely short-lived monarch, Lady Jane Grey (“Queen for thirteen days”), made pit stops here before they were sent to the Tower. However, it was spectacularly remodeled in the Georgian style in 1761 by famed decorator Robert Adam. He had just returned from studying the sights of classical antiquity in Italy and created two rooms sumptuous enough to wow any Grand Tourist: the entryway is an amazing study in black and white, pairing neoclassical marbles with antique bronzes, and the Ante-Room contains 12 enormous verd-antique columns surmounted by statues of gold—and this was just a waiting room for the duke’s servants and retainers. The Red Drawing Room is covered with crimson Spitalfields silk, and the Long Gallery is one of Adam’s noblest creations. Also on view, for a peek through the keyhole, are the duke’s and duchess’s private (and very lavish) sitting rooms. On the grounds is a famous “Tropical Zoo,” a wonderful rescue sanctuary for rare species. | Syon Park | TW8 8JF | 020/8847–4730 | www.tropicalzoo.org | £7.50 | Daily 10–5:30 | Station: Gunnersbury, then Bus 237 or 267 to Brentlea stop | Syon Park, Brentford | TW8 8JF | 020/8560–0882 | www.syonpark.co.uk | £10 for house, gardens, conservatory, and rose garden; £5 for gardens and conservatory | House mid-Mar.–Oct., Wed., Thurs., Sun., and bank holidays 11–5; gardens mid-Mar.–Oct., daily 10:30–5; Nov.–mid-Mar., weekends 10:30–4; Tropical Zoo daily 10–5:30. Last admission 1 hr before closing | Station: Gunnersbury, then Bus 237 or 267 to Brentlea stop.

Thames River.
The twists and turns of the Thames River through the heart of the capital make it London’s best thoroughfare and most compelling viewing point. Once famous for sludge, silt, and sewage, the Thames is now the one of the cleanest city rivers in the world. Every palace, church, theater, wharf, museum, and pub along the bank has a tale to tell, and traveling on or alongside the river is one of the best ways to soak up views of the city.

“On the smallest pretext of holiday or fine weather the mighty population takes to the boats,” wrote Henry James in 1877. You can follow in the footsteps of James, who took a boat trip from Westminster to Greenwich, or make up your own itinerary.

Frequent daily tourist-boat services are at their height between April and October.

In most cases you can turn up at a pier, and the next departure won’t be far away. However, it never hurts to book ahead if you can.

Westminster and Tower piers are the busiest starting points, usually with boats heading east.

The trip between Westminster Pier and the Tower of London takes about 30 minutes, as does the trip between the Tower and Greenwich.

A full round-trip can take several hours. Ask about flexible fares and hop on/off options at the various piers.

London River Services. For a rundown of all the options, along with prices and timetables, contact London River Services, which gives details of all the operators sailing various sections of the river. | 0843/222–1234 | www.tfl.gov.uk/river

London Ducktours. These cheerfully-painted amphibious patrol vehicles, which originally saw action in World War II, take you on a sightseeing tour–before splashing into the River Thames! | Departs from the London Eye [on land] | SEI 7NJ | 020/7928–3132 | www.londonducktours.co.uk | £21 | Summer, daily approx. every 30 mins 9:30–6; times vary in winter

Tate Boat. The playfully polka-dotted Tate Boat ferries passengers across the river from the Tate Britain to the Tate Modern, with a stop at the London Eye along the way. | Departs from the pier at either museum | 020/7887–8888 | www.tate.org.uk/tatetotate | £5 one-way | Daily every 40 min; approximately 18 mins one-way

Bateaux London. What better view to enjoy over a meal than London from the river? Bateaux London offers semi-formal lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner cruises, with surprisingly good foood. Variations include jazz lunch cruises on Sundays and London Eye combo packages. | Departs from Embankment Pier | 020/7695–1800 | www.bateauxlondon.com | £29.50–£41.50 lunch; £76–£125 dinner. Booking essential. | Times vary according to season; usually Wed.–Sun., with extra sailings in summer. Call to check. Departures: 12:30 (lunch), 3:30 (afternoon tea), 8 (dinner). Boarding 30 min. before departure.

London Showboat. The London Showboat lives up to its name, with four-course meals, snazzy cabaret acts from West End musicals, and after-dinner dancing. | Departs from Westminster Pier | 020/7740–0400 | www.citycruises.com | £75 | Departures: Apr. and Oct., Thurs.–Sun. 7:30 pm; May–Sept., Wed.–Sun. 7:30pm; Nov. and Mar., Thurs.–Sat. 7:30 pm; Dec. (until 24th), Mon.–Sun., 7:30 pm; Jan. and Feb., Fri. and Sat., 7:30 pm. Boarding 15 mins prior to departure. Approximately 3½ hrs.

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