A day of adventure in Richmond

Last month we headed to London for the weekend with friends. We spent a lovely few days staying in Twickenham and exploring some new areas of the city, including the lovely Richmond. We haven’t spent much time there with the children due to COVID, so it has been lovely to explore it with them on a couple of occasions this year.

On the Friday we found ourselves with some time to spare. The sun was shining and we decided to have an adventure. We headed to Richmond, an area we had not spent time in before, and let the Adventure Boys lead us! They discovered a whole host of treats and we loved it. From beautiful shops and old houses to waterside walks, grand gardens and good ice cream! Just goes to show too; sometimes simple is best.

Here is our Richmond Adventure…

(1) A good wander.

We love exploring new areas and are big fans of city breaks – turning up somewhere new and just wandering. So this suited us well. We parked in a beautiful area of Richmond, near the famous Prince’s Head Pub for other fans of the brilliant TV series Ted Lasso (we are huge fans so this was a bit of a treat for Mr Adventure). It is a lovely area to walk in, with a large green and lovely shops and restaurants/bars. We made our way down to the water side, which is beautiful. It was a lovely spot for a walk with the boys; away from traffic and with lovely boats and boat sheds to see, and an abundance of good ice cream! It was a really hot day so we had a wander and found a spot in the shade for an ice cream. You could walk for miles though, so definitely a place to explore further. It would make a great place for a weekend away to just sit back and relax near the water, with lots of good food and drink options on offer. It was a lovely couple of hours of fresh air and exploring and I would really recommend it.

A day of adventure in Richmond — Adventuring in sunny Richmond

(2) A grand house and beautiful gardens.

Following our adventure in Richmond, and full up on ice cream we headed to nearby Ham House, a beautiful 17th Century National Trust house with gorgeous gardens. We love exploring new National Trust locations and often try to do so whenever we have a weekend away. It is so great with kids; outdoor space to let off steam, games to play, trees to climb, good cafes for refreshments and unlimited picnic spots! A firm favourite with us.

It was lovely to discover Ham House. It is really easy to reach from Richmond and was the perfect second half to our day of adventure in the area. We wandered around the house, which was lovely and cool and a nice break from the heat outside! The house has an incredible collection of paintings and textiles and is a real treasure trove.

Outside was beautiful, and the Adventure Boys loved exploring. There are stunning formal gardens and plenty of space for picnics. The Orangery Cafe set in the kitchen gardens was gorgeous. We could sit and enjoy a drink and the boys could explore the maze like gardens. It is definitely a place I would return to and highly recommend an explore of the House and Gardens if you are nearby.