Parks, Richmond
Fodor's Review:
Charles I enclosed this one in 1637 for hunting purposes, like practically all the other parks. Unlike the others, however, Richmond Park still has wild red and fallow deer roaming its 2,470 acres of grassland and heath and the oldest oaks you're likely to see -- vestiges of the forests that encroached on London from all sides in medieval times. White Lodge, inside the park, was built for George II in 1729. Edward VIII was born here; now it houses the Royal Ballet School. You can walk from the park past the fine 18th-century houses in and around Richmond Hill to the river, admiring first the view from the top. There's a splendid, protected view of St. Paul's Cathedral from King Henry VIII's Mound. Established in 1710, it measures 10 mi and is the bane of over-enthusiastic town planners. Find it and you have a piece of magic in your sights.
Visit the Travel Talk forums for help on planning your trip