Old Deer Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Old Deer Park |
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One of the two tall stone pillars facing the River Thames in Old Deer Park
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| Type | public |
| Location | Richmond, London |
| Area | 147 hectares (360 acres) |
Old Deer Park is a large open space in Richmond, London, England. It is owned by the Crown Estate, which manages land belonging to the King or Queen. The park covers about 147 hectares (363 acres). A big part of it, about 90.4 hectares (223 acres), is rented out for sports. You'll find lots of rugby and golf played here. Even though it's called "Deer Park," there are no deer living here anymore.
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Where is Old Deer Park?
Old Deer Park is located in Richmond, London. The River Thames runs along its western side. To the north, you'll find Kew Gardens. Across a main road (A316 road), the park is next to the town areas of Richmond.
This park is part of a larger, old and natural landscape. This area includes parts of Richmond, Kew, and Isleworth. The lower parts of the park, near the river, act as special areas to hold extra water when the river floods. This helps protect nearby areas from flooding.
Over the years, some parts of the park have changed. There have been new sports areas and parking lots. Now, there's a plan to help make the park even better. This plan aims to fix any problems and bring back its natural beauty.
A Look Back: History of the Park
Old Deer Park has a long and interesting history. It was once a royal hunting ground!
Royal Connections
In the mid-1500s, Richmond Palace was a favorite home of Queen Elizabeth I. In 1574, she gave some land called "Newe Parke of Richmonde" to Edward Bacon. This land was connected to old religious estates.
After Queen Elizabeth died in 1603, King James I took over. He made the park much bigger by adding more land. This new, larger area was called The New Park of Richmond.
The park got its current name, "Old Deer Park," after 1637. This was when King James's son, King Charles I, created the much larger Richmond Park. Richmond Park is on the other side of the town.
In the 1700s, a place called Richmond Lodge was in the park. This was the summer home for George, Prince of Wales (who later became King George II) and his wife, Princess Caroline.
Golf and an Observatory
Today, most of the park is used by the Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club. This golf club has been here since 1892. Inside the golf club's area, you'll find two 18-hole golf courses.
There's also a very important building called the King's Observatory. King George III had this observatory built in 1769. It's a Grade I listed building, which means it's a very important historic site.
Near the Observatory, under one of the golf course fairways, are the hidden foundations of an old monastery. This was Sheen Priory, founded by King Henry V in 1414.
Changes to Access
In 1847, a railway line was built near the park. This made it harder to get from Richmond Green to Old Deer Park. There was only one narrow bridge left.
Later, in 1933, a new main road (the "Great Chertsey Road") was built. It also had a big ramp leading to a new bridge over the Thames (Twickenham Bridge). This road cut across the southern part of the park. These changes made the park feel more separate from the town. The new plan for the park also aims to fix this.
Obelisks and Events
Along the River Thames in the park, you can see two tall stone pillars called obelisks. They were built in 1769. These obelisks were used by the King's Observatory. They helped scientists watch the planet Venus pass across the Sun that year.
In 1920, Old Deer Park was a very busy place! It hosted 5,000 of the 8,000 Scouts who attended the 1st World Scout Jamboree. Today, the public parts of the park are sometimes used for fun events like circuses and funfairs.
Cricket at Old Deer Park
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| Location | Richmond, London (in Surrey until 1965) |
Old Deer Park has been a place for cricket games since at least 1867. That year, the Richmond Cricket Club played against a team called the United South of England Eleven.
Over the years, the ground has hosted many matches for the second teams of Middlesex and Surrey.
Even though the park was historically in Surrey, the Middlesex first team has played important List-A matches here. Their first List-A game was in 2000 against Nottinghamshire.
From 2000 to 2004, five List-A matches were played here. Middlesex also started playing Twenty20 matches at the ground in 2003. They have played six Twenty20 games here so far.
Today, the Old Deer Park cricket ground is the home field for the Richmond Cricket Club.
What You'll Find in the Park
Old Deer Park has many different areas for sports and fun.
- Recreation Ground: This area has open spaces for playing, plus fields for football, rugby, and other sports.
- Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club: Home to two 18-hole golf courses.
- King's Observatory: A historic building used for scientific observations.
- Richmond Athletic Ground: This is the home of the Richmond rugby club.
- Richmond Swimming Pool & Lido: Now known as Pools on the Park, it's a popular swimming spot.
- Public Car Park: A place for visitors to park their cars.
- Sports Ground: This area hosts rugby (London Welsh), cricket, tennis, archery, and bowls.
