Let's draw Richmond - Saturday 15 June 2019

Richmond Bridge by John Swanson

We will be meeting in the pretty town of Richmond in South West London, to explore the parks, river and urban landscapes. The day is free of charge, no need to book, just turn up with your art kit.

Red phone boxes on Richmond Green

Key times and meeting points for the day:

11am:  Meet by the red telephones on the corner of Richmond Green, by The Prince’s Head and Cricketers pubs. This is about a 10 minute walk from Richmond Station, see map link and directions at the end of the blog.  There is shelter under trees here.  If the weather is too wet, we will meet at the Cricketers pub. 

From here, you can disperse to the nearby riverside or to the many places of interest below. Please note that there will be a high tide in the early afternoon. Sometimes the riverside is submerged, which makes for great sketching!

1pm: Meet again at the red telephones to look at drawings done so far.

Choose one of the many local pubs or cafes for lunch

3.30pm: Meet at the same place meet again to compare final sketches and for a group photo.

Afterwards you are free to retire to a local pub or café.  There’s a great choice, though in high summer it could be crowded. The White Cross is a lovely pub.

Options for drawing include:

Richmond Riverside

Richmond Riverside:  Walk down Water Lane to find the river Thames. Capture the boats, working arches, the Bridge and the terrace. Tide Tables café is under the arches and is a great (if busy) place to pick up a coffee and a vegetarian lunch. You can sit outside overlooking the river, even if the riverside is flooded.

The Thames from Richmond by John Swanson

Richmond Palace: This remaining fragment of Henry the 7^th’s palace includes the Tudor Royal Wardrobe (where household furnishings were stored), with an old arched entrance and a tiny tranquil green.

Richmond Palace Gateway by John Swanson

The Royal Wardrobe

The Richmond Foodies Market: The market operates on Saturdays on Heron Square adjacent to the Riverside. Great for capturing the bustle while picking up something tasty to eat.

Richmond Foodies Market

Hill Rise: This street becomes picturesque as it winds up away from the Odeon, including lots of cafes and individual shops.

Hill Rise

'The View': Walking about 10 minutes further up Hill Rise, you reach the view made famous by JWM Turner, with many benches and the Roebuck pub for refreshments.

The View from Richmond Hill

Richmond is an historic town with plenty of interesting places to draw. For more information visit: http://www.visitrichmond.co.uk/

Practical information:

Travel: Richmond has frequent trains from Waterloo via Clapham Junction, and is on the District Line. There are also many bus services. For people travelling in from outside London, Richmond is served by trains from Reading, but there are planned engineering works at Feltham that day that will mean some disruption. The services between Waterloo and Richmond won't be affected. Do check before travelling.

Directions to the red telephone boxes (initial meeting point): When you leave Richmond station, turn left, and keep going straight on, crossing the road once at the junction with Duke Street (keep the Itsu cafe on your left). Near the end of the main shopping street, just before House of Fraser, turn right down Golden Court. The meeting point is at the end of the lane.

Loos: House of Fraser and Marks and Spencer both have loos.

This day is run by Helen Hayhoe with the support of John Swanson and Nigel Gibson

Let's draw Richmond - Saturday 15 June 2019