Richmond Terrace

Richmond Terrace was formerly known as Richmond Place. The Grade II listed terrace, attributed to William Paty, dates from 1791. It was built in the form of an outward-facing square with the pleasure ground or shrubbery occupying the centre ground overlooked by the backs of the houses.

Donne’s map of 1826 indicates a layout of borders intersected by paths. We know from personal report of a late resident how the garden was actively managed since the 1930s - for example, for ‘dig for victory’ during WWII when the garden was divided up into individual plots. This pattern continued for a while after the war, though by the 1960s many plots had fallen into neglect.

From 1974, the Residents' Association has been active in managing the garden, with some clearing and new planting. A few of the wartime garden plots were retained and cultivated. The programme of clearing neglected areas and introducing many more new species of plants and trees has been accelerated since 2000 resulting in the space you see today.