Richmond Hill in
Richmond, London is a hill that rises gently on its northern side from the ancient Thames meadowlands around the site of
Richmond Palace up to and slightly beyond the Richmond Gate entrance to
Richmond Park, the former royal hunting grounds enclosed by
Charles I. The descent southwestwards from this point back down to the upstream meadows is noticeably steeper, although the down gradient is less marked on its southerly and easterly progress through the park itself.
This renowned hill offers the only view in
England to be protected by an
Act of Parliament - the Richmond, Ham and Petersham Open Spaces Act passed in 1902 - to protect the land on and below Richmond Hill and thus preserve the fine foreground views to the west and south. Immortalised in paintings by
Sir Joshua Reynolds and
J.M.W. Turner, it was described by
Sir Walter Scott as "an unrivalled landscape".
The scenic panorama may be viewed from Terrace Walk, laid out near the top of the hill in the 18th century. This promenade surmounts the Terrace Gardens and both are
Grade II* listed in the
English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England .
As the town of Richmond developed from its founding in the early 16th Century, after
Henry VII had established Richmond Palace, the attributes of the hill naturally attracted desirable residential and commercial development - with the result that many substantial properties came and went on the hill over the...
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