Old Palace Lane to the Old Deer Park Gates

This is part of a local history note on Richmond Green properties. See the start of this local history note.

The Virginals (formerly Cedar Grove)

Grade II (1771/4 Rental Survey number 22)

An 18th century house possibly built on the site of the above Rental Survey. It was occupied in 1771 by William Ewer (1720 to 1789) who was Governor of the Bank of England from 1781 to 1783. In 1791 Horace Walpole visited Mme. de Boufflers here. It is possible that Cedar Grove was built on or near the site of "Ye King’s bakehouse." Its name was changed in 1963.

Pembroke Villa

Grade II (1771/4 Rental Survey number 21)

The 10 semi-detached houses stand on the site of Fitzwilliam House and its grounds. This house, which was demolished in 1840, had been built by Sir Charles Hedges (died 1714), Secretary of State to Queen Anne. He was succeeded by Sir Matthew Decker (1679 to 1749), a wealthy Dutch merchant, who enlarged the house and created an exceptionally fine garden. "The longest, largest, and highest Hedge of Holly I ever saw, is in this garden, with several other Hedges of Ever-Greens, Visto’s cut through Woods, Grotto’s with Fountains, a fine Canal running up from the River. His Duckery, which is an oval Pond brick’d round, and his pretty Summer-House by it to drink a Bottle, his Stove-Houses, which are always kept in an equal heat for his Citrons, and other Indian Plants, with Gardeners brought from foreign Countries to manage them, are very curious and entertaining. The house is also very large a-la-modern, and neatly furnished after the Dutch way." John Macky: A Journey through England (1722 to 1723). "Tis not long since I was Eye-witness to several fruited Pine Apples at Sir Matthew Decker’s, at Richmond, about Forty in number; some ripening, and others in a promising condition; the least of which Fruit was above four Inches long, and some were as large as any I have seen brought from the West-Indies: I measured one near seven inches long in pure fruit, and near thirteen Inches about… I proceed to give an Account of the method now practis’d at Sir Matthew Decker’s at Richmond, for the production of this excellent Fruit, which Mr Henry Telende his judicious Gardener has render’d so easy and intelligible, that I hope to see the Ananas flourish for the future in many of our English Gardens, to see the honour of the Artist, and the Satisfaction and Pleasure of those who can afford to eat them." Richard Bradley: A general treatise of husbandry and gardening for the month of July (1723). There is a tablet to Sir Matthew’s memory on the outside of the north wall of Richmond Parish Church. Matthew's grandson, Viscount Fitzwilliam of Merrion (1745 to 1816) inherited the house from his mother and formed here the great collection of treasures which became the basis of the collection in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. On his death, the house passed to his cousin the 11th Earl of Pembroke and the house took his name.

Park Gates

A mid 19th century ornamental Gothic house, the site of which was occupied by a road known as Sheen Lane, which ran from here to West Sheen in the Old Deer Park.

Portland Terrace numbers 17 to 5

(1771/4 Rental Survey L, N, O, a, b, c)

Built by Manning and Partners in 1968 to 1969, this row of terraced houses received considerable praise and not a little criticism when finished. They replaced two mid-Victorian villas - Avenue House, which was the residence of Douglas Sladen from around 1919 to 1922 and Glebe House - which were demolished in 1967. Sladen (1856 to 1947) was an author, novelist, poet and biographer. Glebe House was built as the vicarage for the Vicar of Richmond in 1852 and after 1947 was used as accommodation for the parish curates when the vicarage was moved to Ormond Lodge in Ormond Road. During the 17th and early 18th centuries, the northern part of the Green was occupied by a group of large houses. Here John James Heidegger had his first residence on the Green. The Earl of Albermarle, the favourite of William III, who had usurped the position of another Richmond resident, Lady Villiers, in the king's affections, was resident here while the King was using Richmond Lodge. William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, the second son of George II, also lived here between 1732 and 1736. These houses were demolished to make way for the Terrace of Richmond Gardens.

Portland Terrace numbers 4 to 1

Grade II

Built around 1840 on the site of the flower garden of Richmond Gardens. number 3 was the Richmond School of Commerce which opened in 1916 and closed in 1971. number 2 became the Richmond Green Hotel in the 1940s until 1969. In 1971 it was converted into 4 double and 6 single self-contained flats for elderly "needy and deserving" people.

The remainder of the North-east side of the Green is occupied by the open space known as Little Green.