Park Stories
We collect, preserve and share the heritage of the Royal Parks. Our Richmond Park collection numbers some 6000 items covering four centuries of history. We also have more than 2,700 items relating to Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, St. James’s Park, Green Park and Regent’s Park. We hold a diverse range of material including paintings, prints, maps, photographs, postcards, books, objects, documents and press cuttings.
Our collections have many stories to tell about the fascinating histories of the Royal Parks. You can discover some of the amazing stories by clicking on the links below.
Richmond Park
- Miss Sylva Boyden, the ‘famous English airgirl’ lands in Richmond Park in 1919
- A poet’s prose on Richmond Park: A Woodland Life by Edward Thomas
- A family picture comes home – to Richmond Park
- Appreciating the Park – and its fashionable Georgian gates
- Bertrand Russell – the young philosopher in the Park
- Sport in the Park – where royalty and artisans are equally welcome
- The dog, the cookbook and the society beauty
- Lost buildings in Richmond Park: the Prime Minister’s school and a magnificent mansion
- Richmond Park “for Walking, Boating, Punting, Picnics and Other Jollities”
- An artist in the Park
- Four generations of monarch
- The First World War and Richmond Park
- The campaign for public access to Richmond Park
- A free exhibition: Richmond Park and the First World War
- A shoot-out in Richmond Park
- A Chinese view of the deer in Richmond Park
Max Lankester’s Book
Have you ever wondered why particular places in the park are so called? Max Lankester, an expert on the history of Richmond Park, answers these questions in an informative illustrated guide.
What’s in a Name? Features of Richmond Park
Our timeline highlights key events in Richmond Park’s history. It was researched and compiled by volunteers from the Friends of Richmond Park, who investigated the resources of the Hearsum Collection and the National Archives.
Online exhibitions
- Deer in the City – Internal exhibition
- Deer in the City – External Exhibition
- Richmond Park and the First World War (1914-18)
Deer in the City video with Sir David Attenborough
Learn about the wild deer in Richmond Park in our film
Bushy Park
Stories to come
Greenwich Park
Stories to come
Hyde Park
- The Greatest Show on Earth: Hyde Park and The Great Exhibition
- On Parade in Hyde Park
- A Naval Battle in Hyde Park
Kensington Gardens
Stories to come
Regent’s Park
Stories to come
St James’s Park and Green Park