Local history notes
The Local Studies Collection publishes a number of local history notes on a range of subjects, using resources from the collection. These include famous people, buildings and places in the history of Richmond upon Thames.
"The Thames is liquid history" - John Burns (1858-1943)
Subjects covered by local history notes
People
- Richard Doddridge Blackmore 1825-1900
- Mary Elizabeth Braddon 1837-1915
- Dickens in Richmond
- George Eliot
- Queen Elizabeth I and Richmond
- Stephen Hales DD FRS 1677-1761
- Fred Karno and the Karsino
- Edmund Kean at Richmond
- Alexander Pope
- Bertrand Russell
- James Thomson
- Horace Walpole 1717-1797 and Strawberry Hill
- Virginia Woolf and Hogarth House, Richmond
- Sir Richard Burton and Lady Isabel Burton
Buildings
- The Almshouses of Richmond
(pdf, 29KB) - Asgill House(pdf, 101KB)
- Garrick's Villa and Temple to Shakespeare(pdf, 59KB)
- The Kew Palaces(pdf, 22KB)
- The Luxor Cinema, Twickenham(pdf, 40KB)
- Marble Hill House(pdf, 56KB)
- The Observatory and Obelisks, Kew(pdf, 16KB)
- Old Town Hall, Richmond(pdf, 90KB)
- Orleans House, Twickenham(pdf, 29KB)
- Residences of the French Royal House of Orleans(pdf, 60KB)
- Richmond's Theatres(pdf, 225KB)
- The River Crane and the Gunpowder Mills(pdf, 17KB)
- Rose Hill, Hampton(pdf, 71KB)
- St Anne's Church, Kew Green(pdf, 50KB)
- St Elizabeth's Church, Richmond
- St Peter's Church, Petersham
- Trumpeters' House(pdf, 34KB)
- White Lodge, Richmond Park(pdf, 21KB)
- York House, Twickenham(pdf, 55KB)
- Bushy House and the National Physical Laboratory(pdf, 59KB)
- Heatham House(pdf, 31KB)
- Merlin's Cave and The Hermitage(pdf, 97KB)
- Northumberland House, Petersham Road(pdf, 55KB)
- Richmond Library(pdf, 291KB)
- Richmond Palace(pdf, 46KB)
- The Original Star and Garter(pdf, 70KB)
Roads and Streets
Things
Paper versions of these notes are available from the Local Studies Collection in the Old Town Hall.
We would be interested to know if there is a particular aspect of Richmond upon Thames history which you would like us to deal with in this series of short notes. Please email localstudies@richmond.gov.uk with your suggestions.
Up to: Local Studies Library
Updated: 02 June 2026
