Isabella Plantation
richmond park's secret garden in full bloom
A hidden woodland garden inside Richmond Park, free all year, that explodes into colour every spring with azaleas and rhododendrons.
Free to visit · Richmond · Richmond · TW10 5HS
Opening: Daily, dawn to dusk
Tucked inside Richmond Park is a forty-acre woodland garden that many Londoners have never found, and it is entirely free. Isabella Plantation was laid out in the 1950s around a series of ponds and streams, and it is best known for its evergreen azaleas, which in late spring turn the whole place into a riot of fierce pinks, oranges and reds.
The clever thing is that it works in every season. Camellias and rhododendrons carry the colour through, the streams and ponds keep it cool in summer, and the acers blaze in autumn, so there is never a wrong time to wander the gravel paths and little bridges.
It is a fenced garden-within-a-park, which keeps the deer out and the planting lush, and because you have to make an effort to reach it the crowds thin out fast. Bring a flask, find a bench by the still pond and you have one of the calmest free corners in London.
Getting there: Inside Richmond Park, a walk from Richmond station then across the park, or drive to Broomfield Hill car park.
Best time to go: Late April and early May for the famous azaleas, though it is beautiful and quiet all year.
Insider tip: Aim for the last week of April or first week of May for peak azaleas, ideally midweek and early. The Still Pond near the top is the postcard view, with the flowers mirrored in the water.
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide