Isabella Plantation / Richmond Park walk, 7 miles

We will meet outside the Richmond tube station and make our way to Richmond Park via scenic Thames path. The park is a national nature reserve, a site of special scientific interest and a special area of conservation.

• We will enter via Petersham gate and climb to see the King's Mound, Poet's Corner, Molecatcher's Cottage and Pembroke Lodge and we will then make our way to see the Isabella Plantation.
• The Isabella Plantation is a 40 acre woodland garden set within a Victorian plantation planted in the 1830's. First opened to the public in 1953, it is best known for its evergreen azaleas, which line the ponds and streams and at their peak of flower in late April and early May.
• This is where we will have our lunch break, so please bring a packed lunch.
• We will then walk back via Richmond Hill with attractive vistas to finish our walk at Richmond station. Optional drinks at the local pub after the walk.

Get the feel of Isabella Plantation here:
https://youtu.be/g_orM2f6HCo
(If the link doesn't work, please copy and paste into your browser's address bar)
Monthly plant diaries:
https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/richmond-park/things-to-see-and-do/isabella-plantation/monthly-plant-diaries

What to bring:
Packed lunch
Comfortable footwear
Water
Photo-taking gadgets and chargers
An umbrella just in case (it's London after all)

The walk is free for members who have subscribed for an annual membership. For other members the fee is £5 cash/card on arrival to contribute towards the organiser's meetup fees and costs.

The annual pass option is £15 payable by cash/card on the day. This will provide access to at least 40 walks per year (members are welcome to bring a guest to each event).

All walks are free for the NHS staff (also welcome to bring a guest).
'
No Show' Policy: If the member replied 'yes' but did not attend the event, did not update the RSVP and did not inform the organisers on 3 occasions – this triggers an automatic removal from the group. That's once for events with a waiting list.

Trivium: In London, 9 million people are crammed into just 600 square miles alongside 8.5 million trees. According to one UN definition, this makes the city a forest. The Forestry Commission agree, describing London as the world’s largest urban forest. And a particularly diverse and historic urban forest at that.