Isabella Plantation

Garden

Explorer Tom

Isabella Plantation hides inside Richmond Park like a garden that slipped away from the grand houses and declared itself independent. Follow its winding streams and ponds beneath old trees, and the traffic of London feels astonishingly far away; in spring, the azaleas make such a fuss that even the birds have competition. This forty-acre woodland garden began as a timber plantation. Lord Sidmouth enclosed the ground in 1831 and planted oak, beech and sweet chestnut; many of those trees still shape the place. The ornamental garden came later, particularly through the work of park superintendent George Thomson and head gardener Wally Miller in the 1950s. They cleared invasive rhododendron and planted the bright Kurume azaleas around Still Pond. The name is another little mystery. Maps called the area Isabella Slade by 1771, before its enclosure, so the Royal Parks suggests it may come from an old word for the grey-yellow soil. Maybe it was a name, but I prefer the idea of an entire garden named after dirt with unusually good public relations. Explore Peg's Pond, the heather garden and streamside paths; each season changes the expedition. The Royal Parks says the Plantation opens throughout the year, although there are occasional early closures in April and May; check the current park notices before travelling. Five pedestrian gates lead into the garden, with Broomfield Hill car park about 400 metres from its gate. Colour-marked trails help visitors choose a circuit, and dogs are allowed on leads. Leave the flowers where they are, take a slower path than you planned, and let Isabella keep one or two of her secrets.