Things to Do in Richmond London: An Unforgettable Ted Lasso Day Trip With Kids
If you have watched even one episode of Ted Lasso, you already know Richmond. The corner pub. The green with the soccer goals. That little row of shops that looks like somebody painted it for a postcard.
Maybe you didn’t realize that Richmond is real part of London, twenty minutes from central London by train, and there is so much more to it than the filming locations. We visited Richmond during a trip to London and Copenhagen, it ended up being one of my favorite days of the whole trip. We even had the “should we move here” moment, just like Ted Lasso.
Now that Ted Lasso is back, everyone is asking about Richmond again. So I’ve gathered all the best things to do in Richmond London, from the show’s filming spots to the deer in Richmond Park, plus every way to get there.
How to Get to Richmond From London
Richmond sits in Travelcard Zone 4, and your Oyster card or contactless payment works on everything below except the boat. You have more options than most people realize.
By Train From Waterloo, the Fastest Option
South Western Railway runs direct from London Waterloo to Richmond in about twenty minutes, with trains roughly every ten minutes. If your day is tight, take this one.
By Underground
This is the one we took. Richmond is the western end of the District line, so if you are already on it there are no changes at all. It takes closer to forty minutes from central London, but it is simple, and you get to watch the city thin out into leafy suburbs on the way.
By London Overground
Richmond is also the western terminus of the Mildmay line. If you are staying in north or east London, this saves you doubling back through the middle of the city.
By Bus
Slower than everything else, but perfectly doable if you are already out in west or southwest London. Several routes stop right in the town center.
By Boat
This is the fun one! Thames River Boats sails from Westminster Pier all the way up to Richmond Landing Stage, and the trip takes two to two and a half hours depending on the tide. It is a cruise, not a commute.
If you want to go by boat, take the boat one direction and the train back, so you are not spending your entire day on the water. The service is seasonal and the timetable shifts with the tides, so check their sailings before you build a day around it.
Ted Lasso’s Richmond: The Filming Locations You Can Actually Visit
Almost every exterior you recognize from the show sits within a ten minute walk of Richmond station, which makes this the easiest filming location tour in London. You do not need a car, a guide, or a plan. Just mark the spots on a map, and walk between each one.
One thing worth knowing before you go. All the interiors were built at West London Film Studios. The inside of the pub and the inside of Ted’s flat do not exist in Richmond. Only the exteriors are real.
The Ted Lasso Pub
The Crown and Anchor is really The Prince’s Head, at 28 The Green, on the corner where Golden Court and Paved Court meet. It is a proper old pub, over three hundred years old, and it has leaned all the way into its fame with AFC Richmond memorabilia inside.
You will spot the Fuller’s lettering across the front long before you spot the name. There are picnic benches out on the paving, and on a sunny day every one of them is taken. Don’t forget to grab a photo out front.
The Ted Lasso Bench
This one confuses people, because you will see it described online as a riverside bench. It is not.
The bench where Ted and Coach Beard have all their big conversations sits on the edge of Richmond Green, right beside two red phone boxes, directly across the road from the pub. Stand outside The Prince’s Head, look across, and you will spot it straight away.
Paved Court and Ted’s Front Door
Paved Court is the narrow pedestrian lane running off The Green, and it is where Ted walks out his front door every morning. In the show his address is nine and a half. In real life the door is 11a. It’s a functioning apartment with people living inside, so feel free to snap a picture outside, but don’t knock.
Richmond Green
The Green is the wide open space the pub and Paved Court both sit on, and it turns up constantly in the show, from pickup soccer games, football as everyone there calls it, to Roy coaching Phoebe’s team. In real life it is exactly what it looks like, a big flat lawn where people play cricket in summer and let their kids run loose.
The Ted Lasso Store
There is an official store at 4 Paved Court, a few steps from the pub, selling jerseys, scarves and all “BELIEVE” merchandise.
The walls are covered in AFC Richmond print, there is a red phone booth in the back, and the club crest painted right into the floor. My older son picked up a soccer ball off the rack and would not put it down. That photo is one of my favorites from the entire trip.
Where Is the AFC Richmond Stadium?
The AFC Richmond Stadium is not actually in Richmond, and Nelson Road does not exist.
The stadium scenes were filmed at Selhurst Park in south London, the real home of Crystal Palace F.C., which is about an hour away on the other side of the city. If you want to see it, that is a separate trip, and Crystal Palace F.C. does run stadium tours if you are committed.
More Things to Do in Richmond London
To make a day of it after the Ted Lasso stops, here is everything else that makes Richmond worth the trip.
Brewer’s Lane
A tiny cobbled lane off George Street, lined with independent shops. It takes five minutes to walk end to end and it is one of the prettiest corners of town.
We found a children’s bookshop, and we stopped at Danieli for coffee and gelato. The gelato counter has around twenty flavors and the hot chocolate menu alone includes seven options.
The Thames Riverside Walk
From the town center you drop down to the river and the whole mood changes. Boats, benches, ice cream, people rowing past. The towpath is flat, which matters when you are walking with kids, and there is shade in stretches.
There are rowing boats to rent lined up in bright colors under Richmond Bridge, an ice cream van parked on the promenade, and ducks sunning themselves on the slipway.
The Chimpanzee Sculptures
This one is not in any guidebook, and my boys loved it. There are life-sized bronze chimpanzees scattered around Richmond, part of a conservation art trail called ‘Chimps Are Family‘, and each one has a plaque with the name and age of a real rescued chimp.
We found two of them together down on Richmond Riverside and another sitting on her own up at the top of the hill. The boys climbed all of them.
Terrace Gardens and Bulbous Betty
Climbing up from the river you reach Terrace Gardens, and tucked inside them is a reclining statue of Aphrodite that everyone in Richmond calls Bulbous Betty. Nobody uses her real name. It is a shaded, quiet spot to sit for a while, and a good place to catch your breath partway up the hill.
The Richmond Hill Viewpoint
Keep climbing and you come out at the top of Richmond Hill. The Thames curves away below through a valley of trees. There are meadows in the foreground, boats on the water, and on a clear day the view runs for miles.
The view over the Thames from up there is protected by an Act of Parliament, passed in 1902 specifically to stop anyone building in front of it. Turner painted it. It really is that good.
Richmond Park
Richmond Gate sits right at the top of the hill, so the park is a natural next stop once you have had your fill of the view. You can walk straight in from the terrace.
Richmond Park is the largest of London’s eight Royal Parks at around 2,500 acres, roughly three times the size of Central Park. Around 630 red and fallow deer roam free there, and they have since 1637.
Stop at the map board by the gate before you head in. It marks every toilet, café, and parking lot in the park, which becomes much more useful than it sounds once you are a mile in with kids. You’ll also find illustrated wildlife boards, giving you a preview of the animals that live there.
The deer are why most people come, but remember, they are wild animals, not a petting zoo. The Royal Parks ask visitors to stay at least fifty meters away, and that goes double in autumn during the rut and in spring when the females have calves.
Having said that, the kids absolutely loved seeing the deer!
King Henry’s Mound
Inside Pembroke Lodge Gardens there is a small hill believed to be a Bronze Age burial mound. At the top there is a telescope pointed east through a gap in the trees, and on a clear day you can see the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral in central London ten miles away.
That sightline is legally protected, which means nothing can be built to block it. It is about a fifteen minute walk from Richmond Gate.
Petersham Gate Playground
If you are visiting Richmond with kids, and coming into the park from the Petersham side, this playground is worth knowing about. It sits right at the gate, with swings, climbing frames and a sandpit with a working water pump. There are plenty of benches for parents and public toilets right at the entrance. Shade is limited, so bring hats and sunscreen on a hot day.
Where to Eat in Richmond
We had lunch at the White Cross, a riverside pub at the end of Water Lane. It is a Richmond institution and the location is amazing, right on the Thames with tables spilling out the front.
One thing to know: the garden floods at high tide. Not occasionally, regularly, as in daily. There is a sign on the wall offering to lend you rainboots if you get caughts. Check the tide times if you have your heart set on sitting outside, or lean into it, because honestly, it is part of the fun. It gets busy at weekends, so book ahead if you can.
Our Richmond Day Trip Itinerary
If you want to copy our day, this is how it went.
- Morning: District line into Richmond, then straight to Richmond Green for the Ted Lasso stops. The pub, the bench, Paved Court and the store.
- Then Brewer’s Lane for the shops.
- Down to the river for a walk along the Thames, and the chimpanzee sculptures on the Riverside.
- Midday: lunch at the White Cross.
- Up through Terrace Gardens to say hello to Bulbous Betty.
- On up to the Richmond Hill viewpoint.
- Into Richmond Park, with a stop at Petersham Gate Playground.
- King Henry’s Mound to finish, then back down into town for the ride home.
We ended up being in Richmond from about 10AM to 4PM.
Tips for Visiting Richmond With Kids
- Wear sneakers. Between the hill, the towpath and the park, this is a walking day.
- Go on a weekday if you can. The Green and the riverside get packed at weekends.
- Bring snacks for the park. Once you are inside Richmond Park your only real option is the cafe at Pembroke Lodge.
- Public toilets are available at the station, the playground, and Pembroke Lodge.
- Photograph the map board at the gate. It has every toilet in the park marked on it.
- The playground is a good bribe for the moment the walking starts to wear thin.
- Give yourself the whole day. You could rush Richmond with kids in three hours, but you would miss the point of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Richmond worth visiting if you have never seen Ted Lasso?
Yes. The show is what gets people there, but the hill, the park and the river would justify the trip on their own.
How long do you need in Richmond with kids?
A full day is ideal. If you only have half a day, do the Ted Lasso stops, lunch by the river and Richmond Hill, and leave the park for another time.
Where is the Ted Lasso bench?
On the edge of Richmond Green, next to two red phone boxes, directly across the road from The Prince’s Head pub.
Is Ted Lasso town a real place?
Yes and no. Richmond is a real town in southwest London and most of the exteriors were filmed there. AFC Richmond and its stadium are fictional.
Can you go inside the Ted Lasso pub?
Yes, The Prince’s Head is a working pub and anyone can walk in. Just know the interior scenes were shot on a set, so it will not look like the show inside.
Will you see deer in Richmond Park?
Usually, though there is no guarantee, and they are not always out in the open. Early morning and late afternoon are your best odds. Keep fifty meters back whenever you find them.
Is Richmond Park free?
Yes, it is free and open year round. Parking inside the park is paid.
Final Thoughts
Richmond was the day of our London trip that we all ended up loving. We came for a pub and a bench, and we left having spent the whole day outside, watching deer, climbing a hill and eating lunch by the river. Even if you’re not a Ted Lasso fan, it’s a quintessential little London town that’s worth a stop.
If you are putting together a London itinerary, this is the day trip I would tell you not to skip. Don’t forget to take photos and share your experiences with me on Instagram. I look forward to hearing about your adventures. Football is life!
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