Richmond, Surrey

Richmond, Surrey is a suburban town southwest of London, England and part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is located 8.2 miles (13.2 km) west-southwest of Charing Cross and is one of thirty-five major centres identified in the London Plan. The formation and naming of the town are due to the building of Richmond Palace early in the 16th century and the development of Richmond as a London suburb began with the opening of the railway station in 1846. The civil parish of Richmond became a municipal borough in 1890, which was enlarged in 1933; it has formed part of Greater London since 1965. Located on a meander of the River Thames, Richmond now forms a significant local commercial centre with a number of parks and open spaces and has a developed retail and night-time economy.