When Charles I moved his court to Richmond Palace (no longer standing) to avoid the plague in London, in 1625, he turned his manor into a deer park with herds of fallow and red deer. The park was enclosed with an 8 mile long brick wall in 1637. Most of the wall that still encloses Richmond park is the original.
The Royal deer have been maintained in Richmond ever since. March and early April, when the trees have not yet leafed out, is a particularly good time to spot them. There are 350 fallow deer and 300 red deer. The herds are culled in November to keep numbers manageable and the park population healthy.
The Royal deer have been maintained in Richmond ever since. March and early April, when the trees have not yet leafed out, is a particularly good time to spot them. There are 350 fallow deer and 300 red deer. The herds are culled in November to keep numbers manageable and the park population healthy.