Sit on the slim upper terrace at Bingham Riverhouse and you’ll have a private view of the River Thames in London’s upmarket Richmond and of all the varied people who enjoy it.
While rowers pull oars, other boats move slowly along while dog-walkers or joggers go under the willows. You can even join them in their 15-bed Riverhouse by entering through a secret gate located within the hotel’s gardens.
Step on to the towpath and there’s bucolic splendour in almost every direction. You can take a bus to Kew Gardens or walk to Richmond Park, where fallow and red deer roam its 2500 acres since 17th century.
Bingham Riverhouse’s Victorian façade, which guests can enjoy an exclusive view of the River Thames.
The riverside Petersham Meadows is even closer, where you will find Belted Galloway cattle and Petersham Nurseries Cafe. Petersham Nurseries Cafe has received a Michelin Green Star award for its sustainability in meat, fruit, and veg.
Inside the Bingham, a creaking Victorian grand dame of a hotel, there are lots of references to Richmond’s luminous literary history.
One part of the hotel was once owned by Edith Cooper (19th Century) and Katherine Bradley (later Robert Browning).
Today, vintage Penguin Classics line bookshelves and some rooms are named after works by Michael Field – Cooper and Bradley’s secret joint nom de plume.
Joanna is based at Bingham Riverhouse and watches rowers, boat pottering, dog-walkers, and joggers.
Soak up the view: The copper roll-top bath in the Bingham’s Baudelaire room (left). Joanna described the property as an “intimate hideaway for Londoners on weekends who do not want to be swept away by the West End madness.”
A portion of the hotel belonged once to Edith Cooper, a 19th Century poet and Katherine Bradley who hosted the likes W. B. Yeats or Robert Browning.
Steven Edwards is the chef at Bingham Riverhouse. He was a MasterChef:The Professionals champ. His five-course lunch costs £55 per head
Current owner Samantha Trinder grew up in the hotel after her parents bought it as an unloved B&B in 1984, and it is now in rude health, a chic bolthole for weekend visitors to London who don’t fancy the madness of the West End.
The palette is all pale pinks and moody blues – and the staff, wearing mulberry-hued chinos and light-blue shirts, almost match the walls.
With king-size beds, comfortable bathrooms and trendy La-Eva products, the bedrooms have a lighter tone.
We enjoyed the bar’s mixologists and loved its atmosphere.
Steven Edwards manages the kitchen.
The tasting menus from this winner of the 2013 series of MasterChef: The Professionals change monthly, or there’s a five-course lunch costing £55 per head.
What can you expect? Here are some creative small plates: Slow-cooked Duck egg yolk, Jersey Royal puree, and a Nasturtium. Also, we loved Stinking Bishop cheese and rose sorbet.
The USP: This is a great place to escape the city, with Richmond Park and Kew Gardens at the door.
Rooms: The rooms are designed for 21st century guests and feature a Victorian style. Baudelaire rooms offer a relaxing soak and a great view.
Food: Even the smallest plates are big on imagination – fine dining with a cocktail menu to match.