9 Tips On Where To Go Before The Rugby At Twickenham.

If you’re travelling to Twickenham to watch the rugby; it’d be a great shame to head straight to the stadium, without taking in any of the other attractions that this beautiful London borough has on offer.

So, if you’re one for making a day of it and visiting some of Twickenham’s many haunts before kick off; then check out these tips on where you should go. I’ve listed just a couple of pubs in this post, as in my view, frequenting a pub isn’t the only thing to do in Twickenham before going to the rugby!

Strawberry Hill House & Garden, Eel Pie Island Museum, Brewery Market, York House Gardens, Marble Hill House, Hammertons Ferry, Ham House & Garden, The White Swan, and of course The (infamous) Cabbage Patch. These Are 9 places for you to visit before the rugby at Twickenham.

Now I’m going to dive into each of these places in more detail so that you get an understanding as to which of them you might like to visit & how far they are from the stadium.

Here are 9 tips on where you should go in Twickenham before watching the match at the stadium.

1. Strawberry Hill House & Garden

If you’re one for appreciating architectural design, then Strawberry Hill House is definitely worth a visit. Or at the least a walk or drive by, in order to get a glimpse of this recently restored Gothic Castle, standing tall in the heart of Twickenham.

A Gothic Revival Villa, which was founded and subsequently owned by Horace Walpole in the 18th century; Strawberry Hill House is famous worldwide and is considered by many to be Britain’s best reflection of Georgian Gothic Revival architecture.

Ticket prices to visit the house itself are £12.50 for adults, children under 16 get in free. The house is open Sunday to Wednesday. So if match day is Friday or Saturday you won’t be able to gain entry inside the house itself, but it is still very much worth getting a glimpse of it’s stunning architecture from afar if you can. If however the match is on Sunday then the house, garden and café will all be open for you to visit before heading down to the stadium.

The garden is free to visit and provides the perfect sanctuary for a peaceful picnic. Bear in mind though that the garden is only open Sunday through Thursday. So if you’re planning a picnic to fill you up before heading down to the stadium, and game day is on Friday or Saturday then you should avoid Strawberry Hill House Garden and maybe head down to York House Gardens instead.

2. Eel Pie Island Museum

If you want to take in a small slice of some of Twickenham’s cultural history, then the volunteer run Eel Pie Island museum would be well worth a visit before heading on to watch the rugby.

It showcases and celebrates the rich history of Eel Pie Island. Its collection of items and artefacts weave a magical story of its musical heritage and boatyards of old; not to forget the invention and creativity that this small Thames Isle has witnessed over the years.

The museum is open Thursday to Sunday with admission costing just £3 for a single visit. They also offer out of hours group visits and walking tours.

3. Brewery Market

A pleasant picnic in one of the beautiful gardens that are open to the public in Twickenham, before heading on to the stadium to watch the match; to me this sounds like a good shout. If a pre match picnic is up your street, then you may want to pay Brewery Market a visit in order to find an accompanying tipple to your hamper.

And check out York House Gardens as a potential picnic location. It is only a 5-minute walk away.

If you’re into beer, and you’re visiting Twickenham, then you can’t pass up the opportunity to visit this place. With over 200 beers from across the world and 12 draught lines, you’ll want to make sure to give yourself enough time to taste a few of the beers on tap and discover a new world of flavours.

Remember though, that you can’t take any alcohol with you into the stadium. In fact, I wrote an article recently on what you can & can’t take into Twickenham which you may find worth a read.

If you’re wanting to buy beers to take home with you rather than to be drunk before the match, then have a think about using a bag store facility like stasher.com. Or of course, you could head down to Brewery Market after the game.

4. York House Gardens

York House Gardens is a beautiful garden open to the public. It borders the Thames and is situated opposite Eel Pie Island. It provides you with the perfect picnic backdrop if you want to grab a peaceful bite, or scenic garden paths for a gentle stroll; before the intensity of match day at Twickenham.

5. Marble Hill House

Owned by English Heritage, Marble Hill House is a Grade 1 listed Neo-Palladian villa. It was built in the early 18th century and was home to the Countess of Suffolk, Henrietta Howard.

Although the house itself is closed through the winter, the grounds surrounding it (open to the public all year round) are simply stunning.

The expansive grounds roll gently down to the Thames and are ideal for a calm walk or picnic before the match chaos that Twickenham stadium will bring. There’s also a small café at the front of the house, which again is open all year round.

6. Hammertons Ferry

Situated on the Thames at the bottom of Marble Hill is the pedestrian and cycle ferry service, which enables the crossing of the Thames.

Hammertons Ferry links the Northern & Southern banks of the Thames on the Twickenham & Richmond sides, near both Marble Hill House & Ham House & Garden.

If you head down to Hammertons Ferry before the match at Twickenham, you give yourself a few choices on what you could do.

• Hire a rowing boat for an hour or so and have a mooch down the Thames, before returning it and wandering down to the White Swan for a pre match meal or pint.

• Take the crossing over to Ham House & Garden to pay it a visit.

7. Ham House & Garden

Built in the early 17th century and now owned by the National Trust; Ham House & Gardens is situated on the Northern Banks of the Thames, in Richmond.

With the help of Hammertons Ferry service, it is easily accessible from the Twickenham side and therefore makes it onto my list of places you could visit before the rugby at Twickenham.

8. The White Swan

The White Swan is situated on the banks of the Thames, and just a stone’s throw from both the bottom of Marble Hill House’s grounds and Hammertons Ferry.

This scenic Twickenham pub with its stunning river views might just be the perfect stop gap for a pint and even a meal before heading down to the stadium to watch the match.

The White Swan is a free house and a pretty historic landmark in Twickenham, the pub itself dating back to the 17th century. The combination of its good selection of beer, wine & food, along with the position it boasts, has won it many a complement in the press.

“One of the best beer gardens in London. A hidden gem.”

The Telegraph

“Possibly the prettiest pub in London – such idyllic surroundings.”

The Evening Standard

9. The Cabbage Patch

This pub is rather aptly named after the land’s primary use for growing cabbages; until the stadium was built on it, after the land had been sold to the RFU.

The Cabbage Patch is just a 15-minute walk from the stadium and probably Twickenham’s most famous rugby pub. It’s well worth a visit en route to the stadium, where you could stop by for a meal or a quick pint or two and soak up that extra bit of atmosphere on game day.

Bear in mind though that the trade-off for that game day atmosphere is that it will be busy on match days.