The garden at Ham House is open for seven hours and the house for four. If you’re coming for the house, the one with one of the best surviving 17th-century interiors in Europe, you have a much narrower window than the opening times suggest.
When we checked, for 6 October, the house ran 11.30am to 3.30pm and the garden 10am to 5pm. The coffee shop and second-hand bookshop were open 10am to 4.30pm and the shop 10.30am to 4.30pm. Then apply the National Trust’s own rule, that last entry is 30 minutes before closing, which means the last people go into the house at 3pm. Arrive at half past three, with the garden still open for another ninety minutes, and you can walk the grounds but not go inside. The Trust publishes a day-by-day calendar for Ham rather than fixed weekly hours, so check your actual date as well.
No booking, and some unexpected ways in
There is no pre-booking system here, which many National Trust visitors don’t expect. You go to Visitor Reception at the main gates, and those face the river rather than the road, which catches people arriving by car who head for the nearest wall.
National Trust members are free, but so are RHS main cardholders and Art Fund members, which is easy to miss in the small print. Without any of those, an adult ticket is £18 (£19.80 with Gift Aid), a child aged 5 to 17 is £9 (£9.90), and under-5s are free. A family of two adults and up to three children is £45 (£49.50). The one worth asking for is the single-adult family ticket: one adult with up to three children is £27, against £45 if you pay for the same four people separately.
Parking is free, but your satnav will stop short
Parking here is free, because the car park isn’t the Trust’s. The council-run Ham Street Car Park is 400 yards away, next to the river at the end of Ham Street, and nearby streets are free too. Satnavs tend to direct you to the stables on Ham Street, and the Trust’s advice is to carry straight on past them to the car park. There’s very limited Blue Badge parking on site, which you reserve by emailing the house.
The better way to arrive, if it’s running, is by ferry. Hammerton’s Ferry is a small seasonal foot-and-bike ferry that crosses the Thames from the Twickenham towpath, near Marble Hill House, to the Ham House side. There’s a small charge. On foot, the Thames Path runs close to the entrance, about 1.5 miles from Richmond and 3 from Kingston. By bus, the 371 (alight at Ham Street, then half a mile on foot) and the 65 (alight at Sudbrook Lane and walk three quarters of a mile along the avenues) both call at Richmond station.
Dogs, wheelchairs and the stairs
Dogs are welcome in the garden, the shop and the coffee shop on a short lead, but not in the house, where only assistance dogs are allowed.
The house itself is the awkward part for access. The ground floor is reached by a ramp, with portable ramps to the rooms beyond the Great Hall, but there is no lift, and the upper floors and the basement are stairs only. The garden is level but the paths are gravel and cobbles. Manual wheelchairs can be borrowed from Visitor Reception, and the Trust asks you to email ahead to be sure of one. The mobility scooter was out of service when we checked, so don’t count on it. There’s an induction loop, and level access to the shop and coffee shop.
One small inconsistency on the Trust’s own page: it says last orders at the coffee shop are 10 minutes before closing in one place and 15 in another. With a 4.30pm close, assume 4.15pm and you won’t be disappointed.
Getting there
Ham House is on Ham Street, Ham, Richmond TW10 7RS (020 8940 1950), on the south bank of the Thames between Richmond and Kingston. Richmond is about 1.5 miles away by footpath and 2 by road. Marble Hill House is almost directly across the river, which is the reason the ferry exists and why the two combine into a good day.
Ham House and Garden
- Address
- Ham Street, Ham, Richmond TW10 7RS
- Nearest
- Richmond is 1.5 miles by footpath and 2 miles by road, on the District line and National Rail. The 371 and 65 buses stop nearby, and Hammerton’s Ferry crosses seasonally from the Twickenham towpath
- Hours
- Checked for 6 October 2026: house 11:30 to 15:30, garden 10:00 to 17:00, coffee shop and second-hand bookshop 10:00 to 16:30, shop 10:30 to 16:30. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing. The National Trust publishes a day by day calendar, so check your date
- Booking
- None. There is no pre-booking system; go to Visitor Reception at the main river-facing gates on arrival
- Price
- Adult 18 pounds without Gift Aid or 19.80 with, child 5 to 17 at 9.00 or 9.90, family of two adults and up to three children 45.00 or 49.50, one adult and up to three children 27.00 or 29.70. Under 5s and National Trust members free. RHS main cardholders and Art Fund members also enter free
- Standing
- A 17th century house on the south bank of the Thames between Richmond and Kingston, holding one of the best surviving interiors of its date in Europe, with a formal garden, coffee shop and second-hand bookshop
How to get in
The house opens for only four hours, 11:30 to 15:30, with last entry at 15:00, while the garden stays open until 17:00. There is no booking system at all. RHS main cardholders and Art Fund members are admitted free alongside National Trust members. Parking is free in the council-run Ham Street Car Park 400 yards away, and satnavs stop short at the stables on Ham Street. Dogs are welcome on a short lead in the garden, shop and coffee shop but not in the house. There is no lift in the house, upper floors and basement are stairs only, and the mobility scooter is currently out of service though manual wheelchairs can be booked by email.
Where to go next
Richmond Park is minutes away through Ham Gate, and Strawberry Hill House is the other great house on this stretch of river.
Kew Gardens is downstream, and the parks page covers the rest of south-west London.
Questions we get asked
What time does Ham House open?
The parts open separately. On 6 October 2026 the house ran 11:30 to 15:30, the garden 10:00 to 17:00, the coffee shop and second-hand bookshop 10:00 to 16:30 and the shop 10:30 to 16:30. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing, so the real cut-off for the house is 15:00. The National Trust publishes a day-by-day calendar rather than fixed weekly hours, so check your date.
Do you need to book for Ham House?
No. The National Trust states that Ham House does not operate a pre-booking system, and asks visitors to go to Visitor Reception at the main river-facing gates on arrival. Note that the main gates face the river rather than the road.
How much is Ham House?
£18 for an adult without Gift Aid or £19.80 with, £9 for a child aged 5 to 17, £45 for a family of two adults and up to three children, and £27 for one adult with up to three children. Under 5s go free, as do National Trust members. RHS main cardholders and Art Fund members are also admitted free, which is easy to miss.
Is parking free at Ham House?
Yes. The council-run Ham Street Car Park, 400 yards away next to the river at the end of Ham Street, is free, and nearby streets also offer free parking. Note that satnavs direct you to the stables on Ham Street, and you need to carry straight on past them to reach the car park. On-site Blue Badge parking is extremely limited and must be reserved by email.
Can you take dogs to Ham House?
Yes, to much of it. Dogs are welcome in the garden, the shop and the coffee shop provided they are kept on a short lead at all times. They are not allowed inside the house, where only assistance dogs are permitted.
Is Ham House wheelchair accessible?
Partly. The ground floor of the house is reached by ramp, with portable ramps giving access to ground-floor rooms beyond the Great Hall, but there is no lift and the upper floors and basement are reachable by stairs only. The garden is level but surfaced in gravel and cobbles, and the house has narrow corridors. Manual wheelchairs can be borrowed from Visitor Reception and should be booked ahead by email; the mobility scooter is currently out of service.
How do you get to Ham House by ferry?
Hammerton's Ferry is a seasonal foot and bike ferry crossing the Thames from the Twickenham towpath, near Marble Hill House, to Ham House on the south bank. A small charge applies. It is the most direct arrival and lets you combine Ham House with Marble Hill in a day.
Written by Robert J Wills, no. 390 in the guide.
Last checked 6 October 2026 against the venues' own published information. Nobody pays to appear here and we take no bookings.
