For those living in south London, a stroll next to the colourful flowerbeds in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace was until recently a free weekend activity all could enjoy.
But 18 months ago, locals were horrified to find the gates shut, as they were told they would have to pay up to £29 to visit the gardens in future.
The local MP, the Liberal Democrat Munira Wilson, has written to the palace to ask it to reconsider the large fees.
It now costs £26.30 for an adult to visit during the week and £29 at the weekends. For children it costs £13.10.
The palace, owned by the royal family, has blamed financial difficulties after the Covid pandemic for its locking of the gates for the first time in 185 years.
Although the gardens are privately owned by the royals, they have been treated as a public park since Queen Victoria opened them for her subjects in 1838 – but now the gardens are shut to those who cannot afford the fee.
The local campaigner Robert Palmer, 79, said he was shocked when the gardens he had strolled through for years were shuttered for non-paying customers. He said he used to particularly enjoy going to see the daffodils in spring.
“We were horrified, really, to find out what had happened without any consultation or anything,” he said. “I used to go at least once a week, and a lot of people did, it spreads through all the generations, all those gates are now closed. A lot of older people, people with disabilities, they could go in there and it was a safe environment. It had tarmacked paths so it was safe for people in wheelchairs, you didn’t have anyone coming up to you or anything like that.”
Palmer wrote to the queen last year asking for her help. “We did get a reply from her office but they just forwarded us on to Hampton Court.”
The campaigners are considering writing to King Charles after his coronation. “The present king probably has other matters on his mind at the moment but maybe he is closer to that sort of thing, he might be more amenable, we may write to him when he gets himself settled. Technically he could open the gate and let people in.”
For now, they are hoping an online petition will gain enough momentum for the palace to listen.
Wilson said: “The decision to introduce charges to enter the palace’s stunning grounds has brought nearly 185 years of free public access to this much-valued green space to an end and undone a commitment to the public made by Queen Victoria.
“For local residents, these gardens were a jewel among the many fantastic parks and open spaces in our area of London and, particularly for those with reduced mobility, the fact that much of the gardens is paved meant easier access to enjoy nature.
“Local Liberal Democrats urge Historic Royal Palaces to reverse this decision, or at the very least commit to removing charges again as soon as financially viable.”
A spokesperson for the palace said: “Our finances were badly hit by the pandemic. We reduced our staffing budgets by 40% and halved our operating budgets. This meant we were no longer able to do all the things we had previously done and difficult decisions had to be made, including limiting free access to a small proportion of our gardens.
“As we build back after the pandemic, our focus is on prioritising increasing free or heavily subsidised access for disadvantaged groups and school children. Later this year we will be introducing a free or very low (£1) ticket at all palaces and gardens for people who are on universal credit, pension credit or similar. We are also growing our community access scheme and subsidised school places. We will keep the current arrangements under ongoing review.”
A princely sum: how Hampton Court Palace prices compare with other parks
Kew Gardens, London: £22 for a full-priced adult ticket
RHS Wisley, Surrey: £18.10
Sissinghurst Castle, Kent: £16
Tintinhull Garden, Somerset: £7
Temple Newsam, West Yorkshire: £4.50
