The new award, which will be presented at a gala evening event at Hampton Court Palace on 31 March 2014, has been created by preservation organizations in Richmond, Virginia (Scenic Virginia) and Richmond-upon-Thames (Father Thames Trust/Thames Landscape Strategy).  It recognises individuals who have demonstrated exceptional service to preserving heritage and environment in the twinned cities on either side of the Atlantic. In 2015, the ‘Richmonds Medal’ will be presented to a prestigious American recipient in Richmond, Virginia.

In tribute to the close relationship between the two Richmonds, and  in appreciation of the work of renowned naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, business and community leaders in Richmond, Virginia will ‘cross the pond’ for the occasion. Their intent is to support current efforts to preserve their own view by learning more on how the view of the River Thames from Richmond Hill in England has been preserved while still allowing for thoughtful  development and enhanced heritage in London. While in England the Delegation will be inspecting several of the Thames Landscape Strategy projects and meeting with Richmond-upon-Thames Council members. Thanks to campaigning and the subsequent Richmond, Petersham and Ham Open Spaces Act of 1902, the view from Richmond Hill has been guaranteed in perpetuity.

Today the view of the James River from Libby Hill Park in Richmond, Virginia, known as “The View That Named Richmond” because of its similarity to the view from Richmond Hill, is imperiled by potential development. The land directly below the View from Libby Hill Park is privately owned, and it is hoped by Scenic Virginia that this early environmental success story in Britain (following a widespread English campaign known as ‘The Great Indignation’) will inspire business and community leaders in Richmond, Virginia to take action to preserve their own historic view.

The two Richmonds began their relationship nearly 400 years ago when Colonel William Byrd II, a wealthy merchant and planter, sailed up the James River and named the area he found ‘Richmond’, because the view of the river from what is now Libby Hill was so strikingly similar to that of the Thames from Richmond Hill, where he had spent time during his youth.

To find out more about The Richmonds Medal, visit www.scenicvirginia.org

To find out more about Richmond and Virginia, visit www.virginia.org

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