A FORMER hospital site is set to transform into new residences in the heart of Richmond.

Restoration of Richmond Royal Hospital is underway to turn the historic site into a set of new homes called Richmond Square.

Comprising of 56 new residences, Richmond Square presents a rare opportunity to live within the Kew Foot Road Conservation Area of Richmond upon Thames, one of London’s most sought-after boroughs.

The original house was home to poet and playwright James Thomson, notable for authoring the poem Rule Britannia, between 1739 and 1748.

Following Thomson’s death, it passed into the ownership of his friend, George Ross Esq.

Setting about a range of improvements to the then modest cottage, Ross appointed Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, widely considered to be England’s greatest landscape gardener, and tasked him with redesigning the townhouse’s two acres of grounds.

Richmond and Twickenham Times: Rossdale House drawing room Rossdale House drawing room

A spokesperson for Richmond Square said: "The breathtaking restoration and conversion includes a grand, four storey Grade II Listed Georgian townhouse, as well as other surrounding historic buildings of merit.

"Creating new contemporary apartments of the highest quality with the benefit of elegant, historic facades and spacious interior layouts.

"Richmond Square blends a unique combination of buildings from the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian periods.

"Built around a hidden landscaped courtyard, many of the new apartments offer sweeping views over Richmond’s iconic Old Deer Park and onwards to Kew Gardens and Central London.

"Internally, Richmond Square has created exceptional new homes that blend contemporary, elegant designs with the traditional character and period features found throughout the historic buildings.

"Just 650 metres from Richmond station, Richmond Square is perfectly placed to enjoy all that this prestigious area has to offer: the picturesque banks of the River Thames, Kew Gardens and Richmond’s village-like centre are all minutes away."

For more information on the development visit here.