The purpose of this walking route series is to provide our community with the resources to simply get outside and explore unique areas and neighborhoods. With park closures and playground closures occurring due to safety precautions, there are still plenty of entertaining walking routes within our Cities that incorporate nature, stunning architecture, historic monuments and scenic blooms.
This route has it all: stunning architecture, historic monuments, scenic residential streets, green spaces, and connections to an abundance of trails, including a VITA trail with instructions on calisthenics and stretching. I started this route at the Byrd Park Pump House historic site since it’s a Timmons Group project, and a spot in our City that I have never stopped to explore. Pump House Park is also where we were able to find plenty of available on street parking.
Stop 1. Byrd Park Pump House
Begin your walk by exploring Byrd Park Pump House, one of Richmond’s beloved historic landmarks and an engineering masterpiece. The castle-like Gothic Revival architecture, canals, surrounding trails and historical markers make this a unique spot to explore. Timmons Group collaborated with 3north to create a master plan for the building and grounds. It will be exciting to see how the City of Richmond transforms this site in the next few years to come.
Stop 2. Carillon Monument
Continue your walk until you reach the historic Carillon monument, erected in 1932 as a memorial for the men and women from the State who died during World War I. The structure stands 240 feet tall and contains 53 bronze bells that are still played today.
Stop 3. Byrd Park Walking Trails
As you continue on your walk, you will come across an area that is the perfect spot for a future workout. These gravel fitness trails are a one-mile distance with exercise equipment and activity challenges mixed in along the way, allowing visitors to incorporate strength training within their routine.
Stop 4. Scenic Neighborhood Streets
From there, head down Trafford Road until you reach Westover Road. This scenic street includes a variety of stunning homes, each with their own unique architectural detail and blooming plant pallets. Most of these homes were built in the first half of the 20th century and have views of Swan Lake and Shields Lake at Byrd Park.
If you’d like to enjoy this route for your next walk, feel free to click the download button below to save an image of the route to your phone to use as a guide!
