When Fiction Meets Pavement
A cobbled street in southwest London has become an unlikely tourist draw. Paved Court, barely long enough to warrant its own name, now hosts a steady stream of visitors hunting for the exterior of Ted Lasso's fictional flat. They pose outside Tit fer Tat, a hat shop that exists in real life, and duck into a purpose-built souvenir store selling AFC Richmond scarves stamped with the coach's "Believe" motto.
The Apple TV series, which returned for a fourth season after a three-year hiatus, follows an American football coach navigating English soccer with relentless optimism. This time around, Ted is back coaching AFC Richmond's women's team. New episodes drop Wednesdays, ten in total, and the show's return has reignited interest in the London borough that plays itself on screen.
Richmond was already affluent before Ted Lasso premiered in 2020. What the show did was turn its Georgian facades and riverside walks into recognizable backdrops for a global audience. Now the town has walking tours, a permanent gift shop, and a pub that has leaned into its screen time.
The Real Places Behind the Scenes
The Prince's Head, a Fuller's-owned establishment dating back three centuries, doubles as the Crown & Anchor in the series. Inside, the walls carry framed stills from the show and AFC Richmond memorabilia. The menu runs to pub standards: pies, fish and chips, Sunday roasts. Picnic benches out front fill quickly on match days, real or imagined.
A few steps away, Richmond Green spreads across 12 acres. The grassland appears in multiple episodes and is edged by historic homes and fragments of the Tudor-era Richmond Palace, most of which was demolished in the 1600s. The Palace Gatehouse, the largest remaining piece, sits at the green's edge.
Richmond Riverside, where the show staged a first-date scene between two main characters, offers grassy banks that draw crowds when the sun cooperates. Heron Square courtyard nearby hosts the Duck Pond Market on weekends. Richmond Bridge, built in 1777, is the oldest Thames crossing still standing in London. Restaurants, bars, and floating boat-bars cluster around it.
The Grade II listed Richmond Theatre, designed by Frank Matcham in 1899, was the setting for a charity auction in season one. The venue still runs a year-round program of plays and productions. Matcham also designed Hackney Empire and the Palladium, both London landmarks.
AFC Richmond's home ground, Nelson Road Stadium, is actually Selhurst Park in Croydon, a neighboring borough. The 25,000-seat venue is home to Crystal Palace FC and hosts matches most of the season. It is not in Richmond proper, but fans make the trip anyway.
Beyond the Filming Locations
Jim Millard, deputy leader of Richmond Council, acknowledges the show's pull but wants visitors to see past the screen. Walking tours and a dedicated shop make it easy to trace the characters' steps, he notes, but Richmond existed long before Ted Lasso arrived with his mustache and his catchphrases.
The borough offers Richmond Park, the largest of London's royal parks at 2,500 acres. Fallow and red deer roam in herds across open grass. King Henry's Mound, a viewpoint within the park, offers a sightline to St Paul's Cathedral ten miles away, framed by trees that have been carefully maintained for exactly that purpose.
Kew Gardens, Hampton Court Palace, and Allianz Stadium are all within reach. The River Thames winds through, and independent shops and cafes line the streets that do not appear in any episode.
The question Richmond faces now is familiar to any place that becomes a backdrop: how do you convert curiosity into lasting interest? A souvenir shop and a few plaques will bring people once. What keeps them coming back is everything that was there before the cameras showed up.
What Happens When the Show Ends
Ted Lasso's fourth season may or may not be its last. Apple TV has not confirmed plans beyond this run, and the show's creator has been vague about the future. For Richmond, that uncertainty is less pressing than it might seem. The town has weathered royal drama, Tudor decline, and centuries of change. A television series, however popular, is just another chapter.
Tourism tied to film and television is famously fickle. Dubrovnik saw a surge after Game of Thrones, then a plateau. New Zealand still draws Lord of the Rings fans decades later, but that required infrastructure and commitment. Richmond is betting on balance: embrace the attention without depending on it.
The souvenir shop on Paved Court will likely remain as long as the show stays in the cultural conversation. The Prince's Head will keep its AFC Richmond decor until it stops drawing customers. And Richmond Green, the riverside, the park, and the view from King Henry's Mound will continue to exist whether or not anyone associates them with a fictional football coach.
For now, visitors arrive looking for Ted Lasso and leave having seen Richmond. Whether they remember the distinction is another matter.
