The park is bounded generally by the River Thames to the west, Kew Gardens to the north and, across a trunk road, urban areas of Richmond town to the east and south.

To the south-west of the Observatory, under the fairway of the 14th hole of the outer golf course, lie the foundations of the former Carthusian Sheen Priory, founded by Henry V in 1414.

Eighty-five years later a new arterial road (the "Great Chertsey Road"), complete with a high ramped approach to a new bridge over the Thames (Twickenham Bridge – built in 1933), was also constructed across the southern end of the park, close to and roughly parallel with the railway.

They were built in 1769, and were originally installed to align telescopes used by the King's Observatory to observe the transit of Venus across the Sun that year.

Old Deer Park has been used a venue for cricket since at least 1867, when Richmond played a United South of England Eleven.

In 2001 the Middlesex Cricket Board played their only List-A match at the ground in the 2001 Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy against Berkshire.