Meet Caroline Turtle and Yarina Kubinska, our local experts covering the Borough of Richmond upon Thames, and surrounding areas. As locals to the borough, both Caroline and Yarina have an extensive knowledge of what Richmond upon Thames and its community has to offer. We asked them both to share some of their local knowledge with us, to provide potential property buyers and future residents with all the need-to-knows and favourite hangout spots the borough has to offer.
Discover more about the area….
Local attractions & points of interest
Richmond upon Thames is the only London borough to span both banks of the River Thames, meaning Richmond, Twickenham and Teddington all benefit from easy access to the 21 miles of riverside the borough has to offer.
Rich in history, the borough is home to a wealth of historical architecture and royal homes. Strawberry Hill House, whose story begins back in 1747, is now one of Britain's finest examples of Georgian Gothic architecture where visitors can enjoy a guided tour or even a wedding or two in the house's hireable event space. If you love exploring grand architecture, Ham House National Trust site is also worth a visit, one of the great Stuart houses set in formal gardens on the bank of the river Thames, or experience the drama at Hampton Court Palace, once home to King Henry VIII himself.
If escaping into nature is how you like to spend your weekends, the Borough of Richmond upon Thames has plenty of green open spaces to explore. London’s largest park, Richmond Park spans almost 2500 acres big and home to roaming deer and ancient trees. Lying north of Hampton Court in Teddington, Bushy Park is famed for its water gardens and remains of medieval farming systems. An afternoon spent in UNESCO World Heritage site, Kew gardens, is also a must-do for residents in the area, with over 50,000 living plants to be found. Pools on the Park is a firm family favourite day out in Richmond, where all ages can enjoy the family centric leisure centre with an indoor and outdoor swimming pool fit for the energetic!
Theatre fans may enjoy a cultural Sunday afternoon visit to Garrick’s Temple to Shakespeare, built in the 18th century to celebrate William Shakespeare, or perhaps a trip to Richmond theatre to watch a comedy stand up, musical or ballet show. Nearby in Teddington, the cultural heart that is Landmark Arts Centre provides a vibrant programme of events, activities, fairs, exhibitions and arts classes to locals in its magnificent 1880s church setting.
If sport is more your thing, you’ll be well located to show your support for premier rugby team Harlequins at Twickenham Stoop Stadium or head across the road to Twickenham Stadium, the largest rugby union venue in the world and home to England Rugby.
Shopping & dining
Richmond upon Thames is a shoppers paradise, with high streets filled with thriving communities of local independent shops, bars and restaurants offering worldly cuisine. If you’re looking to move to an area with a great nightlife scene, Richmond and Kensington know how to party! Kensington hosts a great night out with unique experiences such as regular late night museum events, where you can enjoy a drink in the Natural History Museum or dance the night away in one of the many bars and clubs the borough has to offer. You’re also only a 40 minute train ride to Waterloo if you fancy venturing into central London at night - the options are limitless!
Education
With an excellent range of state and private schools, many families move to the area specifically for the outstanding choice of schools, across all ages. Highly regarded schools include St Mary’s School, The Vineyard School, Orleans Primary School, Hampton Infant school & nursery, Hampton Junior School and Waldegrave School.
Transport
Twickenham and Teddington are great for getting into London for all the City offers. Both are so well linked to public transport you might not even need a car when living here. Both have mainline stations for trains to London Waterloo or towards Reading. Richmond station is very popular for the District underground station and overground linking commuters to East London. Buses in the area are regular and very popular. From Teddington High Street, you can be in Richmond within 13 mins via the N33 that runs through the night to and from Hammersmith. There is also the N26 bus that is 22 mins straight to Heathrow. Richmond and Twickenham host great bus routes including 65 from Kingston to Ealing via Kew and 290 runs to Staines.
Postcodes to live
Wherever you live in the borough, you’re making a good choice. Hampton is a particularly popular location for families due to the excellent choice of schools around the area. According to Rightmove, properties in Hampton had an overall average price of £682,758 over the last year**, lower than neighbouring Teddington and Twickenham. Twickenham and Teddington remain extremely popular locations with commuters, who wish to be within easy reach of the City.
Advice
To be in with the best chance of finding your dream home within the borough, put your current property on the market first. Selling your property before making an offer on another puts you in a much better position to proceed quickly and therefore makes you more desirable to other sellers.
If the Borough of Richmond upon Thames is on your search list, check out the homes we have on the market right now.
If you’re thinking of selling your home this year and would like further advice from our local experts, get your virtual or in-home valuation booked now. Let’s get you sold shall we?
*Britain’s biggest estate agent brand claim based on independent research from Twenty-CI, see purplebricks.co.uk/terms for full details.
** Rightmove data 2021