Living in Richmond

Richmond combines a busy town centre with some of the most beautiful green space in London. Richmond Park, the largest of the royal parks, with herds of red and fallow deer roaming across heath, woodland and ponds, sits at the top of Richmond Hill, and the view from the hill over the Thames valley is the only view in England protected by an Act of Parliament.

The town centre has a good mix of independent and chain shops, cafés, restaurants and pubs, as well as Richmond Theatre, a Victorian building overlooking Richmond Green, a large open space surrounded by historic houses. The riverside, with its terraces, boathouses, rowing boat hire and towpath walks, is busy on sunny weekends. Kew Gardens is a short walk or one stop away, and Petersham Meadows and Ham House are to the south.

Richmond is a terminus for both the District line and the Overground, and mainline trains get to Waterloo in roughly twenty minutes. The District line reaches central London slowly, and the Overground runs across north London to Stratford. Aircraft noise from Heathrow's approach paths affects parts of the area, depending on wind direction.

Housing includes Georgian and Victorian houses, riverside apartments, mansion blocks and interwar family homes. Rents and property prices are among the highest in outer London, and the area is especially popular with families, established professionals and people who want parks, good schools and a strong town centre. Nightlife consists largely of pubs and restaurants, and central London's clubs are a long journey away. Richmond suits people who value green space, the river and a polished, safe town with excellent rail connections, and who are prepared to pay for it.