Savills
The Sunday Times has released its annual list of the ‘Best Places to Live’ in the UK – crowning the south west London borough of Richmond upon Thames as its winner for 2024. The result comes as little surprise to anyone who is lucky enough to live in the leafy suburb – which provided a setting for TV shows such as Ted Lasso, Bridgerton and Fleabag. It is the picture of a quaint English village, complete with green spaces, large houses and Georgian and Victorian-era architecture, all of which contributes to its charm.
The Times’ Survey is a scientific amalgamation of a series of data, with criteria including crime rates, vicinity to OFSTED-approved schools and transport links into the centre of London. In many of these arenas, Richmond came out on top, scoring a crime rate of 65 recorded crimes per 1,000 people as of March 2024 (the lowest in London), 80 per cent GP satisfaction rate and a number of schools rated ‘Outstanding’ by OFSTED.
The grassroots of Richmond date back to 1501, when King Henry VII established the now defunct Richmond Palace, and its neighbouring green space, Richmond Park, was used by the Tudors as a royal hunting ground. The park is now one of London’s most popular attractions, as are the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, which have belonged to the Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1892. Today, the park is used by locals and visitors alike who come to enjoy London’s largest green space and its surrounding attractions, including the ever popular restaurant-cum-upscale garden centre Petersham Nurseries.
Nestled among the narrow streets that make up Richmond are a number of cultural highlights, including the Orange Tree Theatre and the Richmond Theatre. Though for many, the attraction will also be in its transport links, with trains into London Waterloo operating throughout the day and taking under 20 minutes.
For us at House & Garden, it is the wealth of exceptionally beautiful houses and flats scattered throughout Richmond that provide much of its appeal. It was built up over time, and so the architecture belongs to a variety of periods – from Victorian and Edwardian to Georgian and Palladian. There are sprawling, lateral houses which might belong in the countryside, and smart townhouses which wrap around small greens. Then there are the Bridget Jones-worthy flats sitting above independent shops on cobblestone streets. Each offers its own unique allure, and makes it rather easy to work out why the neighbourhood is so sought-after (the average price of a house here is £739,000).
If 2025 brings you the prospect of a new abode, and Richmond has piqued your interest, look no further than our round-up of the best houses currently on the market in Richmond. From the dainty and charming to the grand and impressive.
