Richmond, Beyond the Postcode

The Green

Much of Richmond’s day-to-day life happens around the Green. Period houses line it, Frank Matcham’s Richmond Theatre stands on one corner, and the lanes running off it – Paved Court, Golden Court and Brewer’s Lane – hold the independent shops, cafés and small restaurants where most of a Saturday morning tends to go.

The station is a short walk away, with National Rail services to Waterloo in around 20 minutes, as well as the District line and the Overground. For families, the borough’s schools include Thomas’s College, an independent school opened recently, and state schools such as Christ’s and Deer Park.

From our collection: Spring Terrace

A few minutes from the Green, Spring Terrace is a Grade II listed Georgian house of more than 4,100 sq ft over four floors, renovated throughout. The stock-brick façade has symmetrical sash windows and a fanlight above the front door. Inside, the double reception room runs to more than 26 ft, with cornicing, arched windows, bespoke bookshelves and a fireplace at either end. At the back, a contemporary extension holds a kitchen and breakfast room of almost 30 ft, with rooflights above a broad central island and sliding doors onto the garden.

There are six bedrooms in all, including a principal suite with its own dressing room. The lower ground floor has a separate entrance, two of the bedrooms, a cinema room and wine storage. The south-facing garden is enclosed by mature hedging, and a gated forecourt at the front has parking for several cars, which is unusual this close to the centre of Richmond.

Into the park

Richmond Gate is at the top of the hill, a walk up from the town, and for many who live here the park is part of the morning. The Tamsin Trail follows its boundary for a little over seven miles and is shared by runners and cyclists, while road cyclists use the inner roads most days of the week. Further in are 2,500 acres of grassland and woodland, with red and fallow deer moving freely across them, and the Isabella Plantation is at its best in May, when the azaleas flower. Pembroke Lodge, a short walk inside the gate, has a terrace over the park and is a good place for coffee after an early walk or ride.

Beside Kew

On the other side of the station is the Old Deer Park. Much of it is the Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club, and the rest is open recreation ground, with Richmond’s rugby and cricket grounds alongside. The towpath follows the river along its edge and carries on to Kew, so the Royal Botanic Gardens are an easy walk on a weekend morning.

From our collection: The King’s Observatory

Within the Old Deer Park, reached by its own drive and enclosed on every side by the golf course, is the King’s Observatory. George III had it built in 1769 to observe the transit of Venus, and its original dome still turns on the roof.

It is now a private house of over 7,300 sq ft in around six and a half acres. The present owner completed its restoration in 2018, bringing in modern services while keeping the proportions of the original building. Two octagonal rooms sit at the centre of the house, the entrance hall and the library, each rising through two storeys, and the library holds around 6,000 books on its original Georgian shelving. Alongside it, a triple-aspect drawing room has ceilings of more than 4.7 metres, and the dining room is hung with hand-painted silk panels. There are four bedroom suites, a lift to every floor and air conditioning throughout the bedrooms.

The grounds include an ornamental lake with a Portland stone boathouse. Planning permission has been granted for around 10,000 sq ft more below ground, reached through the original vaults, with staff quarters and parking for 17 cars.

Places we recommend

Petersham Nurseries, Church Lane
A shop, café and restaurant set among glasshouses off Petersham Road. The shop deserves time of its own for its interiors pieces, glassware and candles, and the restaurant needs booking well ahead. On a fine Sunday, coffee and a slice of cake from the café are a good start to a walk across Petersham Meadows to the river.

The Roebuck, Richmond Hill
The pub at the top of the hill, open since 1717, facing the view down the Thames.

Scott’s, Whittaker Avenue
The Richmond outpost of the Mayfair seafood restaurant, opened in 2022, with a terrace over the Thames. On a summer evening, order oysters and a glass of Champagne and sit outside.

Tower House, Bridge Street
From the team behind Gold in Notting Hill, serving Mediterranean sharing plates, many of them cooked over fire. Go on a warm evening, when the glass roof over the garden opens and the light falls across the river towards Twickenham Bridge.

Bingham Riverhouse, Petersham Road
A Georgian townhouse on the river, with an open fire in the lounge, and well suited to dinner in the colder months.

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If one of these homes is of interest, we would be glad to introduce you to the representative. Explore our full collection, or share your search with us to be introduced to homes not yet publicly listed across South West London and beyond.