RICHMOND VOTED BEST PLACE TO LIVE IN LONDON IN SUNDAY TIMES
Richmond, TW9, TW10, named best place to live in London 2026
A royal park, the River Thames and an Ottolenghi: happiness comes as standard in this serene suburb
YOU CAN READ THE FULL DETAILS HERE Richmond, TW9, TW10, named best place to live in London 2026
EXCERPT FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES: By Matthew Davis
It’s the river, obviously. Or maybe the park. Either way, the gilet-clad residents of Richmond are spoilt for ways to enjoy a break from concrete and cars in this most serene corner of the capital. No wonder this is regularly voted the happiest borough in London.
You can stroll beside Old Father Thames to Kew or Teddington Lock, or patrol the magnificent 2,500-acre royal park, keeping your eyes peeled for the resident red and fallow deer. A bit of aircraft noise — and you do get used to it — is a small price to pay for such riches.
“It’s like a mystical world,” says Will Taylor, who runs the Barch gym at London Welsh RFC, where he is head of strength and conditioning. His favourite haunts include Pen Ponds and Isabella Plantation: “If it’s a clear morning, get there 30 minutes pre-sunrise for the most amazing skies.”
Taylor, a former Wasps prop forward who hails from Swansea, has put down roots in this welcoming suburb, which feels “like a local town in a big city — you are connected to everything, yet you sometimes feel as if you are in the countryside”. He organises the Richmond Run Club, where up to 200 people “move, chat and make friends” on Wednesday evenings before enjoying discounted drinks at the White Cross, infamous locally as “the pub that floods.”
The average price of a house in Richmond is estimated to be £916.900.
While Richmond was the regional winner for London, Norwich was the outright winner and other London areas named are Bermondsey to Waterloo, Southwark SE1, Fulham, Bow, Crouch End, Plumstead and Walthamstow.
“This guide is a great opportunity to highlight the wonderful work that communities across the country are doing,” says Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor.
The Leader of Richmond Council, Cllr.Gareth Roberts said it was ‘no accident’ that Richmond had been named as the best place to live in London.
Councillor Roberts said: “We’ve been the happiest place to live, we’ve been the safest place to live, we’ve been the healthiest place to live, we’ve been the most recommended place to live, and now The Times has confirmed what we’ve all known for years, Richmond is the best place to live in London.
“And it’s no accident that the judges came to that conclusion. When you have gorgeous views of the River Thames that inspired Turner on your doorstep, when you have the wild majesty of Richmond Park just up the road, the gorgeous splendours of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, along with some of London’s best open spaces, shops and restaurants, what’s not to like?”
Councillor Roberts continued: “And I believe this accolade recognises the investment we’ve been making in Richmond as a council.
“Our schools are regularly rated as among the best in the country, our borough is regularly heralded as the safest borough in London, our children’s services have been recognised as outstanding by Ofsted, our adult social services have been rated as ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission and our parks and open spaces have won more awards than you can shake a Green Flag at.
“And finally, this award is a tribute to the people who live here, the people who make Richmond so very special. This is very much their award and it is thoroughly deserved.”