Living in Twickenham: area guide to homes, schools and transport
Arriving at Twickenham train station, passengers are greeted by a sign reading: Home of England Rugby.
It’s more than 100 years since this small riverside town, 10 miles south-west of central London, became famous the world over for its rugby stadium, where in October last year in the final of the World Cup, the New Zealand All Blacks retained their title with a 34-17 win over Australia.
Twickenham is one of those London villages that hug the Thames and suit families who just can’t bear to leave the heart of the capital too far behind.
With excellent schools and an easy commute to Waterloo, the only downside is the town centre, which suffers from being squeezed between Richmond to the north and Kingston upon Thames to the south. Both are major shopping magnets, while Twickenham has too many empty units and charity shops.
But plans are afoot. Enter Francis Terry, who recently left Quinlan and Francis Terry Architects, the practice he ran with his father Quinlan Terry, Prince Charles’s favourite architect, to start his own practice nearby.
The local council has hired Francis Terry & Associates to inject classical style into the heart of Twickenham with a new shopping arcade in King Street and a new riverside plaza with a colonnaded amphitheatre.
The plan will tidy up the riverbank opposite Eel Pie Island, a private island in the Thames.
Local music enthusiasts raised £15,000 last month with a crowd-funded appeal for a museum to celebrate the Sixties music scene at the old Eel Pie Island Hotel, where the likes of the Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart and Eric Clapton all played at the start of their careers, and a generation was introduced to R&B.
Travel
Three stations serve the area: Twickenham, Strawberry Hill and St Margarets. Fast trains to Waterloo from Twickenham take 25 minutes; from Strawberry Hill it’s 40 minutes and it’s 35 minutes from St Margarets, with stops at Clapham Junction for Victoria, and Vauxhall for connections to the Victoria line.
St Margarets is in Zone 4 and an annual travelcard to Zone 1 is £1,860.
Twickenham and Strawberry Hill are in Zone 5 and an annual travelcard costs £2,208.
Property scene
The area is characterised by large, detached Victorian and Edwardian villas, neat two- and three-bedroom Victorian cottages, Twenties and Thirties semi-detached houses and converted and purpose-built flats, also from around the Thirties and onwards.
What's new?
Brewery Wharf is a St James development of flats and houses overlooking the River Crane next to Twickenham station. All the flats have sold but 28 four- and five-bedroom houses are launching, with a new show house open over the weekend of September 10-11. Completion is due by summer next year and prices start at £1.55 million. Call 020 3002 9457.
Twickenham House in Heath Road is a mixed-use development with 21 one- and two-bedroom flats that are almost move-in ready. One-bedroom flats start at £375,000 and the two-bedroom flats are priced from £450,000.
Call 020 8847 0488. Saltburn House on The Green is a conversion of a late-Victorian building into a one-bedroom flat and four two-bedroom flats, almost move-in ready. The one-bedroom flat is £600,000 and the rest start at £900,000. Through Hamptons (01372 469279).
Fraser House in London Road is an office-to-residential conversion with nine flats. One-bedroom flats start at £425,000 and two-bedroom homes at £550,950. Through Dexters (020 8744 0074).
In Richmond Road a former pub has been converted and extended to provide four flats. Prices of one-bedroom flats start at £375,000 and two-bedroom flats start at £500,000. Call Snellers on 020 8892 5555.
Thames Valley Housing has shared-ownership flats at Brewery Wharf, with one-bedroom homes from £223,750 for a 50 per cent share of a flat with a market value of £447,500. Call 020 8012 6605.
Help to Buy is available at 351 Richmond Road, a bank conversion offering eight one- and two-bedroom flats, ready to move into. The one-bedroom flats start at £535,000 and the two-bedroom flats start from £595,000. Through Featherstone Leigh (020 8744 0595).
Renting
Alan Maynard, associate lettings director at Featherstone Leigh, says families rent locally for the good schools, and young professionals go for the flats close to the station for an easy commute.
Most of the landlords he deals with are local — there are few overseas buyers. “Some are accidental landlords, who at some point have not been able to sell, but have discovered renting out works for them.” The yield is between three and a half and four per cent.
Staying power
Once families have their children settled in the schools of their choice they tend to stay in the Twickenham area. Once the children have left home, many parents stay local and downsize.
Postcode
TW1, the main Twickenham postcode, follows the river and takes in St Margarets and parts of Strawberry Hill. TW2, further inland, includes Twickenham Green, parts of Strawberry Hill and Fulwell and Whitton.
Best roads
The Trust Grounds area in St Margarets has big detached house which share large communal “secret” gardens.
There are large detached Victorian family homes in Strawberry Hill, the best being in Waldegrave Gardens and Strawberry Hill Road.
Up and coming
Estate agent Erika Hopkins, sales manager at the local branch of Featherstone Leigh, says the streets around The Green, with two- and three-bedroom Victorian cottages, remain undervalued.
Lifestyle
Shops and restaurants
Twickenham’s shopping centre stretches out along London Road, Heath Road, King Street and Richmond Road. As a town centre it suffers from being close to Richmond and Kingston, and with too many shops to fill there are empty units and charity shops.
There is a large branch of Waitrose and branches of chain stores WH Smith, Superdrug, Boots, Waterstones and M&S Simply Food. Cavan is a local chain of bakeries and Johnsons Shoes has nine branches in the local area and the home counties.
Favourites with locals are Sandys Fishmongers and Ruben’s Bakehouse and wood-fired pizzeria, where tables spill out on to the pavement. Chain cafés and restaurants include Harris + Hoole, Patisserie Valerie, Starbucks, PizzaExpress and Zizzi.
The Press Room is an independent coffee shop that also has a branch in Surbiton. Church Street is a pretty, semi-pedestrianised street where independent shops and cafés flourish, including a concentration of Italian restaurants and wine bars. The Fox and The Eel Pie are popular pubs.
There is a farmers’ market every Saturday from 9am to 1pm in Holly Road car park.
Open Space
Twickenham’s reputation as a fashionable resort in the 17th and 18th centuries left a legacy of beautiful riverside homes and gardens. Marble Hill House, a Palladian mansion in 66 acres of parkland, was built for Henrietta Howard, George II’s mistress, and is now owned by English Heritage.
York House, now council offices and the council chamber, is a large 18th-century house in the centre of Twickenham. The famous York House fountain features Venus on horseback and naked nymphs.
Strawberry Hill House, only recently restored by a trust, was the Gothic Revival home of collector Horace Walpole, youngest son of Sir Robert Walpole (1676-1745), Britain’s first prime minister.
There are riverside walks and the Thames Path can be reached by ferry from Marble Hill Park. Radnor Gardens is a small riverside park, home to the Strawberry Hill Bowling Club.
Leisure and the arts
The Mary Wallace Theatre on The Embankment is home to Richmond Shakespeare Society, an active amateur dramatic company that puts on eight productions a year. There are also theatres and cinemas in nearby Richmond and Kingston upon Thames.
The Twickenham Museum, also on The Embankment, tells the story of Twickenham, Whitton, Teddington and the Hamptons.
There are four nearby council swimming pools — in Teddington; Richmond, with both indoor and outdoor pools; Isleworth, and Hampton’s heated outdoor pool. There are three private health clubs with swimming pools: Virgin Active in Twickenham Stadium; Nuffield Health in Langhorn Drive, and David Lloyd in Staines Road, Hampton.
Fulwell Golf Club, with 18 holes, is in Wellington Road and Strawberry Hill Golf Club, with nine holes, is in Wellesley Road.
Council
Richmond council is Tory controlled. Band D council tax for 2016/2017 is £1,582.39
Schools
Primary School
Twickenham offers a wide choice of state schools with an “outstanding” Ofsted rating, including the following primary schools: St Richard Reynolds RC in Clifden Road; St Mary’s CofE in Amyand Park Road; Orleans Primary School in Hartington Road; Trafalgar Infants in Gothic Road and Meadway; St James’s RC in Stanley Road, and Bishop Perrin CofE in Hospital Bridge Road. A new free school, Twickenham Primary Academy, opened in September last year in Colne Road.
Comprehensive
The “outstanding” state comprehensives are: St Richard Reynolds (co-ed, ages 11 to 18) in Clifden Road; Orleans Park (co-ed, ages 11 to 18) in Richmond Road, and Waldegrave (girls, ages 11 to 18) in Fifth Cross Road.
There are two state grammar schools in nearby Kingston upon Thames, both rated “outstanding” — Tiffin (boys, ages 11 to 18) in Queen Elizabeth Road, and The Tiffin Girls’ School in Richmond Road.
Private
The private primary and preparatory schools are: Newland House (co-ed, ages three to 13) in Waldegrave Park; The Mall School (boys, ages four to 13) in Hampton Road, and Twickenham Preparatory (girls, ages four to 11, boys, ages four to 13) in High Street in nearby Hampton. Kingston Grammar (co-ed, ages 11 to 18) is a private day school in Kingston upon Thames.
There are also a number of private all-through schools: St Catherine’s (girls, ages three to 18) a Catholic school in Cross Deep; Radnor House (co-ed, ages seven to 18) also in Cross Deep, and the two top-performing schools in nearby Hampton — The Lady Eleanor Holles (girls, ages seven to 18) and Hampton (boys, ages two to 18).
St Mary’s University in Strawberry Hill has 6,000 students and specialises in teacher training, sports science — Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah is a former St Mary’s student — and drama.