Located to the east of Norbiton and squeezed snugly between Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park, this triangular neighbourhood consists of the affluent suburb of Coombe in the borough of Kingston Upon Thames. The area is home to some of London’s most expensive properties, in particular along Coombe Lane West and Coombe Ridings, with some reaching in excess of £10 million. Yet while this combination of enormous historic and new built houses defines the area, it is also the location of many more modest Victorian, Edwardian, and post-war homes that are typical of the south-western suburbs and popular with a diverse community. Much of Coombe is taken up by green space, with playing fields, Coombe Wood, and Coombe Hill Golf Clubs – indicative of the locale’s wealthy enclaves – and its own rugby club, as well as of course the vast Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park nearby. Kingston Hospital offers medical care to the surrounding areas, and is known for its in-demand maternity ward. Central London is easily accessible by the reasonably regular train links from Norbiton station to the south, and the close proximity of central Kingston and Wimbledon alongside the schools and amenities that come with them means this area is very popular with affluent families.

With evidence of Roman and other ancient occupations, and its own appearance in the Domesday Book, the neighbourhood has a long and varied history. It was given to Hugh de Nevill in 1215 by King John and kept in the family for centuries, and known as ‘Coombe Nevile’ until at least 1911. As part of the rural land that now makes up Richmond Park and Wimbledon Common, the area was originally a hunting ground, but began to slowly urbanise in the 18th century with the building of a public house and Coombe House, around which the neighbourhood began to centre itself.

The notable highwayman Jerry Abershaw operated in the area, regularly targeting those passing through the dense woodland of northern Coombe on their way to London, before running to hide in the Bald Face Stag pub nearby. The 19th century urbanisation brought on by the development of the railways, and the building of Kingston Hospital began to transform the area, and encouraged wealthy individuals to build large properties that could look out over the parks. Many of these houses were damaged by the heavy bombing during the Second World War, which encouraged the building of the area’s post-war estates, but some still exist and are Grade II-listed.

Coombe’s idyllic location between two of London’s most impressive parks, as well as its enormous houses has made it a popular spot for the rich and famous to settle in. Coombe House itself was once home to British Prime Minister (1812-1827), Robert Jenkinson, and William Ewart Gladstone often stayed in the area too. Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood also owned a home in the area, as did Dwight Eisenhower, Dame Nellie Melba, and even one of Saddam Hussein’s daughters!

A number of 16th century records mention a famous gallows in Coombe, which was a popular location for public executions. Although long since taken down, there remains Gallows Conduit House, a small Grade-II listed building dating from 1538, and named after the spring that once flowed past the gallows themselves, and which supplied Hampton Court Palace with a supply of fresh water during the reign of Henry VIII.

The area’s history of wealth and continued affluence means that house prices are very high and constantly rising, and there is a lot of land taken up by grand estates. This wealthy population has over the years been averse to building amenities in the area besides two golf courses, making what is a rather fancy location quite inconvenient for modern living.

While the huge houses in Coombe are constantly being built and rebuilt, this ever-changing but exclusive landscape barely affects the majority of the residents. The biggest transformation to the area, however, is the introduction of Crossrail 2 to Norbiton station to the south. While it’s unlikely to be finished until at least the 2030’s, the planned doubling of the number of trains per hour is already raising the development viability in the area meaning projects such as Castanea Court on Coombe Road, which is set to provide 79 apartments of various sizes and 4 terraced maisonettes, are soon to draw many new faces to the neighbourhood.