This rather well-to-do Richmond suburb sits between St Margarets and the banks of the Thames. Some of its residential roads are lined with huge Victorian properties, and others with slightly more modest, but still sizeable, Edwardian semis. St Margarets station provides regular services into central London, and combined with the large properties on offer, makes the neighbourhood very popular with wealthy commuters and families. The English Heritage site of Marble Hill Park occupies the southern half of the area, and offers locals and tourists a stunning swathe of green space which emanates out from the fantastic Palladian villa, Marble Hill House. Richmond Road and Crown Road are the neighbourhood’s two convenient high streets, made up of a mix of trendy independent shops and high street chains, and the decent number of local pubs helps maintain the almost village like community spirit.

The beautiful neoclassical villa of Marble Hill House and its surrounding park were built between 1724 and 1729 as a Thames-side retreat for the mistress of King George II, Henrietta Howard. Before the house was built, the rural land was occupied by cornfields, meadows, and market gardens, but by the 18th century the idyll of the river had drawn a number of affluent individuals to the area, who began to construct suburban residencies on its banks. The building of the royal house prevented these properties encroaching further into the rural land, but this was again threatened in the 19th century with the introduction of the railway and the subsequent suburban expansion. Following a public campaign, an Act of Parliament was passed in 1902, which sought to preserve the villa and its gardens for the nation.

The area’s picturesque banks of the River Thames have been an inspiration for a number of artists, poets, and authors over the centuries. The painter J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851) was one such artist who, so enamoured by the beauty of the river, designed and built Sandycombe Lodge (now 40 Sandycombe Road) so as to be close to it. Turner lived in the house from 1814-1826, and it is open to the public today.

While the nearby stations of Twickenham and St Margarets provide regular and convenient train services into central London, they sit far away from Waterloo in Zone 5. This can make travel very expensive, particularly if one is regularly commuting at peak times.

The Twickenham Riverside is set for a significant redevelopment in the coming years, with the building of new homes, public space, and a number of brand new community amenities. This will bring new life to this neglected part of the neighbourhood, as well as jobs and living space for locals. While the site has seen a number of redevelopment initiatives get scrapped in the past, such as proposals by Francis Terry in conjunction with Carey Jones Chapman Tolcher, and earlier Terry scheme, Hopkins Architects’ proposal for the site regeneration has been approved and plans for its initiations are in the pipeline. That said, the project has gained some controversy from local groups. The Twickenham Riverside Trust, a local residents group that also holds a leasehold over part of the land, announced in late 2021 its decision to oppose the scheme rather than proactively engage with the authority on the redevelopment’s latest incarnation. This decision was prompted by the group believing that compensation the Council proposed for the redevelopment of Diamond Jubilee Gardens, included in their leasehold, was inadequate. The group is seeking to have the gardens removed from the Council’s brownfield register but a final decision on the matter has not been announced. Other locals have also begun protesting against the project’s on nearby Eel Pie Island and its accessibility, which is currently reached by bridge. The Council assures that accessibility will remain excellent but residents disagree. As of now, the project’s initiation is still uncertain.