This affluent south-west suburb is a historic riverside gem that’s home to the world’s most famous botanical gardens, which draws scores of tourists rain or shine to view the rare and exotic plants on display. Its strong community feel is complemented by a village cricket green and a grand parish church, and the renowned riverside pubs such as The Ship bring locals and visitors together to enjoy the views. Kew Gardens station operates on the Overground and District lines, perfect for those who work further into London, and which also travel south to the bustling town centre of Richmond. The lack of any high-rise building is instantly noticeable, leaving the magnificent 18th century Great Pagoda in Kew Gardens all that towers above the rows of Edwardian houses that are occupied by well-off commuting families, attracted by the transport links, good local schools, and safe environment.

Kew rose to prominence when the area was used as a home for Tudor courtiers after Richmond was made the regular seat of their court. When St Anne’s church was built in 1714, locals raised enough money to purchase a plot of land next door to it, which became used for fairs until they became too disorderly and were banned. A village emerged around the green, and the famous Kew Gardens began to properly develop in the mid-18th century on the site of a 13th century court garden. The gardens became national botanical gardens in 1840 and were increased to 75 acres, and later to 300 acres. The Palm House was built in 1848, followed by the Temperate House, which is the largest Victorian glasshouse in existence. The tea house was burnt down in 1913 in a protest by the suffragettes. The gardens continued to prosper, with more and more tourists arriving as public transport improved. In May 2018, a five-year £41m revamp was completed.

Kew has always been a fashionable home for wealthy artists, musicians, and authors. Most notably, the celebrated Impressionist painter, Camille Pissarro (1830- 1903), who lived at 10 Kew Green, and the playwright Harold Pinter (1930-2008), who lived in Fairmead Court.

Kew is a wealthy, desirable area, meaning that its house prices make it unaffordable for the majority of the population. This is compounded by the local refusal to allow flats to be built in the area in order to preserve its village-like charm. The ever-increasing popularity of Kew Gardens also continues to bring swathes of tourists to the neighbourhood, which can sometimes cause congestion on the main roads as coach trips park outside the gardens’ gates.

A new housing development called Emerald Gardens was recently completed in the eastern half of the neighbourhood in Bessant Drive. The 170 luxury one, two and three-bedroom homes are also accompanied by basement parking and a landscaped courtyard. Kew Gardens itself is also in a constant state of change, with new exhibits and displays appearing and disappearing on a regular basis.