Bounded by the Thames to the east, the affluent, leafy Richmond suburb of St Margarets brings with it both calm village living and the conveniences of the big city. Popular with commuters, the neighbourhood’s large Victorian and Edwardian houses provide ample living space, and the nearby Twickenham and St Margarets stations run regular services in to central London. The high streets of St Margarets Road and London Road are lined with all the amenities one could need, and leads down to the idyllic banks of the Thames. With plenty of local schools and green space, the area is also ideal for those with children, and the small independent shops and cafes are making St Margarets increasingly popular with students and young professionals. Chertsey Road can often get congested with traffic leading to and from Twickenham Stadium and the Twickenham Stoop, but it also provides locals with an easy route to and from the neighbourhood should they choose to drive.

Up until the early-19th century the neighbourhood was part of the vast Twickenham Park. In 1805 the estate was broken up and in 1830 the Marquis of Ailsa built a grand house on the site of a 17th century property once owned by the dramatist Richard Sheridan. The house was named St Margarets and turned into a naval school in the 1850s. St Margarets station was opened in 1876 and slow suburban development followed. In 1940 the house of St Margarets was hit by a German bomb, forcing the naval school to move to the campus of the local Brunel University.

The well-to-do suburb has long been popular as an escape from the city for those with money, so it comes as no surprise that a number of famous faces have called St Margarets home. Guitarist of The Who, Pete Townshend (b 1945), owned a studio on Ranelagh Drive from 1976, and even Charles Dickens (1812-1870) once resided at 4 Downes Close in 1838.

With Twickenham Stadium to the neighbourhood’s east it is common for Chertsey Road to become congested when there is an event on. This also brings with it increased noise and pollution. The area can also get quite crowded with those attending the stadium’s events, which can sometimes be a nuisance for locals, but is generally accepted as just part of what makes St Margarets so unique.

Richmond, like many London boroughs, has a shortage of affordable housing, which the council are working hard to tackle. In 2021, Richmond Housing Partnership (RHP) and Richmond Council announced plans to build around 1,000 affordable homes over the following seven years, including sites near St Margarets: Mereway Road near Twickenham Green and Meadows Hall on Richmond Hill. That said, little development has been announced for St Margarets proper.