Richmond

Richmond feels like a country town that happens to be in London. The view from Richmond Hill across the Thames is the only one in England protected by an Act of Parliament, and Richmond Park, with its deer, starts at the top of the road.

Buyers choose between the river and the hill. Riverside flats along Petersham Road and around Richmond Bridge come with balconies and morning light on the water. Up the hill, Georgian and Victorian houses have big gardens and quieter streets, and the larger modern houses sit along the roads towards the park.

Trains reach Waterloo in under twenty minutes, and the District line and Overground give two more ways in. Kew Gardens, the riverside pubs and the open-air pools mean most residents rarely feel the need to leave.