The Knowledge

Twickenham

Twickenham lacks the sophisticated charm of Richmond, a bridge-span away - though locals feel they have the best of both worlds. Residents can after all enjoy Richmond, Kingston is close and Heathrow not far, there are pleasant walks and a good high street.

The suburbs are a rich cache of family homes, from mock-Tudor to mansions, from simi-rural riverside grandeur to humdrum little '30s semis gazing across a dual carriageway. Flats, too: purpose-built along the river and in the town centres, and many other converted from monstrous Victorian houses.