Living in Teddington/ Twickenham

[LongbourneCat]

Hello!

another post asking about riverside towns - sorry for anyone finding this very repetitive!

I was hoping someone out there might live in Teddington or one of the neighbouring places and be able to tell me a bit about what it’s like to live there.

DP, two under 5s and I have to move as we are bursting at the seams of our north London flat and would quite like a house with enough bedrooms, a proper (ie not converted cupboard) kitchen and a garden. It doesn’t have to be huge (our budget is on the lower side for London) and a nice area is what matters most to us.

Is Teddington as nice as it looks? We love thae on paper it sees close to parks, the river, drivable to the countryside, bookshop on the high street, cinemas in Kingston, Richmond and Esher, but you could still do a day or an evening in central London…

Are there parent and toddler groups? What are the state schools like? As a teacher & writer would we be - not sure how to put this, but we looked round Barnes & realised we might not fit in…

Is the access to nature as brilliant as it looks? And the high street as lovely?

what is it like for noise, traffic & crime?

does anyone know about the area spanning Collis School to Hampton Wick? Properties seem more affordable, but I wondered if there were any downsides?

literally any Stories or experiences of this area including surrounding options would be hugely appreciated. We’ve lived in the same place for over a decade and moving with children feels very scary!

Sorry for the typos. I have a child on me

Lived in Teddington for 30 years, DCs long gone so don't know very much about schools, I think Collis is very popular, but looks quite large. Friends granddaughter is at Teddington comp and very happy. High Street is lovely, good public transport but house prices quite high, our two bedroom cottage probably approaching a million.

Thank you. Yes, the under 1 million do seem to be in the minority. There’s currently a 575 3 bed in a small estate behind Collis school - is this still a nice area do you know?

Oh, also, what are the GP practices like? We’ve been very spoilt where we are and for various reasons have to touch in fairly often so are keen to go somewhere with access to good doctors.

I lived in Teddington and absolutely loved it. I only moved away because of divorce. From what I can gather, it’s even nicer now.

Hi, I live in Teddington and have raised two children here. I have to say it is a lovely area to have kids in - believe the hype! I live five minutes walk from Teddington Lock and ten minutes from Bushy Park. There are four really good primaries and a number of good secondaries. The high street is lovely and has loads of independent shops, a library, and Teddington Hospital/ walk in centre.

Crime is the lowest in London and anti social behaviour is uncommon. There is a great community feel and loads of young families live here. I don't have a car: public transport is good but I also like to walk by the river to either Kingston or Richmond.

If you like urban grit, it's not for you. But as a lifelong Londoner I appreciate the tranquility, while still having easy access to the rest of London.

The downside is of course the house prices. But if you're coming from North London you might be OK with that. It's cheaper if you move west towards Fulwell or east towards Ham.

AMA!

I live not far from Teddington in a not so fancy area 🤣I can't answer any of your specific questions but can confirm that yes it's lovely and I'd love to afford to live there! Good luck with the househunt

I realise I missed the teacher and writer bit. Yes, I think you'd find your tribe here. My ex is a writer, and I used to be. It's not a hugely diverse area, but I am not the only lesbian in the village, the only lefty in the village, or the only parent of black kids in the village.

Teddington is lovely but I’ve always thought it expensive given the commuting times. It will depend what your priorities are, of course. You’ll need a generous budget to buy something that isn’t pokey.

I live by that estate. It's small, safe - my daughter hangs out there with her mates. Definitely worth checking out. My own house was cheaper even than that, but is unconventional and wouldn't appeal to many families.

My kids went to Collis and its an excellent school. It is huge but they have organised it so it doesn't feel overwhelming for the kids.

There are also some really nice 60s flats by the river near Teddington school, and up at Strawberry Hill. Not as aesthetically charming as a Victorian terrace but light, airy, great storage and gardens. I've known a number of families live very happily in them.

this is all so helpful, thank you!!
we are very up for an unconventional/ pokey/ less chocolate box house in exchange for a leafy, quiet part of London (or London-adjacent!)

(We’d of course love a big, old-world house, but it’s the area that’s our priority)

DP and I grew up in villages but love London and are trying to find a countryside lifestyle where we can still tap in on a London bound train.

Really good to know. Thanks 😊

Thank you for this! That was exactly what I had been wondering about!

I’m interested in what your area is if you didn’t mind divulging! Do you like it there?

We're in Isleworth, OP - further up the river, but still riverside, and absolutely lovely for raising a family. You will get A LOT more for your money here, but still within easy reach of all the lovely things/places you mention. Happy to answer questions.

I agree Isleworth is another good option!

Like @LancreWowhawk and @nc14 I'm in Isleworth too! (Hello!) Not as bouji as Teddington but we've been here for a few years and are very happy.

I’d be really interested to hear about Isleworth too - please tell all 🙂 It’s come up a lot on Rightmove.

pros? Cons?

The things we love are green space, the river, cinemas, swimming, bookshops, cycling & my daughter loves anything that involves running & climbing. We need to be able to get into central London in about an hour several times a week.

Id really appreciate hearing what it’s like…

we’ve been a bit spoilt living somewhere fairly quiet and leafy and are looking for that vibe too if possible.

Wow, just looked At Isleworth on Rightmove and there are some very pretty streets.. or very clever photography

what’s the high street like? Is Syon park free access? Can you easily get to places like Richmond and Bushy park without driving?

and what’s it like for state schools?

sorry - so many questions!

For Isleworth I would try and focus on Old Isleworth/ the parts closer to St Margaret’s. There are buses into Richmond from there, or you can cycle along the towpath. I lived in St Margaret’s but not far from Isleworth and know a lot of people who live there and love it.

Yeah, there are some really, really pretty bits - Old Isleworth, Riverside, north of London Road going up towards Osterley and bits of the Woodlands estate. These are, obviously, also the expensive bits!

We've been here for 10 years, we're raising our kids here, and we have no plans to leave. There is a lovely community feel, and I would say they yes, it does feel leafy.

It is not utopia - the high street is much less developed than somewhere like Twickenham or Teddington. For bookshops and cinemas, you would need to to into Richmond, but that is so, so easy - one short bus ride, or if you have more time, you can walk there along the river in about 30 minutes. There are bits of actual Richmond that are further away from Richmond town centre than Isleworth! Bushy Park you would need to drive to though.

Syon has a free access bit, and a bit you have to pay to get into. You also have Osterley National Trust and Richmond Park very close by.

Transport links are good. I commute to Oxford Circus, and I can do it in an hour. Trains run into Waterloo, or you can change for the tube at Vauxhall too.

Schools are good, both primary and secondary.

In the spirit of full disclosure, there are two things that put people off Isleworth. One is the flight path to Heathrow. But you will get this everywhere in west/south west London. Just a few hundred metres makes a huge difference, so visit at difference times and on different days - but honestly, we're not in a great location for this, and you get used to it really quickly.

The other is the proximity to the Mogden sewage treatment works. If you live in one of the streets directly surrounding it, then it can smell. I'd never love on the top end of Worton Road, or on Hilary Drive, for exactly that reason. However, pretty much everywhere else, it really isn't a problem. Sometimes, when it rains really, really hard after a dry spell, there is a vague smell of drains for a couple of hours, and that is literally it. People will tell you it is awful but these are not people that currently actually live here. It honestly, really isn't.

Everywhere has drawbacks - and the upside of these two (which genuinely aren't an issue at all), is well priced properties.

Example: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/134851679#/?channel=RES_BUY

OP, if you view that house in Teddington, you are v welcome for a cup of tea so I can tell you all about the area.

I live near Teddington (again not so posh but other side from Isleworth). Teddington is very expensive but lovely! My brother lives there. All the schools in this area of Richmond are good, we’re very lucky that way.

having bushy park right there is great too.

I've lived in Teddington, twickenham and now Towards whitton by twickenham green.

Personally, I love Teddington and am so sad I don't live there anymore. Great pubs, coffee shops, bushy park is great, close to kingston for shops and easy to get to London or Wimbledon. We used to go to a great kiddy art class which we loved, loads going on for kids. Schools good. Downside is price, expensive but if you can afford it - I recommend.

Twickenham, I don't really like twickenham much anymore, going down hill. Busy on rugby days. Towards the green is nice but don't like the town much.

Whitton isn't a bad town, just don't look too close to rough areas of Hounslow. Plane noise is bad! Not much choice of pubs etc. we're near meadway/crane park and I like it but long if you just want to walk to the shop as it's about 20min walk.

Could also consider Hampton, nice spots near bushy park.

Strawberry hill area also very nice and about a 10 min walk between twickenham and tedds but you have the uni there if that ours you off.

But yes, I love teddington so much!!

Teddington better for commute if you want a seat, takes a bit longer but generally get a seat whereas twickenham you don't on the fast train.