Early summer in Twickenham and the Thames is bursting with life.
Life has gone full circle and here we are living in Twickenham again, on the outskirts of London. It’s where our kids were born and where we bought our first homes before emigrating to tropical North Queensland. I have to say I’m quite happy with that, it’s a nice place to call home and within easy striking distance of London for big, fun days out.
Without all the details of where we’re living and what it’s costing us, ( that’s for another post) I thought I’d give you a quick tour of Twickenham, one of several places around the world I call home.
We have more pubs and restaurants than you could even hope to try. There are beautiful old pubs, some with views of the Thames and a few more modern bars. We have restaurants serving Thai, Indian, Vietnamese and many other cuisines.
Twickenham also has some great food stores, there are branches of the big chains and smaller specialist shops. Sandy’s Fishmongers is a thriving local business, a fish shop that on Saturdays, you will have to queue to enter. Right across the main road is a butchers selling all the organic, grass fed meats that are so popular these days. There are obviously a lot of foodies in Twickenham to support so many up-market food outlets.
On Saturday morning Twickenham Farmer’s Market brings us fresh produce, baked goods, flowers and speciality meats, all from the local area.
If you miss the Saturday market, Richmond’s Duckpond market, a short walk up the Thames, is open on Sundays.
Foods to taste and fresh produce to buy at Twickenham’s Saturday Farmer’s Market.
A Thames-side address was obviously as desirable in the past as it is today. We have several stately homes within walking distance. Ham House, on the other side of the river, is accessible by a little family-run ferry and was one of the grandest Stuart houses in the country.
The ferry from Ham House to the Twickenham side of the river.
Ham House is run by the National Trust and we very much enjoyed our visit, the hands-on displays and treasure hunt for the kids, along with the beautiful gardens and tea rooms made a great family day out.
Parking for VIPs only outside Marble Hill House.
On the Twickenham side we have Marble Hill House ,Orleans House and York House with gardens, a gallery and the remarkable riverside sculpture garden belonging to York House. Former resident Sir Ratan Tata, of the Indian motor vehicle company, had the over-sized water nymphs and horses installed. We can walk to all four houses mentioned here within 10 minutes.
Tata’s interestingly strange statue garden at York House in autumn colours
Other famous former residents include Alexander Pope and the Twining tea family.
Twickenham museum, near the river, is a small attraction, but free and informative, the staff gave us a lovely personal tour.
Living in Twickenham is considered highly desirable and house prices are high. At our end of town we’re closer to Richmond Upon Thames than Twickenham town centre, we can walk here, to up-market Richmond, within 5 minutes. Or stroll into Twickenham for the library and the shops within 10.
Richmond upon Thames, peaceful in the early morning, but on a summer evening the banks come alive with walkers, drinkers and diners enjoying the beautiful views and atmosphere.
In another couple of minutes we’re on the District Line and heading for central London.
We can be at any of London’s famous sites within an hour, train connections are superb and being at the end of the tube system is a big saver on transport costs compared to more out-lying locations..
I’m not going to suggest that you particularly put Twickenham on your list of must-see places for the UK. It’s not going to compete with Stonehenge or the Avebury stone circles, but, if you’re in the area, it’s well worth a look.
An autumn walk on the Thames at Twickenham. Eel Pie Island, is on the right.
For sports fans, Twickenham Rugby Stadium offers tours of the iconic home base of English rugby, or a stroll by the river and a meal and a pint in one of our lovely old pubs may be more your scene. Walk in the parks, feed the swans, admire the stately homes, let your children play in the great playgrounds, it’s a perfect place to be.
We think Twickenham is a lovely spot, if we didn’t, we wouldn’t live here as frequently as we do. It’s becoming a habit!
