Finally got assigned jobs so I’m off to Ashford Hospital (Surrey) in August. Ideally we’d like to stay somewhere that has a bit of life* but with good transport links. Clearly I’d like to be able to strike out to trails but it’s not a priority. We’d thought originally about Putney, Clapham and Balham but latterly started looking to Wimbledon, Tooting and for proximity to Ashford Richmond.

*Subjective I know but shops and a decent atmosphere with bars/pubs would be good. Maybe a park nearby. I’m very tempted by Tooting’s lido 😀

My brother lives in Sheen which is very nice. Lots of restaurants, pubs and shops including bikeshops and easy access to Richmond Park.

It has a mainline station (Mortlake) that goes to Waterloo.

Bit pricey for houses though.

New Malden isnt bad. Some decent places to eat/drink. Not far from Kingston/Wimbledon – on the train line.

Wandsworth, Putney, Barnes, Mortlake, etc. make more sense for direct train (assuming that’s Ashford near Feltham?)

Wandsworth Council (which includes Putney), also has one of the lowest council taxes in the country too, which is a bonus (although it’s much much higher now than the £36/yr that I paid!)

Richmond, Kingston and Twickenham are nice, but pricey… Hounslow’s a dump, unless it’s massively improved since I was last there.

I’d probably look at Twickenham.

I’ll have a look at Walden. Richmond station to Ashford looks quick. Ashford Hospital Postcode TW15 3AA

EDIT: Walden? My brain has died I’m afraid

Lived in Barnes for many years, great place.

Not to keen on Wimbledon.

Mortlake, Sheen, Richmond, Putney are all good.

Yeah, you deffo want to be on the trainline through Ashford, St Margrets, Twickenham, Richmond all ace – but you’ll pay

Yeah, you deffo want to be on the trainline through Ashford, St Margrets, Twickenham, Richmond all ace – but you’ll pay

Yeah I know, we’ve budgeted a grand a month for 1 bedroom place and tbh it’ll be the first time we’ve had 2 incomes so and only in London for couple years.

Lived in Barnes for many years, great place.

Not to keen on Wimbledon.

Mortlake, Sheen, Richmond, Putney are all good.

Cheers

Mortlake, Sheen, Richmond, Putney are all good.

Sheen is also right next to Richmond Park, definitely a bonus. (As is Richmond, funnily enough).

They’re all within a stones throw of Richmond Park, also we live right on the Thames and the Thames path out to Twickenham is great.

Also I’m in Epsom or St Helier in a years time, so if could find somewhere with good transport links for both years that would be a winner 😉

Well that changes things a bit. Kingston upon Thames? no direct trains between the 2 but must be buses both ways, and still excellent links in to town. And still access to Richmond Park.

edit: it was annoying when they changed the train from Waterloo via Staines to Guildford in to one going to Weybridge. I used to live in Guildford then Putney but work in Addlestone, meaning I had to change trains 👿 Also an option – and handy for Surrey Hills too 🙂

I was thinking of moving after a year intitally

Somewhere within walking distance of Clapham Junction would mean a reasonable commute for both years…

Check with this first, should help you decide.
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we’ve budgeted a grand a month for 1 bedroom place

Oh. That rules out most of SW London. After looking last year we found that Barnes to Twickenham were £1200 upwards for a one bed (Victorian/Edwardian conversion). From putney to Clapham seemed to be considerably more expensive.

Barnes is definitely the nicest bit along that line though.

Mortlake and Sheen are nice, and might be cheaper than “bigger name” places like Putney

Tooting Bec, puts you withing shouting distance of the Balham / Clapham set, but also near all the good food and Goat of Tooting. Try Moira court or Du Cane court

St Helier? You mean carshalton way?

Huws, found quite a lot for under 1200? Perhaps we have dif standards 😉

I’ll have a look at mortlake and sheen. Not desperate to be in clapham set etc just after somewhere nice and also lively that can get ti work in minimal time

St helier hospital, not sure if that’s carshalton or not

Yes, it is near carshalton. You could live in carshalton or sutton,for ashford. Not very londony but more convenient. Tooting bec leaves you on the right side and still relative.y cheap. You can movefurther out, to carshalton sutton wallington all tose osuthlondon / surrey places. Not very hip, but you get a lot more for your money. And you an get out reasonably easily.

Thanks I’ll look into those

I own rental flats in Kingston, a good 1 bedder in central Kingston is 1k pcm – watch the council tax its the highest in the country at 170 pcm.

You can live cheaper but it won’t be central & won’t be as nice.

PM me if you want to know more, I used to live in KT2 & commute to Epsom.

I live in Surbiton, I think its one of the best places to live in SW London. Loads of pubs and places to eat. Easy walk into Kingston, I live right by the river, 10 mins on the bike to Richmond park. 20 mins on the train to Waterloo. About 30-40 mins by car to either Surrey Hills or Swinley.
You could commute to Ashford by bike from Surbiton. Its nothing like “the Good Life” tho’. Big mix of types of housing.
Luvly place, but don’t tell anyone, its a bit of a secret.

Sutton is a good call, I like Sutton, there’s a bridleway right across the golf course.

I’d like to be able to strike out to trails but it’s not a priority

I lived in Richmond for 18 years and then Teddington for a 3 years. Richmond is fab but very pricey, lots of bars, restaurants etc and the river and Richmond Park on your doorstep, trains to town and the tube are also very handy, the fast train is 16 minutes to Waterloo. We moved to Teddington as we needed more space after having a kid, a two bed house in Teddington is the same price as a one bed flat in Richmond, somewhere around £1200-£1400 pcm and £200 in council tax. I really loved Teddington but its very sleepy and family friendly and the trains are a bit slow and crap, Bushy park is nice for a stroll and there are nice pub type bimbles along the Thames and river Wey to Godalming. Most of west London is very nice but I would say Barnes, Richmond and Teddington are the nicest bits, Wimbledon is also nice but very pricey and for some reason has never really floated my boat.