The Secret Gardens

St Margarets, across the Thames in Twickenham, is usually billed as Richmond's more affordable neighbour.

But stroll through the streets close to Twickenham Bridge - Ailsa Road, St Georges Road, St Peters Road and The Avenue - with some property particulars in your hand and you'll be faced with something of a conundrum.

The houses are certainly grand - detached Victorian mansions with sweeping driveways, and substantial semi-detached family homes - but the prices here (start at £1m and keep counting) seem more appropriate to the prestigious properties on Richmond Hill than to anything on this side of the river.

To those unfamiliar with the neighbourhood, the reason for the seven figure price tags will not be immediately apparent.

But to homebuyers in the know, these imposing properties possess a secret which pushes their value well beyond the average for the area: 12 acres of private enclosed pleasure grounds complete with tennis courts, parkland, and a beautiful ornamental lake.

The St Margarets Trust Grounds, as they are known, were laid out in 1854 when the Conservative Land Association bought Twickenham Park from the Earl of Kilmorey and drew up plans for the construction of a residential estate for gentlemen and the professional middle classes.

The development was part of the speculative boom which created so many of London's suburbs, but in this instance there was also a more venal motivation: by building substantial properties on large plots the Conservatives ensured that the owners would qualify to vote under the Reform Act of 1832, and thus hoped to place clear blue water between the neighbourhood and their Liberal rivals.

From this piece of inspired gerrymandering emerged a development of some 272 properties built around three large pleasure grounds - The Lake Grounds, The River Grounds and The Avenue Grounds. A Trust was set up, covenants were produced which restricted the ability of the owners to develop their plots, and Trustees were appointed to maintain the Grounds.

These days the original estate and its management structure remain but only those properties backing onto the Grounds - about 140 in total - are part of the charmed circle with access to the green acres tucked away behind otherwise unremarkable residential streets.

The width of a road can make all the difference: according to Peter Shaw of Featherstone Leigh, property on the Grounds side will fetch at least 20% more than one with a regular garden.

Some things, of course, money can't buy: talk to residents and they'll tell you that the real value of the Grounds resides in its remarkable community spirit. Susan Fitz-Gibbon of Fitz-Gibbon , has lived here for the past six years and is delighted that she and her family choose to leave Chiswick for St Margarets rather than abandon London for the country:

"It's a unique little area close to the heart of Richmond with a great sense of community. I can't think of anywhere else with such great facilities for children without the hassle of looking after a garden. There's lots of wildlife - foxes, squirrels, waterfowl - which is wonderful for the kids. It's a genuine pleasure ground rather than a formal park - the idea is to keep it as natural and accessible as possible".

With this in mind, the residents make best use of what amounts to a glorious and enviable amenity. "Each Ground has a committee which organises social events," says Susan.

"On the Avenue Ground we have a bonfire night, a fireworks night, a sports day a camping night. Residents of each Ground have access to all the others. Every July all three Grounds get together for an annual dance."

This combination of space, security and social interaction is certainly an alluring one and buyers are clamouring to get a foot in the door. "It's very sought-after," says Susan.

"People go well out of their way to get a property on the Grounds and some will fight tooth-and-nail to live here. We constantly get cards through the door offering to buy should we wish to move".

Prices needless to say, reflect both the desirability of the estate and Richmond's elevated status. But it wasn't always thus. When David Hodgson, the current Chairman of the Board of Trustees moved here thirty years ago he did so with some reluctance.

"We were living in a cottage on Richmond Hill and we wanted a larger place. My wife suggested the Trust Grounds. Back then many of the properties were carved up into bedsits and it was definitely a step down in the world".

Since then the reputation of the area has soared and many of the large properties have been returned to single occupany, though in an ironic twist the current Government seems eager to reverse that trend.

"When I bought my house and converted it back into single use," says David, "everyone was delighted, but now the policy is to encourage affordable housing and multiple occupancy. There's a long-running battle over the fate of a derelict property on St Georges Road - we'd rather see the integrity of the neighbourhood and the properties maintained".

As it stands, families with kids remain the mainstay of the Grounds - according to a book produced by the residents there has been "a continuous mix of professional and medical families who have formed an unbroken chain throughout the last century" - and the locals seem determined to keep it that way.

But rising prices have inevitably priced the current generation of long-standing families out of an increasingly exclusive market. In the eighties merchant bankers began to make an appearance and more recently a steady stream of TV and media celebrities - Greg Dyke, John Stapleton, and, until her recent departure, Anthea Turner - have kept values spiralling. Film crews have also been attracted to the area - in 1980 The French Lieutanant's Woman was filmed in a house on St Peter's Road.

Overall, however, the Grounds remain a delightful rural oasis in the midst of a busy London neighbourhood and the residents remain confident that this will continue uninterrupted. Determined to protect and preserve the Grounds as a resource for families, their book, Grounds for Celebration ends on a positive note:

"It is very probable that the next century will see few changes to the physical aspect of the Grounds while the old familiar problems (dogs, children, bikes, rubbish) will keep on recurring".

The grandees who ran the Conservative Land Association would undoubtedly approve, but they would certainly take a dim view of the area's current political affiliation: for the moment the Lib Dems now hold sway in these parts - though that might change with the coming local elections.

Grounds for Celebration (£10.00) is available from Michael Inwards. 020 8891 3488.

Links
St Margaret's Estate Residents Association

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