London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames () in southwest London, England, forms part of Outer London and is the only London borough on both sides of the River Thames. It was created in 1965 when three smaller council areas amalgamated under the London Government Act 1963. It is governed by Richmond upon Thames London Borough Council. The population is 198,019 and the major communities are Barnes, East Sheen, Mortlake, Kew, Richmond, Twickenham, Teddington and Hampton.
"Richmond upon Thames" redirects here. For the town, see Richmond, London.
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
1 April 1965
Nicholas Rogers (Conservative) AM for South West
22.17 sq mi (57.41 km2)
235th (of 296)
194,894
101st (of 296)
8,800/sq mi (3,400/km2)
GB-RIC
00BD
E09000027
The borough is home to Richmond Park, the largest park in London, along with the National Physical Laboratory and The National Archives. The attractions of Kew Gardens, Hampton Court Palace, Twickenham Stadium and the WWT London Wetlands Centre are within its boundaries and draw domestic and international tourism. In 2023, the borough was ranked first in Rightmove's Happy at Home index, making it the "happiest place to live in Great Britain"; the first time a London borough has taken the top spot.[1][2]
History[edit]
There had been a borough called Richmond since 1890 when the Municipal Borough of Richmond was created.[3] It was enlarged in 1892 to include Kew, Petersham and North Sheen, and again in 1933 to include Ham.[4]
The larger London Borough of Richmond upon Thames was created in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963, covering the combined area of the former borough of Richmond plus the neighbouring Municipal Borough of Barnes and the Municipal Borough of Twickenham. Barnes and Richmond had both been in Surrey prior to the reforms, whilst Twickenham had been in Middlesex. The area was transferred to Greater London to become one of the 32 London boroughs. The new borough was named 'Richmond upon Thames' rather than just Richmond as the old borough had been called; it is the only London borough to straddle the River Thames.[5]
Richmond upon Thames is twinned with: