
Grosvenor Road - the best road in Richmond? The residents seem to think so…
Grosvenor Road is an L-shaped, one-way road running from the lower end of Mount Ararat Road to the middle of The Vineyard by the Dukes Head Pub. There are 54 houses on the road, all Victorian except for six Edwardian terrace houses at the bottom.
The Edwardian houses built in 1908 on the site of a farm all have lovely 50ft gardens and three/four bedrooms. Four out of the six also have off-street parking. Opposite is four grand detached Victorian five bedroom houses with raised ground floors and large south facing gardens and all but one have off-street parking. On the vertical stretch of the road there are a mixture of styles and sizes of Victorian semi-detached houses with one detached and a few terrace houses built around the 1860s. All have pretty front gardens and many are covered in incredible flowering wisteria. The smaller houses near the lower end have raised ground floors and lovely sunny west facing gardens. A couple of which are still owned by the local diocese and are rented out as flats. The others range from three to five bedrooms. All have good sized gardens, which is relatively rare in central Richmond.
You can’t talk about Grosvenor Road without mentioning Grosvenor Avenue a cul-de-sac which sits behind Grosvenor Road on the edge of the burial ground. There are seven charming double fronted cottages with small rear gardens built in the 1890s. There’s parking in front and the loveliest aspect of the Vineyard Passage Burial Ground which is maintained by a dedicated group of volunteers, many of whom live on Grosvenor Road. Don’t miss their annual cake sale in June - Cathy’s Welsh Cakes and Jill’s Christmas Chutney are delicious.
At the top of Grosvenor Road on the left is The Dukes Head pub run by Pat and Mairead, with Chris as their excellent right hand. You can’t beat Mairead’s Sunday roasts where nothing is too much trouble. Chris always creates a friendly welcomes and landlord Pat can be relied upon for a keg of beer for the street parties.
Opposite is Clearwater House, private retirement housing for the over 55s with resident management staff and alarm service. Twenty-five flats and bungalows set in beautifully maintained grounds. There’s a real community spirit with lots of social groups often congregating in the Duke’s Head! This is in the former Vineyard School, founded in 1867 by a group of non conformists who didn’t support the concept of exclusively Anglican education for the poor. The British and Foreign School Society helped to set up non-denominational schools “British Schools”. The Vineyard School moved to its current premises on Friars Stile Road in the 1980s but its original building has survived. Finally, The Vineyard Organic Day Nursery for three month-five year olds is at the bottom of the road.
The residents are a complete mix with the youngest at under one years old and a few in their 90s at the other end. Many of the residents have lived her for over forty years and welcome newcomers with open arms. Even those who leave the road for other countries can’t help returning when they return to the UK for the street’s book club or a catch up at The Dukes Head.
Average Property Price: £2,081,000.00.
Local Knowledge & Neighbourhood Haunts:
Situated on the lower slopes of Richmond Hill, just a few minutes walk to the centre of town and the train station, Grosvenor is perfect for those wanting quick access to all of Richmond’s amenities whilst living in a peaceful location.
School catchments are great with the children in the street going to a mixture of the most outstanding state primary and senior schools including The Vineyard, Marshgate, The Russell School, GreyCourt and Waldegrave. A number of children also go to some of the easily accessible private schools including Kingston Grammar, St Paul’s and Latymer.
What The Neighbours Say:
“Grosvenor Road is most cheerful. What makes it so special are its people who are fun, friendly and interesting - no wonder our street parties are so notorious! There's a true feeling of community with everyone looking out for each other and you'll always get a warm welcome at The Dukes Head which is a proper local, thank goodness. The unusual L shape lends character and the one-way system means it is quiet - perfect for stopping and having a chat with a neighbour. I've been lucky to live here for 13 years and just love it”. Alex
“Grosvenor Road, in the four decades I have lived here, has always had a reputation as one of the friendliest places in Richmond. Our street parties are legendary. So it’s heart-warming to know a new generation is maintaining the tradition of altruism and good neighbourliness”. Barry
“Living on Grosvenor Road is truly like no other. There are many neighbours who have known each other for decades yet they show the same incredible warmth to new residents, going out of their way to welcome everyone to the neighbourhood. The street parties are legendary, whilst regular social nights such as the reading club and quiz night helps people stay in touch. Notably, everyone looks out for each other and In difficult times especially during COVID Lockdown, such generosity, care and help has been offered without reservation to neighbours as well as the wider community. We have often joked that moving away is simply not an option as we would miss the neighbourhood and friends too much.”” Ya-Lin
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