Celebs that live in 'UK's happiest place to live' - and its hefty house prices

07 December 2023 , 16:11

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You're likely to bump into a celeb when wandering around Richmond (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

It's the leafy London borough with green spaces, riverside pubs and a strong sense of community. Richmond Upon Thames is the happiest place to live in the UK according to Rightmove’s Happy at Home Index, so it's no wonder the rich and famous flock to buy homes here.

House prices are high in the borough, with terraced properties topping an eye-watering £850,000 on average and semi-detached homes fetching more than £1m. Celebrity dwellings can cost a lot more than this - actress Jane Horrocks, McFly bassist Dougie Poynter and singer Rick Astley are among those who live in luxurious abodes. Read on for six of the best homes and stars linked to Richmond...

The national treasure

Legendary broadcaster Sir David Attenborough says Richmond is his favourite place (REX/Shutterstock)

Sir David Attenborough, 97, lives in a vibrant lilac house set in beautiful gardens in Richmond and calls the borough his favourite place - "partly because I live there, partly because my friends and family are there". The Blue Planet broadcaster couldn't see himself living anywhere else but London, saying "The climate suits me and London has the greatest serious music that you can hear any day of the week in the world – you think it's going to be Vienna or Paris or somewhere, but if you go to Vienna or Paris and say: 'Let's hear some good music', there isn't any."

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The rock'n'roll house

The Wick was sold for £15m two years ago (Nicolas Asfouri/EPA/REX/Shutterstock)

The Wick is one of the borough's most famous properties, formerly lived in by stars including actor Sir John Mills and Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood. A 1970s party house for rock royalty, which welcomed guests including Sir Mick Jagger, David Bowie and Eric Clapton in its hey day, The Wick was bought by The Who guitarist Pete Townshend in 1996. The musician sold the six bedroom home, which has a music studio and swimming pool, to an unknown buyer for £15m in 2021.

The Peaky Blinders star

Actor Tom became a real-life hero in Richmond when he caught a thief (PA)

Richard E.Grant lives in a Georgian rectory in the borough (Getty Images)

Actor Tom Hardy, 46, owns a £3.4m pad in Richmond and caused a stir back in 2017 when he attached an eye-catching chrome chimney to his property. The star's neighbours and the Richmond Society objected but he was allowed to keep the fixture. Tom, who has three children and is married to actress Charlotte Riley, proved he was a good neighbour the same year when he caught a thief who had crashed on a stolen moped after a high-speed chase on foot. An onlooker in Richmond said it was "like he’d switched to superhero mode in an action movie".

The homegrown actor

Richard E. Grant calls a Georgian rectory in Petersham, Richmond, home. Built in 1830 with a walled garden, he says the property looks like "a classic child’s drawing of a square-shaped house with chimneys". The Withnail & I star describes his decor as maximalist "from top to bottom", thanks in part to his and his wife Joan Washington's love of antiques. Of his study, Richard, who lost Joan to lung cancer two years ago after being married for 35 years, said: "It’s lined wall to wall with books, CD’s, memorabilia, flags, vintage Union Jack bunting, photographs, Pelham puppets, toys, and props from various jobs".

The Hollywood A-listers

Brad and Angelina took their family to Richmond's Odeon Cinema (Martin Karius/REX/Shutterstock)

Radio presenter Amanda made £1.5m profit on her home (Getty Images)

In happier times in the summer of 2012, now divorced Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie lived in nine-bedroom mansion Whornes Place when the actor was filming World War Z. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson later moved into the Tudor property, which is set in three-acre riverside grounds, in 2018 when he was shooting The Fast And The Furious spin-off Hobbs and Shaw. The home boasts fully contained staff quarters, five lounges, indoor and outdoor pools, a gym and a tennis court.

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The glamorous telly star

Amanda Holden, 52, sold her Richmond home for a cool £5m in August, a year after it went up for sale. The Britain's Got Talent judge had bought her five-bedroom pad back in 2015 for £3.5m, moving in with husband Chris and daughters Lexi, 17 and Hollie, 11. Special features at the house which were loved by the star included a garden hot tub, a bespoke kitchen complete with three £850 disco ball-style lights and a dressing room for Amanda with a remote-controlled mirror and lights.

Vikki White