The wonder of THE WICK

RICHMOND, Teddington and Kingston are consistently among the top five areas in the UK for property value and lifestyle, but nestling in the middle of these big three is a charming little place that you can miss in a blink. For those who have discovered it though, Hampton Wick is unrivalled.

Across the river from Kingston and four miles south of Richmond, the Wick, as locals call it - themselves known as Wickians - has a true village feel.

Bounded on one side by the River Thames and on another two by the expanses of royal parks, Bushy and Home, the only way it can stretch is along a narrow, milelong strip up to Teddington.

With a population of 8,000, it has a pond, a church that chimes on the hour, 1,800 acres of lush parkland, a cricket pitch and pavilion, small library, post office and six local pubs.

Not surprisingly, much of the village is a conservation area. At weekends, a finishing touch to the serene scene is the clip-clop of Philippa, the palomino that pulls a Victorian carriage from her nearby stables in view of Hampton Court Palace to a wedding in Richmond.

While this may be a close community, it is also one with open attitudes. If the peace disturbs you, it is only 30 minutes to Waterloo, with eight trains an hour. So close to central London, yet here you smell nature rather than noxious fumes. You can see it, too; in the parks there are 750 deer, along with rabbits, pheasants, herons, woodpeckers and bushytailed foxes. With the wooded Surrey Hills as a backdrop, you could be in the heart of the countryside, a sense betrayed only by the distant planes descending to Heathrow, nine miles away.

This is where London meets the country.

Walk five minutes from Kingston, and you will see scrawny city pigeons transform into their plump wood pigeon cousins. You will also see dogged high-street shoppers replaced by dog walkers in high- topped wellies, and noisy bars calming to cosy locals.

Robert Cruickshank, managing director of Ross Hand Estate Agents in the high street, says this is a major appeal: "Hampton Wick is just a stone's throw over the bridge from Kingston, but apart, and increasingly popular". Indeed, "over the bridge" is understood by Wickians to mean a huge shop or big night out at Kingston's numerous bars, nightclubs or restaurants. Not that the Wick doesn't have its own entertainment and restaurants: Thai, Chinese, Indian, Sanho Noodle Bar and Wickers Restaurant within one of the village's two small hotels.

"The Wick has so much going for it," says Cruickshank. "It has the river, parks, excellent transport links, including being close to Heathrow but, without the aircraft noise." The Hampton Wick Riverside development of 40 flats around a marina, with two restaurants and a wine bar on a terrace, will feature a riverside village square where locals can read the paper and have a coffee. Its completion next month, will only add to the Wick's appeal. Prices for two-bedroom flats here start at Pounds 525,000. "Elsewhere," says Cruickshank, "there is a mix of styles and sizes of property, from purposebuilt one-bedroom flats at Pounds 175,000 to seven-bedroom riverside mansions costing Pounds 2 million. Our typical sale is a two-bedroom flat at about Pounds 295,000, or three- bedroom Edwardian and Victorian homes from Pounds 350,000. Like the property, the people here are a mix; commuting couples, others who work in the area and families.

"Hampton Wick Riverside will pull up all prices, plus, as a pure amenity, it is lovely. The high street, which is already becoming as trendy as Teddington's, will react accordingly and be yet another attraction.

"Because there is limited property - and it has to remain like that because it's bordered by the river and parks - as demand increases, this will increase house prices. Over the next year, Hampton Wick will be the real hot spot, and is likely to perform better than Richmond, Teddington and Kingston."

While it may be sleepy, asleep it is not: this is a community with character. There is a distinct bohemian feel, due to the boatdwellers and creative types who wish to follow the way of Lorna Doone author RD Blackmore, who lived here 150 years ago.

For sporty Wickians, there are football pitches, tennis courts, cricket, yoga and t ' a i - chi, Hampton Court Palace Golf Club and a gym, and most evenings cha-cha or swing music can be heard drifting from the open windows of the Assembly Rooms, where dancing lessons are held. Within a five-minute drive are three swimming pools (Teddington, Kingston and Hampton heated open-air pool), but locals in the know take a dip in one of the sandybottomed park ponds in the summer. There is also a skate park for teenagers and Kingston University's students who live in the Wick's halls of residence.

For much younger students, there are a couple of nurseries, an infant school and excellent local secondary schools. The closest is Teddington School, where actress Keira Knightley attended. Many grownup Wickians went to these schools and have remained in the area. Well, why would they leave?

More homes on offer

Pounds 550,000: Cedars Road, KT1. A five-bedroom house with three reception rooms that is in need of updating. Through Dexters (020 8288 8288) Pounds 615,000: Saddlers Mews, KT1. A four-bedroom town house close to the station. Through Levene Chartered Surveyors (as before) Pounds 225,000: Elton Close, KT1. A west-facing balcony makes this second-floor two-bedroom flat light and airy.

Through Ross Hand (as before)

What's on offer Pounds 745,000: St Johns Road, KT1. This detached former coach house has three bedrooms, two reception rooms and a conservatory, and is built around a courtyard garden. Through John D Wood Co (020 7824 7909) Pounds 379,950: The Nook, Burgoine Quay, KT1. Five minutes from Hampton Wick station and by the river, this two/three-bedroom property is as individual as they come.

Through Levene Chartered Surveyors (020 8977 6886) Pounds 595,000: Lower Teddington Road, KT1. Tucked away in an enviable position right on the river front is this newly built, contemporary-style three- storey house with three bedrooms. Through Ross Hand (020 8977 9770)

'I came to the Wick for its atmosphere' DEBS Scrivener, 26, an account handler, has lived in Hampton Wick for two years: "I used to live in Walton-on-Thames, but often came to Hampton Wick for its friendly village atmosphere and great parks.

Now I live in the Wick with my boyfriend and Elvis the dog.

"There's a nice sense of community here, and even though it's a village, there is a good choice of places to eat, especially Sanho Noodle Bar. And we are spoilt for choice for walks with Elvis.

"Central London is also only 30 minutes away by train, but everything I need is here, in Kingston or Richmond."

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