PalenQ

Took a day trip from London last Feb to Virginia Water, with the goal of walking thru the upper reaches of Great Windsor Park, where Virginia Water, a large lake is located, and then down thru the vast park to Windsor Castle and Windsor and get a train back to London from there.

Well Virginia Water is something very very different from anyplace i've seen in the U.K.

Now i'm talking about Virginia Water the town, around the train station of the same name (trains from Waterloo) - when i came out of the station i emerged into one of the most MOST upscale areas of huge homes lining the road from the station to the park, about a mile or so away.

The homes were huge and all set off in their own verdant yards. Many were behind gated areas that resembled a lovely park - old trees, bits of forests, etc.

I had never seen such immense homes in London - i wonder if this is a one off - the wealthiest area of London? I suspect not and would like to know of other areas?

But anyway the line of huge mansions lining the street leading to the park is not the reason i came here - but to see Virginia Water and the several neat things around it.

hetismij

Virginia Water is not London! It is Surrey. And yes it is a wealthy area, with Wentworth Golf Course, and it's surrounding mansions, and plenty of "stars" owning homes in the area. Elton John has had a home there for many decades.
I love Virginia Water - the lake that is not the town, one of my favourite places as a girl, with many happy memories there.

PalenQ

hetismij - i think it was you that gave me the idea to go to Virginia Water - if so thank you. A delightful lake and park - half of the prams in London were walking around there on the brilliant 60 degree Saturday day in early Feb i was there.

PatrickLondon

On the assumption Pal's asking out of genuine sociological interest, rather than planning a burglary spree, similarly wealthy areas would be St George's Hill in Weybridge (but for a note of historical irony, see http://www.elmbridgemuseum.org.uk/?D...=100.050x1)and The Bishops Avenue in Hampstead.

PalenQ

Thank you - Patrick - more places to hunt down

yes ironic the diggers were the first socialists and now this.

thanks again

PS - I stay in Eltham and i've only found Bowling Greens there to steal so yes am looking for more fertile territory.

hetismij

St Georges Hill was home to a couple of Beatles plus lots of other stars, (including the ubiquitous Elton John!)

Saint Ann's Hill also had it's share of stars. Keith Moon used to regularly visit a pub nearby which was also my local for a while thanks to the then boyfriend. Had a few drinks with Keith.
It was a lovely area, now ruined by the proximity of M3 motorway sadly.

flanneruk

London's most expensive houses have never been in these slightly naff-ish suburbs.

Your typical Russian kleptocrat, ruler of a Middle East state who wants somewhere he can drink and whore in peace, or - back in the day - hedge fund billionaire will have his main house in town (usually Holland Park, Mayfair or parts of Chelsea) and a period gaff withb a few hundred acres somewhere round here.

It's claimed - though who knows what the evidence is - that at the £20 mn+ level, central London house prices are still pretty stable.

PalenQ

Virginia Water - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Virginia Water is a large village, a lake and, originally, a stream, the village being in the ... making it one of the wealthiest locations in England. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Water - 27k

PatrickLondon

flanner has a point, of course. The <i>seriously</i> rich we never hear about: that's how they got rich and manage to stay rich.