David Attenborough was born in Isleworth near Richmond in 1926 before moving to Leicester. He returned to Richmond in 1951 and has called this charming London suburb his beloved home for over seven decades, describing it as his favorite place on Earth.
The David Attenborough Childhood Home Richmond Birthplace of a Broadcasting Legend
When you think of Sir David Attenborough, you probably picture him whispering beside a family of mountain gorillas or narrating the stunning landscapes of Planet Earth. But before he became the voice of nature itself, he started life as a baby boy born on May 8, 1926, in Isleworth, Middlesex. This small town sits right next to Richmond, the area that would eventually become the place he’d treasure most in the entire world.
It’s pretty amazing when you think about it. Here’s someone who has traveled to every corner of our planet, from the frozen Antarctic to the scorching deserts of Africa, yet he considers a quiet London suburb to be his favorite spot on Earth. That tells you something special about Richmond and about the man himself.
Early Days Near Richmond
David Frederick Attenborough came into the world as the middle child of three boys. His older brother Richard would go on to become a famous actor and director, while his younger brother John would work in the automotive industry. Their father, Frederick Attenborough, was an academic who would soon become the principal of University College in Leicester.
The family didn’t stay in the Isleworth area for very long. When David was just five years old, his father accepted the position at Leicester in 1932, and the whole family moved to College House right on the university campus. This would become David’s true childhood home, where he spent his formative years collecting fossils, catching newts, and developing the passion for nature that would define his entire life.
At College House, young David had the run of the university grounds. He spent countless hours exploring, building what he proudly called his “museum” of natural specimens. The house itself had an unusual history. It used to be a mental health facility, and some of the old padded cells were still there. David’s older brother Richard once locked him in one of these cells as a prank, which must have been quite the childhood memory.
A Family’s Compassion
The Attenborough home wasn’t just a place of learning and exploration. It was also a place of tremendous kindness. During World War II, David’s parents opened their doors to two Jewish refugee girls from Germany, Helga and Irene Bejach. The girls were nine and eleven years old when they arrived in 1939 through a British volunteer network. They lived with the Attenborough family for seven years before moving to New York to be with their uncle.
This act of compassion during such dark times shows the values that David grew up with. His parents taught him and his brothers about caring for others and standing up for what’s right. These lessons would later influence David’s passionate advocacy for protecting our planet and its creatures.
The Pull of Richmond
Even though David spent his childhood in Leicester, the Richmond area clearly left an impression on him. In 1951, at age 25, David made a decision that would shape the rest of his life. He moved to Richmond, falling head over heels for the neighborhood’s open green spaces and natural beauty. He was just starting his career at the BBC, having joined as a trainee producer the year before.
Richmond offered something special. This charming suburb manages to feel like countryside while still being connected to central London. It has the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, the vast Richmond Park with its wild deer, and the Thames River winding through it all. For someone with David’s love of nature, it must have felt like paradise.
Building a Life in Richmond
David married Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel in 1950, and together they made Richmond their home. This would be their sanctuary, the place where they raised their two children, Robert and Susan. The neighborhood provided the perfect balance for David’s extraordinary career. He could disappear into the jungles of Borneo or the Australian outback for months at a time, then return to the peace and beauty of Richmond.
In 2009, David did something that shows just how committed he is to this area. He bought an old pub next to his house called the Hole in the Wall. But he didn’t turn it into another pub or tear it down. Instead, he plans to extend his home into it and create a wildlife-friendly outdoor space complete with an orchard, a glasshouse, and even a “bog garden” for marsh plants. That’s so typical of David, wanting to create more habitat for wildlife right in his own backyard.
During the construction work, builders made a gruesome discovery. They found a human skull buried on the property, which turned out to be connected to a 130-year-old murder mystery from Richmond’s past. A widow had been killed by her housekeeper back in 1879, and while the killer was caught and executed, the victim’s head had never been found until it turned up on David’s property. It’s the kind of historical mystery that adds another layer to Richmond’s rich story.
Why Richmond Remains His Favorite
In interviews over the years, David has been remarkably consistent about his feelings for Richmond. He’s called it his “favorite place on Earth,” which is quite a statement from someone who has literally seen the entire planet. He loves the overall climate of London, but more importantly, Richmond is where his friends and family are located.
After Jane passed away in 1997 from a brain hemorrhage while David was filming in New Zealand, the Richmond home took on even deeper meaning. It became both a place of memories and a source of comfort. David wrote about that devastating moment, how a doctor suggested he hold Jane’s hand to see if she would respond. She squeezed his hand back one last time. “The focus of my life, the anchor had gone,” he wrote. “Now I was lost.”
Yet Richmond helped ground him. The familiar streets, the parks where he’d walked with his family, the community that knew and respected him, all of these provided stability during an incredibly difficult time. He continued living there alone, surrounded by reminders of the life he’d built with Jane.
Inside the Richmond Home
We don’t know everything about David’s Richmond house because he’s always been quite private. But over the years, a few glimpses have emerged. Photos from 2005 show a comfortable living room with striking lilac carpets and white walls. There’s a set of brown leather sofas, a white bookcase filled with what you’d imagine are natural history books, and a dark oak wooden dresser. Wildlife pictures hang on the walls, of course. There’s also a dark oak coffee table in the middle of the seating area.
The house is modest, especially for someone of David’s stature. He lives simply and humbly, which seems to be part of his character. He doesn’t need a mansion or flashy decorations. What he needs is a comfortable space surrounded by the nature he loves, and Richmond provides exactly that.
His garden has become increasingly important to him. At 99 years old, he’s not traveling as much as he used to, though he’s still remarkably active. The wildlife-friendly garden he’s creating gives him a chance to observe nature right outside his door. It’s come full circle in a way. The little boy who collected fossils and caught newts in Leicester is now an old man creating habitats in Richmond.
A Neighborhood That Values Nature
Richmond itself has become a popular place for people who appreciate what it offers. Property portal Rightmove frequently ranks it as one of the happiest places to live in London. The area has excellent schools, low crime rates, and those precious green spaces that are increasingly rare in a city as large as London.
Other celebrities have chosen to live in Richmond too, including Emma Thompson. But the neighborhood hasn’t lost its character despite the famous residents. It remains a real community where people actually know their neighbors. There’s a reason why David has stayed put for more than 70 years. This isn’t just a house to him. This is home in the truest sense of the word.
The average house price in Richmond sits around £937,000, which shows just how desirable the area has become. But for David, who bought his home back in 1951, it’s not about property values or status. It’s about the oak trees in Richmond Park, the riverside walks along the Thames, and the connection to a place that has been constant throughout his remarkable life.
From Isleworth to the World and Back
David Attenborough’s journey started just a stone’s throw from Richmond in Isleworth. Though his childhood was spent primarily in Leicester, he found his way back to this corner of London as a young man and never left. Through decades of groundbreaking television work, through personal triumphs and heartbreaking loss, through all the changes the world has seen, Richmond has remained his anchor.
Today, at 99 years old, Sir David Attenborough can look out his window at the trees and gardens of Richmond and know that he’s exactly where he wants to be. The boy born in nearby Isleworth became the world’s most beloved naturalist, but he never forgot the value of having a place to call home. For him, that place has always been Richmond, and the feeling is clearly mutual. The neighborhood even has Attenborough Fields named in honor of his family’s earlier connection to the area through Haydon Hill House in Bushey, though that was a different branch of the Attenborough family.
When David says Richmond is his favorite place on Earth, he’s not just being polite or nostalgic. He’s speaking a simple truth. After seeing every wonder the natural world has to offer, he’s chosen to spend his final years in a quiet London suburb where deer roam in the park, the Thames flows gently by, and a lifetime of memories surrounds him. That choice tells us everything we need to know about what truly matters in life.
A Legacy Rooted in Place
Richmond isn’t just where David Attenborough lives. It’s part of who he is. The peace he’s found there has allowed him to continue his work well into his tenth decade. Even now, he’s still making documentaries and speaking out about the importance of protecting our planet. His most recent film, Ocean, was released in 2025, proving that age hasn’t dimmed his passion or his commitment.
From his Richmond home, David has influenced generations of people to care about the natural world. He’s shown us the beauty of our planet and warned us about the dangers it faces. And through it all, he’s remained grounded in this special corner of London, the place where his story began and where it continues to unfold. Richmond shaped David Attenborough, and in turn, David Attenborough has helped millions of people see the world with fresh eyes, appreciating the incredible diversity of life that shares our planet. That’s quite a legacy for a boy who started life just down the road in Isleworth.
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