A NEW national happiness ranking has named Teddington's borough as the second happiest place in the UK.

Results of a study by Rightmove show Richmond upon Thames is second only to Hexham in the UK happiness league - and first in London.

The news comes eight months after Teddington was named the best place to live in London, thanks to its community spirit, riverside location and hub of independent shops and cafés.

Richmond upon Thames was the only place in the capital to make it into the top 20 nationally. Nearby borough Kingston upon Thames ranked third in London but 54th overall.

The borough, however, also ranked in the top 20 for house prices by Rightmove.

The average home here goes for just under £1.2million, which may well put a smile on the face of home owners but has the effect of pricing out many young people and families.

In contrast, the Northumbrian market town of Hexham which came first in the rankings has an average house price of £297,088.

Third place in this year's rankings went to Harrogate in Yorkshire and Hove, in Sussex, placed fourth.

Last year Richmond was placed tenth in the UK.

The Happy at Home Index, in its tenth year, was conducted among over 21,000 people across Great Britain.

It asks residents how they feel about where they live, as well as asking them to rank ten happiness factors

The ten factors include whether people feel a sense of belonging; are people are friendly and polite; can I be myself; nature and green spaces; a real sense of community spirit; artistic and cultural activities; opportunities to develop skills; non-essential amenities e.g. restaurants, shops; essential local services e.g. doctors, schools; sports and recreational activities.

Richmond's primary schools are among the best performing in the country while Bushy and Richmond parks are on our doorstep.

Sports venues such as Twickenham Stadium and The Stoop are major attraction, and the area also scores well in league tables looking at population health and levels of cycling.

Rightmove said: "Feeling a sense of belonging and being able to be yourself in your area were the most important factors for people to be happy where they live

"Community spirit was even more important to people's happiness this year."

Related stories

Teddington residents on why our town is the best place to live in London

Teddington reacts to being named best place to live in London