London SW14 (East Sheen/Mortlake)
Until Henry VII got a little homesick for the Yorkshire estates of his Earldom, and Sheen was renamed Richmond, this ancient manor encompassed a considerable slice of south Thames London, with a royal heritage stretching back to the 12
Century. Mortlake, to the north, was similarly distinguished, with the Archbishop of Canterbury judging it an ideal location in which to build a palace.
Chroniclers of London's grislier past have been quick to lend a French inflection to etymologies of the place (mort dead) linking its name with the procession of Black Death corpses drifting downriver and nudging the banks of this bend in the Thames.
With a mention in Domesday, it seems the origins of Mortlake's name are probably more obscure than the watery grave speculations would have us believe. In any case, any troubled spirits still emanating from the plague pits would have a fair job finding their way through the bricks and mortar that the ensuing centuries of gentrification have brought to the region.
Sitting snugly between the Surrey-in-the-City enclaves of Kew and Barnes, with the Thames above and Richmond Park below, it's not hard to see why the area has long been attracting some of London's most well-to-do. Indeed, in a confirmation of its middle class eminence, the most celebrated traffic along this stretch of the Thames these days are the Cambridge and Oxford boats, whose annual punt reaches its end here.
Properties in Mortlake and East Sheen form something of an architectural palimpsest. Imposing 17
and 18
Century mansions overlooking the Thames to the north and Richmond Park to the south, gave way to the fun and follies of Victorian affluence. These were, in turn, overtaken by a distinctly upmarket version of early 20
century suburban development.
Happily, slices from all the layers of this property history are readily available, although at a price. The topography of the area sees expensive properties squeezed between rather more expensive properties.
However, if you are sufficiently wealthy to be immune from light-headedness this high up on the property ladder, there are comparative bargains to be had. The price of dropping a number from your postcode and stepping into neighbouring Barnes is substantial, and if you can possibly do without a duck pond, your many pounds will get you much more in Mortlake and East Sheen.
Furthermore, as well as families bailing out of Chelsea and Fulham in search of open space, there are plenty of resident glitterati and increasingly young and affluent buyers keeping the area high in the fashionable location stakes.
Whilst Barnes has kept many of its period properties intact, conversions in Mortlake are plentiful, with two bedroom flats and maisonettes something of a staple. Roads running parallel and to the east of Ashleigh Road house expensive Edwardian options whilst around the station and brewery areas prices slide (but not that much!).
Mortlake High Street runs along the bank of the Thames, and whilst its widening was the death knell to any remaining village atmosphere, the view from the Riverside houses (many are grand Victorian affairs) gives them the highest price tags in the area.
Turner was suitably smitten to paint a somewhat Venetian imprint of the prospect here (Mortlake Terrace, 1826) and some of the 18
Century architecture on his canvas survives in the form of The Limes and Leyden House. Modern developers are continually scouting for opportunities along this stretch and if you fancy a clear view of clattering Oxbridge oars, half a million pounds will buy you a contemporary Penthouse apartment in a wharf style block.
In the small streets heading down into East Sheen you'll find picturesque lanes of Victorian terraced cottages clustered tightly together. The most popular are to be found in the Royals area, a match for Little Chelsea in Barnes in all but price. The properties along the Model Cottages pathway are also highly sought after. Originally constructed for poor labourers in the mid 19
Century, they now give shelter for a little under £400,000.
South of the Upper Richmond Road, which slices through East Sheen, is the area known as Parkside. Roads here become wider and meander towards Richmond Park. In the Palewell Park area and along Christ Church and Fife Road the houses are a wide assortment of Victorian, Edwardian, mid and post war build, with one thing in common: they are very much on the large side. This area is a candy-store for the house buyer with means, and a walk-through architectural history lesson for the passer by.
Richmond Upper Road West has the supermarkets (including Waitrose and Safeway) and shops that you might expect of a busy high street. But as well as familiar high street friends, the area has some interesting specialist shops, along Sheen Road in particular, and the overly-generous selection of well regarded restaurants draws the fashionably hungry from surrounding towns.
Sandwiched by the River Thames and Richmond Park, it would be a myopic feat of some proportion to find a lack of recreational possibilities in the area. On the water, aside from the yearly splashing of the gowns in town, the boat club at Mortlake organises regattas and opportunities for general messing about on the river. On the green, there's the Royal Ballet School, miles of parkland and plenty of deer hopping about.
Should you need a further shot of rural romanticism, you can always wander over to Barnes and knock a few cricket balls into the duck pond. Most locals see this area as their retreat from the big city, and are only too aware of the various attractions that lie on the other side of the water. Even so, London and all its glittering delights are nearer than these almost-Surrey residents might like to imagine.
There's an excellent selection of state schools in the area; Richmond Borough repeatedly scores highly on the league tables. Prestigious private schools are also in ready supply. The nearby Swedish school is popular with local ex-pats.
The city really is a stone's throw away, and there are good train services to Waterloo from Mortlake Station. The A316 provides links to the A3, M3/25 and the world beyond.
Heathrow is also very near, and any latter day John Dee studying the sky would be likely to find their vision somewhat clouded by overhead traffic.
The noise pollution raining down from the sky is a gripe uniting the residents across the belt of glamorous south London postcodes so don't be surprised to find strange rituals being performed on Richmond Green to conjure up the easterly wind that will carry the noise over beyond Twickenham.
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