Mortlake or Sheen ? St Leonards Road, SW14

Image: © Stefan Czapski Taken: 14 Nov 2014

Showing some of the earliest housing to survive in this area - quite possibly pre-dating the arrival of the railway in 1846. These days local residents may well refer to this area as Sheen, but the name of the local station - just a couple of minutes' walk away - is Mortlake. As I have noted before http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2518817 place names around here have wandered over the centuries. The name Mortlake once referred to a distinct riverside settlement, while East Sheen was a hamlet on higher ground further south, towards Richmond Park. In the course of the 19th century the heart of old Mortlake was redeveloped as a huge brewery, while - somewhat later - residential development took place along the Upper Richmond Road, with a focus at what became 'Sheen shops'. These days 'Mortlake' has for the most part been swallowed up by Sheen, though the name re-asserts itself a couple of times each year - for the varsity Boat Race and the Head of the River.

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