The neighbourhood represents most of the residential area of Barnes, to the west of the Barnes Peninsular, facing Chiswick across the River Thames. The area is part of the Castelnau residential area, which dates back to Georgian times. Castelnau Road forms the border between the western and eastern part of the Peninsular, and traverses the area. The road is dominated by large family homes with substantial gardens, while the houses off the road are a combination of Victorian terraces and more modern inter and post-war builds. There are also pockets of council housing, built in the 70s. The banks of the River Thames are mostly green space, with the Leg O’ Mutton reservoir, St. Paul’s School and The Swedish School occupying most of the waterfront. Other sites of greenery include Castelnau Recreation Ground in the middle of the postcode sector. Overall, the area is a quiet residential neighbourhood, its isolation helped by the encapsulating River Thames.

Castelnau’s (pronounced Castle-nor) name comes from Major Charles Lestock Boileau (1800-1889), who built a house here, which he called Castelnau House, after his family’s former estate in Nimes, France (Castelnau de la Garde). The Major and his family were Huguenots, who were being religiously persecuted back in France. Boileau started to build Castelnau Villas and other cottages in 1843, and the village began to grow, resulting in the consecration of the Church of Holy Trinity in 1868. Boileau did so much for the area that the road leading up to the bridge was renamed Castelnau after his death (though it did not stop Castelnau House from being demolished in the early-1960s, to be replaced by a public library).

The Leg O’ Mutton is a mile-long perimeter which separates a body of water from the River Thames. Shaped like a leg of mutton from above, it also acts as a reservoir, where multiple species of birds, such as the cormorant, heron and tufted duck can be seen. Poplar trees dating back to the 1850s also litter the site.

The Harrodian School is right next to the Leg O’ Mutton, and is an independent day school on the former site of Herrods Sports Club. Robert Pattinson attended this school for a time, though he was kicked out for stealing X-rated magazines from a local store and then selling them to his fellow students.

The area has many good schools, including the aforementioned Harrodian School, as well as St. Paul’s School and The Swedish School. However, as far as state secondary schools go, there are none in the postcode sector. For those parents seeking to send their children to non-fee-paying schools, their options may be limited to those outside the local area, or across the river.

There are a few developments in the Barnes area, including The Villas, a few units in townhouses in the middle of Barnes Village. Berkeley Homes developed these five-bedroom townhouses in 2019 for families in this quiet area of London. A similar development in the Little Chelsea area of Barnes Village, aptly named ‘Little Chelsea Villas’, was also completed in 2020.