This neighbourhood borders areas such as Croydon to its North East, Kingston to its North-West, and Merton to its North. Sutton’s residents have the benefit of being surrounded by public green spaces, which differs quite dramatically when compared to some of the inner-city London Boroughs. Although officially in the suburbs, Sutton is well connected to local areas; it takes around 30 minutes to get to London Bridge Station from the neighbourhood. Sutton has a traditional atmosphere due to its 19th and 20th century architecture, which contribute to the distinctly village lifestyle that it offers.

Sutton’s modern history dates back to 675 A.D, but the area may be much older after archaeologists discovered the remains of a Roman Villa from years before. Sutton was originally known as “Sudtone” meaning Southtown in Anglo-Saxon. It was used as a route to get to Brighton, and in 1755, a turnpike road was created connecting the two areas. Sutton High Street’s toll road intersected with Carshalton Road, which led to a settlement developing. Travellers gradually began to remain in Sutton after resting their coach horses and passengers at the nearby Cock Hotel. This was a fundamental piece of Sutton High Street, until it closed in 1961.

British Formula 1 legend and 1976 World Champion, James Hunt, was born and grew up in Sutton. The area is also known for its history, and the town centre has two Grade II nationally listed buildings: Sutton Baptist Church built in 1934, and Sutton Police Station built in 1908.

Sutton has two prisons, HMP High Down and HMP Downview. This is a cause for contention for residents in the area. Another issue expressed my many is how prone the area is to traffic; the average time for traffic delays in England is an added 47 second per mile, but Sutton sees almost twice that at 88 seconds per mile.

Harris Academy Sutton, run by the Harris Federation, opened in September 2018 on the site of the former Sutton Hospital. The school runs classes from Year 7 to Year 11 and won in 2022 he prestigious RIBA Regional London Award and RIBA London Sustainability Award. The academy is part of the London Cancer Hub (LCH) campus, based in Belmont, Sutton next to the Royal Marsden Hospital and the Institute for Cancer Research, London. The concentration of specialist medical services in the area is also core characteristic that explains the borough aims to regenerate the area through a new London Cancer Hub initiative aimed for 2035. Though concrete plans have not been announced, the significant role that medical services plays in the area is definitely noteworthy. There are also plans to regenerate the Benhill Estate, with the latest consultation session with locals being held in October 2022.