This stunning north-east Mitcham residential area, the cosy streets and Avenues bounded by Tooting, Mitcham Eastfields, and London Road (A217) are a showcase of the serenity and authentic character of this borough’s neighbourhoods. Your day-to-day needs are satisfied by the amenities around Fair Green in the south-west, with a Poundland, Better Gym, Kings Arms pub, and a sizeable Morrisons. Follow the high-street north towards Figge’s Marsh, a spacious green area perfect for ball games and dog-walkers.

Streatham Road above the marsh splits the 1930s locale into two: west of the road are terraced and semi-detached, light-coloured houses on compact, tree-lined streets. They give the impression of a comfortable and undisturbed suburban life. A similar picture is painted east of the road but with larger houses populating the avenues. A Storage King and Screwfix, together with a go-karting park sits in the middle of the area and just south, above Sandy Lane is a more modern pocket of early 2000s housing. Three local primary schools and the Mitcham Library are also native to the area, making it a truly family-friendly environment.

The triangular space that is now Figge’s Marsh has borne many tales of a mystic and fantastical nature. Though in reality this area had been mostly a place for rearing farm animals and not much else up until 1923, around the mid-19th century there were sightings of the infamous Spring Heeled Jack at the marsh. The Victorian era Batman – a notorious prankster – may have been impersonated by whoever would take it upon themselves to frighten and molest innocent civilians. Fast-forward to WWII and the proximity to London is exemplified by the fact that a milestone announcing that the capital is a mere 9 miles away is removed from sight. This was reportedly done so that Germans landing on the marsh would not be made aware of their closeness to London.

If the road names such as Crusoe, Island, Pitcairn or Robinson seem to ring a thematic bell, it would be due to reports of Daniel Dafoe, author of Robinson Crusoe, inhabiting this part of east Mitcham in the late 17th century. The pioneer of the ‘novel’ would have been a 28 year old merchant at the time, not knowing that in three decades’ time he will have authored a story which would be translated into so many languages that only the world’s most popular religious texts would outcompete it.

A common misconception (perhaps an old school joke) is that the name Figge’s Marsh originates from some distorted version of Pig’s Marsh. In reality, the area was the property of a landowner named William Figge, who in 1350, managed what was then known as Pound Farm.

Some locals complain that the area’s outward image is dominated by ‘fast-food, kebab and fried chicken shops’. It is true that the area has recently seen a decline in economic activity and local employment, however significant efforts are being made by local authorities to counter this trend. There are no secondary schools directly in this neighbourhood, however the state funded Harris Academy Merton, rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, is a 10-minute drive away, as is the independent Streatham and Clapham High School for girls.

The previously mentioned Fair Green, constituting Mitcham town centre, recently underwent a multi-million-pound upgrade. The makeover included an improvement to transport links, support to local businesses, and generally polishing the public square to create a more positive environment and improve confidence in the area to attract more economic activity. Less positively received have been some of the new development proposals submitted for sites in Fair Green and the general area. A planning application to add two storeys onto the Fair Green Parade building in Mitcham Village was unanimously approved by the council but criticised by locals for how it supposedly ruins the scale of the building in relation to the rest of the village. Another proposal for the Kings Arms pub building has also been criticised for how it reduces the space available to the pub (and the cafe next door) in favour of maximising room for luxury ‘studio suites’. The development intends to deliver 28 such units in a new five storey mixed-use block but locals are not impressed with the design.