This well-to-do neighbourhood is a mirror to its neighbour East Sheen; being the eastern portion of Sheen, separated from the western portion by Sheen Lane and Sheen Gate, which stretches from north to south from the riverbank to Sawyer’s Hill Road in Richmond Park. Like East Sheen, Upper Richmond Road cuts through the area from east to west, and forms part of the high street along with Sheen Lane. The lanes in the neighbourhood are spaced out further than in the neighbouring localities, and the houses are accordingly slightly larger, though this is only true for the portion closer to Richmond Park. Otherwise, the area retains the same Victorian and interwar terrace feel as the rest of Sheen. To the south, Richmond Park is the main feature, accessible via Sheen Gate, with Adam’s Pond close by to the village area. There are also a few other open spaces, such as Palewell Playing Fields and the Bank of England Sports Centre.

The railway tracks cross the area east to west, paralleling the Upper Richmond Road to the north, in between the road and the Thames. Mortlake station is a small railway station with a small retail section selling timber and wood products. Next to the railway tracks is Old Mortlake Burial Ground, another open space in the middle of the residential neighbourhood. The eastern border of the postcode sector is represented by Beverley Brook, separating the area from Barnes.

The village has had some industry since the 1600s, when a tapestry works was established. The tapestry works would close later in the century, but a sugar refinery and a few maltings would emerge, as well as a pottery in 1743, which was followed by another one soon after. Adding on a brewery, as well as a honey bottling facility, this small quaint area was far more industrious than many other parts of south London before the Victorian era.

Near Mortlake railway station is a small brick building, today a classic cars showroom. However, during the Victorian-era it was the waiting room for Queen Victoria herself when she would visit relatives at the White Lodge in Richmond Park. The room has been used by coal merchants, greengrocers and builders throughout the years, though today it holds beautiful classic cars.

Beverley Brook is a lovely small stream surrounded by trees, and shallow enough for dogs to play and bathe in. However, the river has been known to flood further upstream – in 2007 the stream flooded and damaged homes in the Worcester area. The Environment Agency has listed it as amongst the UK’s rivers most susceptible to flooding.

The Stag Brewery redevelopment site is the largest such area in the Borough of Richmond. It proposes a mixed-use scheme for the area, including residential, retail, office, recreational and education purposes, and the inclusion of green and community spaces. Public realm improvements at Mortlake Green and Mortlake Station will also be undertaken to enhance connections to the development. Other features include a new secondary school, which would accommodate 1200 pupils, and the establishment of a local rowing club with direct river access. Almost 50,000 square feet of new office space is included within the scheme and this together with the other commercial uses will help to provide employment opportunities for 500-600 full time jobs. The development also aims to deliver almost 1100 new homes, though how many of these units will be affordable has not yet been revealed. While the initiative to redevelop this site, which dates back to the 15th century, have been in the works since 2017, the features of its design and the variety of its uses that we just outlined are actually from a 2022 revision of the proposal, the first iteration of which was refused by Mayor Sadiq Khan in 2021. The mayor has been battling with the property developer interested in the site’s redevelopment, Reselton Properties, to increase the affordable housing provision to the 35% outlined in the London Plan. Richmond Council also agrees with the mayor, though they initially approved the scheme. The redevelopment has sparked much controversy since its inception in 2017, with a group of community campaigners also backing the mayor and the council’s change of heart. A new planning application was submitted in early 2022 and public consultations have taken place, so a decision on the new plans should be coming out soon.