Mortlake is the finishing point of the annual Oxford v Cambridge boat race (which take place in March), and where eccentric Victorian explorer Richard Burton is buried on a splendid tent shaped tomb in the cemetery. Mortlake appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Mortelage. It is thought to mean a small stream containing young salmon, referring to a fishery in the area on a former tributary of the River Thames which has now gone.

East Sheen was home to Whig Prime Minister, Earl Grey. The 52 acre East Sheen common is owned by the National Trust. The main high street is the Upper Richmond Road which has many small boutique clothing shops and delicatessens. Central to the area is a small square, known as the triangle, with a war memorial, and an old mile stone.

Nearby Barnes village was home to the composer Gustav Holst and novelist Henry Fielding. Barnes pond and common add to the traditional village feel complete with ducks and geese. Barnes is also home to the award winning London Wetland Centre (opened in the year 2000) which provides a home for London’s wetland flora and fauna.

The Bulls Head pub in Barnes is one of the first and most important jazz venues in Britain. Moving from the postwar era into the 1960s, under the management of Albert Tolley, and together with the Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, it became the main venue for major UK-based and visiting jazz musicians, offering both lunchtime and evening performances.

The site of rock musician Marc Bolan’s fatal car crash on Queen's Ride in 1977, now forms Bolan’s Rock Shrine. The memorial receives frequent visits from his fans, and in 2002 a bronze bust of Bolan was installed to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of his death. In 2007, the site was recognised by the English Tourist Board as a 'Sight of Rock 'n' Roll Importance' in their Guide 'England Rocks'