Barnes, Mortlake & Sheen area guide

Summary:

Barnes, located about six miles south-west of central London, is an extremely affluent suburb in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Barnes still has a slightly village feel to it, contained on three sides by the Thames, with open spaces and a continuous towpath alongside the river. It has some of the most expensive housing in the city, prized for its relatively secluded location (the river acts as a natural barrier to much through traffic) and its elegant mansions. Barnes is often seen as a quieter area to live in compared to the neighbouring alternatives of Kensington, Fulham and Chelsea. Mortlake used to be a village as well, but is more built up nowadays. Away from the river, Sheen borders Richmond Park and commons area to the south. Traffic in SW13 has been a hot topic for some time. For three years in the late nineties Hammersmith Bridge was closed to everyone but foot passengers, two-wheeled traffic and public transport. A popular decision with some residents but not with retailers.

Properties:

Charming Victorian houses surround the Common, both Castelnau and Lonsdale Roads, to the north of the High Street. Smaller, early-Victorian cottages (three, four and five bedrooms) and terraces can be found off the High Street. Also splendid 18th century and modern riverside homes overlook the Thames. A new suburb called 'Barnes Waterside' boasts classy flats and imposing villas, whilst ex-council houses and mansion flats in North Barnes offer cheaper prices. Mortlake is more Victorian; smaller houses on the whole. Sheen has Edwardian and other 20th century homes. Wide range of styles and sizes reflected in the prices. Waterside homes and Harrods Village rise above standard price range.

Buyers:

Barnes is the most expensive area, but none are cheap. Popular with wealthy, middle-class families, media types, sportsmen and political people, diluted with European, (especially Scandinavians) and US businessmen/diplomats. Few ethnic minority groups are represented. Sheen is seeing a steady influx of professional families as older residents move on.

Sales Information:

The table below details the most recent sales information for this area, broken down by postcode, property type and average sale value.

Postcode	Detached	Semi-Det	Terraced	Flat / Mais	Total / Average
SW13	4 sales £1,642,000	15 sales £1,535,307	26 sales £709,307	24 sales £464,103	69 sales £857,653
SW14	6 sales £1,018,750	12 sales £855,770	32 sales £671,546	23 sales £306,076	73 sales £615,219

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