Mortlake

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other places with the same name, see Mortlake (disambiguation).

Location
Mortlake


OS grid reference:	TQ205755
Latitude:	51.465577°
Longitude:	-0.264369°
Administration
London borough:	Richmond
County level:	Greater London
Region:	London
Constituent country:	England
Sovereign state:	United Kingdom
Other
Ceremonial county:	Greater London
Historic county:	Surrey (1965)
Services
Police force:	Metropolitan Police
Fire brigade:	London Fire Brigade
Ambulance service:	London Ambulance
Post office and telephone
Post town:	LONDON
Postal district:	SW14
Dialling code:	020
Politics
UK Parliament:	Richmond Park
London Assembly:	South West
European Parliament:	London
London \| List of places in London

Mortlake is a part of south west London between Sheen and Barnes and bounded by the river Thames to the north. It is part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.

Its most famous former resident is Elizabeth I's advisor, John Dee.

The cemetery of St Mary Magdalene's Church in Mortlake contains the tomb of Sir Richard Burton.

Since 1845, the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race has had its finish point at Mortlake, marked by the University Boat Race stone just downstream of Chiswick Bridge. Several other important rowing races over the Championship Course also either start or finish at the stone.

The village of Mortlake appears in the Domesday book, and the manor belonged to the Archbishops of Canterbury until the time of Henry VIII, when it passed by exchange to the Crown.

From the early part of the 17th century until after the civil wars, Mortlake was celebrated for the manufacture of tapestry.

The origin of the name is obscured by time but it is not, contrary to popular belief, from being a plague burial site. A "mortlake" is another name for an oxbow but there is no lake now, and the village was already established hundreds of years before the plague. The name is almost certainly derived from the name of an early saxon chief "MORTA" and his part of the Thames, his "LAKE", which word meant a stretch of running water then rather than its modern meaning. The excellent fishing of salmon from the Thames here was the main reason for the settlement of the village.

Little is left today of Mortlake highstreet. The Stag Brewery, formerly owned by Watney's and then Scottish Courage, is now leased to Anheuser-Busch Europe Ltd and produces the American lager Budweiser, often sending the smell of hops over a wide area when the wind changes direction.

Mortlake bus garage situated in Avondale Road was closed in 1983. Much of the site was rebuilt as housing but a small area near the railway was retained as a turning point for buses, with toilet facilities and a small office. Mortlake garage had opened very early in the 20th century and originally catered for horse buses. In later years the stables were converted into the traffic office.

The Mortlake & Barnes Common ward of Richmond-upon-Thames London Borough Council is highly marginal. Following the 2006 local elections, the Liberal Democrats currently hold all three seats in the ward (and, indeed, hold a majority on the Council). The local MP, Susan Kramer (Richmond Park), is also a Liberal Democrat.