History

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Barnes and Mortlake are both recorded in the Doomsday Book of 1086. They were distinct villages in the north-east corner of Surrey. From the 17th century until the 1920s market gardening dominated the whole area.The prosperous Manor of Mortlake, which included what are now Putney, Roehampton and Wimbledon, was held by the Archbishops of Canterbury until the mid-16th century.

Local industries have included the 17th century tapestry works, the 18th century potteries and the brewery which produced beer for more than 250 years until it closed in 2015.

The Manor of Barnes was owned by the Dean and Chapter of St Paul’s Cathedral, with its manor house at Barn Elms. The Kit-Kat Club met there in the 18th century and from the early 1880s the house and grounds became the prestigious Ranelagh Club. With the completion of Hammersmith Bridge in 1827 and the coming of the railway in 1846, Barnes became part of the metropolis, but the village still retains much of its historic character.

During the 17th and 18th centuries there were just 15 or so imposing mansions set in extensive grounds in East Sheen. These estates began to be broken up from the mid-19th century and many large villas were built. The Edwardian period was marked by the development of new and substantial suburban housing in East Sheen.

For History of the BMHS click here.