Merton: The world's home of tennis

Getting tickets for the tennis? Merton is the place to be.

Formed from the merger of the Municipal Boroughs of Wimbledon and Mitcham, along with the Merton and Morden Urban District in 1965, the London Borough of Merton is one of the most historic in the entire capital.

Deriving its name from the historic parish of Merton, formerly a part of Surrey, the borough contains various significant commercial centres. Among these are Mitcham, Wimbledon and Morden. Wimbledon, world-famous in its own right, is the largest of these.

Wimbledon, which contains one of the largest areas of common land in London; Wimbledon Common, has been a centre of human habitation since the Iron Age. 1087, the year of compilation of the Domesday Book, saw Wimbledon included in the lands of the manor of Mortlake. Changing ownership many times over the years, the focus of the town’s growth also shifted depending on the movement of the centres of transport.

This resulted in the current situation, where the area is divided into two parts – the modern ‘town’ and medieval ‘village’. Naturally, where you stay is up to you, but for a real taste of English life, the village might be a superior choice!

Merton and the Olympics

Tennis, tennis, tennis! It can’t really be said enough, but if you’re in Merton during the 2012 games, you better have tickets for the tennis.

Without them you’ll be green with envy seeing the crowds file into the historic ground to see some of the finest tennis players in the world battle it out for the gold medals.

There may well not be a better place in the world to watch a tennis match than Wimbledon. As the only major venue left in the world that uses grass pitches to stage games, the Wimbledon All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club truly is a unique place to visit in its own right. With the recent addition of a retractable cover, play will continue even in otherwise adverse conditions. This ensures maximum enjoyment and comfort for spectators – a huge improvement indeed on the soggy scenes of yesteryear!

Staying in Merton means that you sacrifice a modicum of convenience for your proximity to Wimbledon. What this means in real terms is a slightly longer trip to other events. The positives of staying in a particularly beautiful area of London during your trip though should outweigh this. Despite this slightly longer trip, all the other events in London will be easily accessible, from the equestrian events in Greenwich to the slew of competitions in Newham.

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Merton’s non-sporting charms

Merton, apart from being a historical goldmine in itself, has an admirable assortment of attractions for visitors, no matter what their interests.

The New Wimbledon Theatre, for example, is an early 20th century playhouse built by JB Mulholland, a theatre lover and entrepreneur. Situated on ‘The Broadway’, the building is a Grade II listed Edwardian masterpiece situated in impressive grounds.

The many green areas in the borough, including Wimbledon Common, make staying in the suburban environment a refreshing antidote to the extreme hustle and bustle of the centre of the city – something sure to be welcome after the throngs of visitors around the Olympic venues.

For something a little different and incredibly impressive, consider a visit to the Baitul Futuh mosque. This feat of engineering, financed almost entirely by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community at the cost of £5.5 million, can house up to 10,000 people. As the largest mosque complex in Western Europe, the buildings have been voted in the top 50 mosques on the face of the globe by Spectator magazine. Furthermore, the location has been chosen as the centre for the 'Loyalty, Freedom and Peace' campaign, a movement with the objective of improving integration of Muslims and non Muslims alike.

Transport links in Merton

Naturally, Merton is fully integrated into the National Rail network via local rail stations as well as thorough London Underground service.

Unlike most of the rest of the capital, Merton also features a tram service too. Representing one of the newest types of transport infrastructure in the UK, this will add to the convenience of local travel within the borough and its neighbouring areas.

The nearest transport hub is London’s Victoria station, which is easily reached via the nation-wide rail network. Buses are also available throughout the capital for convenient and easy access to those areas which are not linked by rail. Heathrow Airport is the nearest centre of air travel to Merton, and is accessible via a variety of different transport choices.

For those choosing to drive to Merton, the best choice from the M25 is the A24. This will lead you right into the centre of Merton Borough, from where navigation to your destination should be simple.