Sutton: a southern hideaway from the hustle and bustle of the city

There’s something about Sutton...

If you’re looking for somewhere to stay that is a little further out, so you have peace and quiet to retire to in the evenings, Sutton may be the best choice for you.

Sutton is one of the southernmost boroughs of London. 80th in size of the local authorities in England by population, the area covers 17 square miles. Sandwiched between the London Borough of Kingston upon Thames and the London Borough of Croydon, it also butts up against the London Borough of Merton on its northern border. As one of the furthest boroughs from the city centre, it is considered a part of Outer London.

Formed in 1965 from the merger of the Municipal Borough of Beddington and Wallington with that of Sutton and Cheam, as well as absorbing Carshalton Urban District from Surrey, the borough is headed by its administration in the town of Sutton. Despite its distance of more than 10 miles from Charing Cross in the south-south-westerly direction, Sutton town is one of the major metropolitan centres featured in the London Plan.

Connection to London in 1847 by rail meant that Sutton grew greatly during the suburban expansion that characterise the 20th century. Due to this expansion and its increase in population, the area has become a significant retail and civic district in the London region.

Game, set and match for the Olympics in Sutton

Due to its location on the outskirts of London, you might think that it would be difficult to get into the city to enjoy the multitude of events being put on　during summer 2012.

However, due to the refinement and expansion of services planned and executed by Transport for London in anticipation of the Games, this is not the case at all.

The nearest venue to Sutton is Wimbledon. This world-famous arena is one of　the only major locations left on the globe where major tennis tournaments are held on grass. This gives it a unique status that makes it popular with fans of the sport all over the planet. Tickets will doubtless be highly contested, but if you manage to get hold of some then Sutton is an excellent place to stay, as you won’t have to contend with the traffic coming out of the city centre.

Other events on the southern side of the river include those at Greenwich Park and The Royal Artillery Barracks. Greenwich Park is playing host to the equestrian events of the 2012 Games, so you’ll be able to enjoy dressage, show jumping, eventing and all the other horse-related disciplines. The Barracks, however, will enjoy scenes of shooting and archery, providing a highly appropriate backdrop for these events!

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Things to do in Sutton

Sutton, meaning ‘south farm’ has a long and vibrant history as a busy, colourful town. The many historic buildings in the area stand testament to this. First off, there’s The New Inn. Situated in New Town, Sutton’s first major Victorian suburb, the Inn was first imagined in 1867 by Edward Guile, a London house painter.

He bought two adjacent houses with the buildings they came with for £450 and rented them out to a pair of gentlemen named Morgan who ran a brewery. Still standing today, the Inn was bought by the brewery in 1922 and has since become part of Whitbreads.

One of the best-preserved large Edwardian houses around is situated in Sutton, where it has been since 1899. Called the Russettings, the house was built by George Smith, of whom little is known. The house, however, presents an excellent example of the upper middle-class accommodation of the day and the interior has been meticulously preserved by the Registry, which now occupies the building. Once common, this house is of a dying breed.

If churches are more your thing, Sutton has some excellent examples. All Saints Church, Carshalton’s ancient parish place of worship overlooks the ponds in the town. The building’s true age is unknown, but it was mentioned in 1086 in the Domesday book and provides a wonderful taste of times long past.

Getting to Sutton and home again

As one of the five London Boroughs with absolutely no integration into the London Underground, Sutton is unusual. With no London Overground or Tramlink connections, the public transport most often used in the borough is the local rail service.

Because of the lack of other options, this is a well-developed and regular type of public transport in the area, as a result of pressure from the local population to improve their connections to central London.

Rail links are strong between Sutton and Luton and St Pancras, as well as Wimbledon, Croydon and Wandsworth. These allow connections the wider public transport network of the capital and the rest of the country. The direct link to Luton makes this airport an excellent choice for those travelling by air, though Heathrow and Gatwick are closer to the borough. Road access is possible with the A217 from the M25. The A24 is better for access to the north-western areas of the borough.