Rachael Hosking

London Borough of Merton

Formed in 1965, the London Borough of Merton is an outer London borough to the south-west of the capital. It has a population of 200,000 residents living in 80,000 households, served by 7,500 businesses, and an area of approximately 14.7 square miles. The borough's five main town centres are Wimbledon (taking in the Village, the Broadway and South Wimbledon), Mitcham, Morden, Raynes Park and Colliers Wood. Merton is home to the world-famous All England Lawn Tennis Club, where the Wimbledon Championships take place every year bringing an extra 500,000 people into the borough for the tennis extravaganza. In the 13th century, the Statutes of Merton, the basis of common law in England and seen by many as the forerunner for modern parliament, were signed here. In the 19th century Merton was a place of industry where famous names such as Arthur Liberty and William Morris based their businesses on the River Wandle. Horatio, Viscount Nelson also lived in Merton.