Addington, Stanley, Grey and Palmerston all had local associations.
The Sidmouth Tomb lies in the graveyard of St. Mary the Virgin in Mortlake. The inscriptions on his Tomb are indecipherable. But fortunately the plaque shown below in the middle of the graveyard provides us with the essential details.
Henry Addington, the 1st Viscount Sidmouth, was born in 1757. The plaque says that his Premiership from 1801 to 1804 was undistinguished. That perhaps reflects a little unfairly on his political career given he was Speaker of the House of Commons from 1789 to 1801.
He lived in White Lodge in Richmond Park while he was Prime Minister and died there in 1844. But as Deputy Ranger he is said to have contributed much to the work of the Park. And of course we recognise the name in Sidmouth Wood, through which incidentally we can see St. Paul’s Cathedral.
This part of the plaque shows two other well known local names. The Gilpin family was renowned for three generations and memorialised in Gilpin Avenue. Temple is a name with numerous local connections.
Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley (1799–1869), the 14th Earl of Derby and Prime Minister three times between 1852 and 1866. He was also known as Lord Stanley. The family is of course memorialised in Derby Road and Stanley Road.
Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey (1764–1845), was Prime Minister from 1831 to 1834. He lived at Sheen House while Prime Minister.
Paynesfield Avenue, East Sheen will be closed junction with Upper Richmond Road West to outside 36 for carriageway resurfacing works on 26/08/2025. Contact: FM Conways 01732 600 771.
Christchurch Road, East Sheen multi-way temporary traffic signals (whole road) for highway improvement works. Estimated completion date 28/08/2025. Contact: FM Conways 01732 600 771.
Christchurch Road, East Sheen will be closed outside 77 to outside 69 for highway improvement works on 29/08/2025. Contact: FM Conways 01732 600 771.
East Sheen is set to tantalise tastebuds this September with its first ever Food Fest, a one‑day celebration of the area’s vibrant food and drink scene.
From 10am onwards* on Saturday 6 September 2025, local cafés, restaurants, bars, and food retailers along the Upper Richmond Road West and Sheen Lane, SW14, will be offering an irresistible selection of bites and sips — ranging from free tasters to dishes and drinks priced at no more than £5.
Food lovers of all ages and tastes are welcome to explore, sample, and enjoy the best of East Sheen’s food and drink. The event not only promises delicious flavours, but also the chance to discover the warmth and community spirit of this lovely London neighbourhood.
The event is FREE but guests must pre-register for their map here: http://bit.ly/4mObcxI
PLUS! On the day, the first 200 pre-registered guests to collect their map will receive a free £5 voucher to spend in any participating venue on the day.
Enquiries of Cllr Cambridge have revealed that the work should be completed on Friday. And someone saw someone working on the site this afternoon. As feared TfL is a law unto itself; they did not require permission to cause gridlock on the South Circular. And local councillors were not even given prior warning to pass on.
Who bears political responsibility for this is unclear. We can’t blame everything on the Mayor!
Road works at the Sheen Lane Upper Richmond Road junction. Four way lights which are confusing and delaying. The pavements are dug up to expose pipes.
Still no indication of when the work will be completed.
And of course still no-one actually working there! Or 4pm and they had all gone home. This is run by TFL (though no details are to be found on their works website), so the South Circular could be gridlocked for days.