Roehampton covers practically the entire west end of Putney and thus Wandsworth - it borders the boroughs of Kingston and Richmond-upon-Thames. 

It is geographically the biggest ward in the borough, including a huge amount of open space: Putney Heath, Wimbledon Common, the Roehampton Club with its huge private golf course and Putney Vale cemetery all fall within the boundaries. 

Amid such greenery, there is a wide diversity of housing. Overlooking Putney Vale - and stretching right down almost a mile to Clarence Lane can be found the post war le Corbussier inspired Alton Council estate,  providing panoramic views of Richmond Park and the rest of south west London for its residents. 

The estate was given "listed" status recently, preserving it for posterity although views about its architectural and societal merits differ.

Just over 50% of the housing remains rented from the council - a vast figure given the strident efforts of Wandsworth Council to sell it off. Most, but by no means all, of Roehampton's council housing can be found on the Alton.

There are other estates - the isolated Lennox estate and Woking Close at the very end of Priory Lane on the edge of East Sheen and the even more remote Putney Vale estate behind the cemetery and Asda superstore on the edge of Kingston. 

In contrast, Roehampton Village contains some pleasant cottages and in the midst of Putney Heath can be found the exclusive, secluded mansions of Highlands Heath, nestling around a cricket green. 

Priory Lane and Richmond Gate, the approach to Richmond Park is a millionaire’s enclave and the home of a well-known clinic for “tired and emotional” celebrities. There is also an ongoing programme of consolidating the students of Roehampton University within the ward, rather than on several campuses dotted around Putney.

Facts & figures

Population: 12,985

Housing tenure:
Owner-occupied: 36.0%
Public sector renting: 48.7%
Private sector renting: 10.6%

Household type:
Detached/Semi detached: 7.5%
Terraced: 10.7%
Purpose-built flats: 77.6%
Multi-occupancy house: 3.4%

Employment:
Full-time employed: 32.0%
Self-employed: 5.6%
Unemployed: 4.9%
Retired: 10.1%
Students: 21.4%

Socio-economic bands:
Professional/Managerial: 22.9%
Skilled/unskilled manual: 28.5%

Ethnicity:
White: 79.3%
Black/Minority Ethnic: 20.7%

Source: 2001 Census