The course of this weekend's Boat Race stretches between Putney and Mortlake, covering a distance of four miles (6.8km) and passing under two bridges (Hammersmith and Barnes Railway Bridge).

Apart from three occasions in the 1800s when it ran in the opposite direction, the race always goes upstream, starting on the incoming flood tide which allows crews to row with the fastest current. If you watch the proceedings from the south side of the river (Putney, Barnes, Mortlake) you're on what's known as the Surrey side, also known as the Surrey station. The north bank is the Middlesex side or station (Fulham, Hammersmith, Chiswick).

North or south, properties on this stretch of the Thames are highly sought after and priced accordingly. A three-bedroom apartment in Distillery Wharf, a luxury riverside development near Hammersmith Bridge, for example, is currently on the market for a guide price of £2,950,000, while a four-bedroom Georgian house with separate annexe on the river in Barnes has a guide price of £2,350,000. A one-bedroom apartment in Mortlake High Street, on the Thames bankside, has a guide price of £500,000.

Though a definite plus at this time of year, being on the route of the Boat Race is not the only thing that makes this area so desirable. Offering both a village-like atmosphere (Barnes even has its own duck pond) and easy access to Central London, this corner of South-West London is also home to a number of prestigious sports clubs, including The Roehampton Club, historic waterside pubs, such as The Blue Anchor in Hammersmith which predates the Boat Race, bars, top-notch restaurants and boutiques, not to mention a selection of highly regarded schools.

All this and heart-stopping river views – which ever bank you're on.