Techniques now exist that allow near-surface mechanical and thermal properties of polymers to be measured at very high depth resolution. We review the use of: nanoindentation (hardness, modulus, flow properties, profilometry); force spectroscopy (adhesion, attractive forces and their variation with separation); and scanning calorimetric microscopy (image contrast determined by spatial variation of thermal conductivity, heat capacity, or reversing/non-reversing behaviour, as a function of temperature).