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Tooting is situated in South-West London in England.

Putney is a smart suburb of London on the south bank of the River Thames.

Southfields is a small, mostly residential area in the south-west of London, between Putney, Wandsworth and Wimbledon. Southfields is the travel stop for the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, the location of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships, as the venue is actually closer to Southfields than it is to Wimbledon.

[edit] Understand

Tooting is a culturally vibrant place with a diverse and mixed background of people, cultures and history. Tooting's diversity is reflected in the shops, restaurants and local facilities.

[edit] History

It is believed Tooting means "the dwelling of the Sons of Totas". For much of its history Tooting was a rural Surrey district, fairly cut off from London and part of the parish of Streatham. Then in the 18th century Tooting became a popular country residence for some of London's wealthy citizens. Several large mansions were built in the area and the population of Tooting slowly expanded.

By the early 19th century lots of elegant villas had been built in the district. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries Tooting was transformed into the residential London suburb that it is today.

[edit] Get in

Tooting is on the Northern Line of the London Underground, in Zone 3. The main stations are "Tooting Bec" and "Tooting Broadway". "Balham" is nearby.

Transport facilities are good, with numerous local bus routes, and the northern line runs to both the City and West End. Additionally Tooting Thameslink goes to Holborn Viaduct and Wimbledon, and direct to Luton airport. There is also a proposed tram link. Trains can be caught at "Tooting", "Wandsworth Common" and "Balham" stations.

[edit] Putney

[edit] Arriving from Airports

• From Gatwick - take a train towards Clapham Junction. Change at Clapham Junction to a train for Putney which leaves from platform 5.
• From Heathrow via Heathrow Express - take the Heathrow Express to Paddington and then take the District Line towards Wimbledon to Putney Bridge/East Putney.
• From Luton - take the airport shuttle bus to Luton Parkway station. Then take the mainline train to Blackfriars, where you then change to the District line towards Wimbledon to Putney Bridge/East Putney.

[edit] By Overland Rail

• Trains leave Waterloo Station for Putney every 10 minutes and the journey takes around 20 minutes.

[edit] By Tube

• Putney is connected to the London Tube network by East Putney Station, which is east of Putney High Street and by Putney Bridge Station, which is north of the River Thames. Both stations are about a 5 minute walk from Putney High Street.
• From Paddington, take the District Line towards Wimbledon to Putney Bridge/East Putney. Journey time is approximately 18 minutes.

[edit] By Bus

• Putney is connected by bus from the following city centre Tube/Rail stations: South Kensington, Knightsbridge and Hyde Park (Bus 430, Bus 14, Bus 74). Clapham Junction (Bus 39, Bus 337, Bus 37). Victoria Station (Bus 170). Earl's Court (Bus 74).

Bus 14 also connects Putney with Oxford Street area (Warren Street, Goodge Street, Tottenham Court), West End (Piccadilly Circus) and Buckingham Palace area (Green Park). Bus 220 connects Putney with Hammersmith and Sheperd's Bush. Bus N10 is a night bus that connects Putney with King's Cross Station and Euston Station.

• Putney is also easily connected by bus from other London South West attractive areas:

Richmond (Bus 337), Wimbledon Village (Bus 93) and Barnes Village (Bus 337, Bus 265)

• Full details of Putney bus service can be found on TFL bus maps [1] [2] [3]

[edit] Battersea

Clapham Junction railway station connects to London Waterloo station (SouthWest Trains), London Victoria Station (Southrn Railway), West London (London Overground) and various destinations in suburban South London and the South and Southwest of England. Many London bus routes also operate through the Clapham Junction area.

[edit] Southfields

[edit] By road

The A218 (Merton Road) leads south towards Wimbledon and Tooting, and north towards the A205 (South Circular) and the A3.

[edit] By bus

Buses 39 and 493 both service Southfields.

[edit] By tube

Southfields tube station is on the Wimbledon branch of the District line. Change at Earls Court if necessary.

[edit] By overland rail

The nearest overland rail station is Wimbledon.

[edit] Get around

[edit] Southfields

Most of the amenities in Southfields are concentrated near the tube station, so most places of interest can be easily reached on foot.

[edit][add listing] See

Tooting Bec Common, Wandsworth Common and Wimbledon Common are near and the River Wandle Walk continues with improvements.

[edit] Southfields

• Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum, All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Church Road (Tube: Southfields. Bus: 493), ☎ +44 (0)20 8946 6131, [4]. Open throughout the year, daily: 10.30–17:00. Last admission at 16.30. Closed on the middle Sunday of The Championships, the Monday immediately after The Championships, 24th, 25th, 26th December and 1st January. Adults £8.50, Concessions £7.50, Children £4.75.  edit

[edit][add listing] Do

Tooting Bec Common is a real gem, with tennis courts, football fields and plenty of open space. Sports facilities include Tooting Leisure Centre and pool, Golf, Horse riding, Tooting Bec Lido (the biggest open air pool in the UK), Athletic track and the nearby Streatham Ice Rink.

• Putney High Street for shopping, also international and British dining experience.

• Thames Path. Start from Embankment street where you can sample the atmospheric local pub The Duke's Head [5]. If you feel energetic, from Embankment street walk south to Lower Richmond rd via Festing Road (a road of cute little white houses). Continue walking to the west until you reach Barnes Village [6].

• Putney Walk starts at Putney Rail Station, passing historical houses, old pubs, cemetary, the Embankment, etc. See trail here

• Putney Arts Theater [7] comes recommended for anyone interested in anything to do with theatre. They run drama courses for adults and children and around 8 shows a year are produced by adults and children alike. Putney Theater company offers opportunities for anyone interested in any type of theater work from acting to writing to set design. Group 64 is the youth drama group for kids, they run weekly classes, holiday projects but also put together shows.

• All-year warm swimming pool. Putney Leisure Centre [8] offers a swimming and sauna session for £4 per person.

• Events held by St. Mary's and or All Saints' [9]. St Mary's is located by the Putney bridge while All Saints' is on Putney Common just off the Lower Richmond Road - "..a very lively parish in the liberal catholic tradition but made up of people of many different styles"

[edit] Southfields

• Watch tennis at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships, All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Church Road (Tube: Southfields. Bus: 493), ☎ +44 (0)20 8946 6131, [10]. The tournament runs for two weeks during June and July. Tickets start at £25 for Centre Court, £8 for the lesser courts.  edit

[edit][add listing] Buy

Tooting and Broadway Markets provide a varied and interesting selection, including fruit and vegetables, clothes, furniture and household items.

• Tooting & Mitcham United football club, Imperial Fields, Bishopsford Road, Mitcham SM4 6BF (280, 118 & 201 buses stop there, Mitcham tram stop and Morden tube station is nearest to the club.), ☎ 020-8648-3248, [11]. The 'Stripes' which are commonly know as, are a football club based at Imperial fields, Mitcham. This recently built stadium got promoted into Ryman Premier, 2 seasons ago looking forward to go into higher divisions (the club is always looking for sponsors and advertisers). The club has a cafe/bar with real ale and with big screen tv (sky sports) & has a gym.  edit

Clapham Junction, an area near the busy Clapham Junction railway station, which is actually in Battersea and not Clapham, has got a good selection of shops including high street chains, supermarkets and department stores, complimented by bars, cafes and restaurants.

[edit][add listing] Eat

Tooting has many excellent Indian restaurants. More to come soon.

• Radha Krishna Bhavan [12], 86 Tooting High Street, SW17 0RN, 020 8767 3462. Open Mon-Sun, 12-3pm & 6pm-11pm. Fully licenced. The decor is charmingly 'eccentric', which just means it's a bit bonkers; sunset palm trees on the walls and large masked figures glare back at you. The speciality here is South Indian (unlike Brick Lane which is mainly Bangladeshi), so you may discover plenty of dishes you've never heard of before. The poppodoms have some very tasty dips and every dish is very cheap for London. Starters are about £2.50 and main courses are £5-6, meaning we can try loads of different dishes between a large group. The Masala Dosai is highly recommended. Nearest tube: Tooting Broadway.

• Mirch Masala [13], 213 Upper Tooting Road, SW17 7TG, 020 8672 7500. Open 7 days a week, 12pm-12am. BYO, Halal. This place woouldn't win points for interior design, but despite the canteen-style furnishings you have the advantage of an open kitchen, so you can see exactly what they're doing to your food. The staff are numerous, fast and friendly, and you're barely sat down before a plate of poppodoms appear in front of you like magic. The menu caters very well for vegetarians, but still offers plenty of lamb, chicken and fish dishes, all generous portions and very reasonably priced for London. Nearest tube: Tooting Broadway.
• Dosa n Chutney. Large restaurant site near to Tooting Broadway underground on Upper Tooting road and close to the border with Collier's Wood.  edit

[edit] Budget

• Sally @ St Mary’s [14] — ‘An eclectic vision of the church and the community’. A homemade food and coffee café at St Mary’s church, Putney High Street. Open 7 days a week
• KFC, [15]. American style fried chicken - bargain meal for 4 persons consisting a bucket of fried chicken, fries and soft drink for around £10.
• When the weather is nice grab a sandwich, panini or a burger at the nearest Sainsbury's (on 2-6 Werter Road, London, SW15 2LJ) or Tesco Express (on Putney High Street). Eat on any of the riverside benches on Embankment street, while watching the Thames.

[edit] Mid Range

• La Mancha, [16]. Spanish - has some of the best Tapas outside of Spain. Tapas dishes from £3, meal with wine for two people for around £50.
• Ma Goa, [17]. 242 - 244 Upper Richmond Road. Indian - has won various awards for its fine Indian cuisine.
• Gourmet Burger King, [18] 333 Putney Bridge Rd. Gourmet burger, a favorite for many. Try the venison sausage, sweet potato and rocket leaves burger - an awesome mix of sweet and savory. Meals for two around £25.
• Cafe Rouge, [19] 200-204 Putney Bridge Rd. French chain restaurant - As the location is a bit hidden it is often quite.. ideal for a romantic dinner for couples.

[edit] Splurge

• Various restaurants and bars in Putney Wharf area. Just behind the St Mary's Church.

• Thai Square, [20] Putney Bridge, 2-4 Lower Richmond Road. Award winning Thai bar/restaurant. Great food, impressive decor, great view of the Thames river.

[edit] Southfields

• Chanteroy Delicatessen, 233a Wimbledon Park Road (Tube: Southfields.), ☎ +44 (0)20 8874 1446. Open daily: 08:00-20:00. A small delicatessen offering primarily French breads, meats and cheeses. Fresh filled baguettes are made to order for around £1.50-£3.00.  edit

• Thai Girder, 36 Replingham Road (Tube: Southfields.), ☎ 0871 971 7344. Open daily to eat in or take away. A Thai restaurant with an iron girder running through the middle of the place.  edit

• The Indian Restaurant, 197-199 Replingham Road (Tube: Southfields.), ☎ +44 (0)20 8870 1483. Open daily to eat in or take away. A very good Indian restaurant - more a "restaurant that does Indian food" than your traditional "curry house". The owner is very friendly, passionate about her food and always happy to help you order. Starters: £4-£7. Main courses: £8-£15.  edit

• The Fish Peddlar, 40 Replingham Road (Tube: Southfields.), ☎ +44 (0)20 8871 4411 (info@fishpeddlar.co.uk), [21]. Mon-Fri: 10:00-17:00, Sat: 10:00-16:00. Southfields' fishmonger. Stock can be a bit sparse early in the week, but from Thursday onwards there is usually a decent amount on offer. Orders can be placed in advance.  edit

[edit][add listing] Drink

Tooting has many new wine bars; and renovated and traditional pubs. Lookout for The Selkirk (formerly The Frog Forget Me Not) on Selkirk Road.

• Lahore. On Upper Tooting Road, favoured by the Good Food Guide and many other awarding bodies. Serving Pakistani cuisine.  edit
• Yars Village, Mitcham Road (Opposite Smith Brothers Departmant store). Cafe style Indian food, cooked fresh with an open kitchen. Great food served by attentive waiters, BYO alcohol.  edit

Putney is blessed with a fine selection of pubs. Among the most atmospheric are the ones on the river bank which include:

• Boathouse, [22]. 32 Brewhouse Lane - in Putney Wharf area, also worth checking other restaurants/cafes around.

• Duke's Head, [23]. 8 Lower Richmond Rd‎ - A Lovely gastropub with great views on and along the river. A regular for locals.

On the High Street, there are:

• The Spotted Horse, [24]. 122 Putney High St‎ - Described as the oldest pub on the high street, a refurb has made this local the new kid on the block. Thankfully, the local charm and hospitality remains.

• The Slug and Lettuse, [25]. 146-148 Putney High St - The pub have a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere with comfy chairs and pleasant surroundings. They also serve a variety of modern food. Catering for vegetarians is provided.

Just behind the Exchange Shopping Centre on the High Street there are:

• Moomba Bar & Kitchen, [26]. 5 Lacy Road - Moomba has been a long term fixture on the Putney food & drink scene. It enjoys rave reviews for its stylish decor, gorgeous menus & friendly service.

• The Coat & Badge‎, [27]. 10 Lacy Rd - The old-world outward appearance of this pub (established 1715) belies an interior that is distinctly modern. This Putney pub packs in a sizeable crowd of trendy locals, keen to enjoy the attentive service, good pub grub and a wide choice of wines and beers

Battersea:

• Adventure bar, 91a Battersea Rise, SW11 1HW, ☎ +44 20 7223 1700, [28]. Cocktail bar with daily happy hour  edit

[edit] Southfields

Southfields' two main pubs are actually next door to one another.

• The Grid Inn, 22 Replingham Road (Tube: Southfields), ☎ +44 (0)20 8874 8460. A slightly down-at-heel traditional pub.  edit

• The Old Garage, 20 Replingham Road (Tube: Southfields), ☎ +44 (0)20 8874 9370. Larger, cleaner and more modern than the Grid.  edit

[edit][add listing] Sleep

• The Lodge Hotel London, [29] Situated in a great central London location, this 3 star Best Western hotel is both high quality and affordable. 52-54 Upper Richmond Road, Putney, Tel: +44 (0) 208 874 1598.
• Premier Inn, 3 Putney Bridge Approach, Tel: 0870 238 3302, [30]. On the North bank of the river, with room prices started from £90.

[edit] Contact

• Putney's Local Website [31] is a website run for and by local residents, community groups and businesses. Become a member to fully participate in FORUMS (free).

• Wandsworth Borough Council [32], The Town Hall, Wandsworth High Street, London SW18 2PU. Tel: 020 8871 60003. Wandsworth is the borough in which Putney belongs to.

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