London/Wandsworth

The iconic Battersea Power Station Wandsworth is a district of southwest London. Understand Wandsworth consists largely of modest housing built as suburban retreats in the 19th century, interspersed with a patchwork of green "commons", a relic of the borough's history as small villages. Today the smart houses, cafes and bars close to the expansive green lung of Clapham Common are popular with young professionals working in the City, whilst cosmopolitan Tooting is home to a large South Asian community. Some of the smartest and newest developments are to be found along the riverfront in Putney and Battersea, where shiny apartment blocks rub shoulders with the industrial shell of the famous power station. Get in By tube The district is serviced by the following tube stations: Clapham Common (Northern line) Clapham South (Northern line) Tooting Broadway (Northern line) Tooting Bec (Northern line) Balham (Northern line) East Putney (District line) By train Clapham Junction is major station on south London routes and a huge number of services pass through there including from Waterloo station (SouthWest Trains), Victoria Station (Southern 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. 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. Trains leave Waterloo Station for Putney every 10 minutes and the journey takes around 20 minutes. By bus Putney is connected by bus from the following areas: 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. Get around See Battersea Park, (tube: Sloane Sq and then a 15-min walk over Chelsea Bridge), (mike@batterseapark.org), [1]. A lovely park on the southern banks of the Thames known or its wildlife and some splendid examples of mature trees.  edit Battersea Power Station. One of the great icons of the old smog-filled London of the mid 20th century and regarded as a fine example of industrial design of the art deco era. This coal-fired power station is not unsurprisingly now disused and sits empty as a protected Grade II listed building. Several development plans have been considered and turned down amid much controversy. In many ways best viewed from a distance on the notrh side of the Thames at Chelsea.  edit Clapham Common Clapham Common, (tube: Clapham Common), [2]. This large open space in ensely built Wandsworth has been a source of comfort to Londoners for time-in-memoriam. The common is roughly triangular shape with an area of 88 hectares. It is mostly open grassy parkland with scattered mature trees. There are three ponds here which are notably popular with local fisherman. The Grade II listed bandstand was fully restored in 2006.  edit Wandsworth Museum, 38 West Hill, Wandsworth, SW18 1RZ, ☎ +44 20 8875 8323 (contact@wandsworthmuseum.co.uk), [3]. A modest museum covering local history which relocated in 2010; has an excellent cafe.  edit London Wetlands Centre at Barnes. Great for twitchers (bird-watching). 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.  edit Putney Bridge on the Thames at Wandsworth Clapham Picturehouse, 76 Venn St, SW4 0AT (tube: Clapham Common), ☎ +44 20 7498 3323, [4]. Repetory/arthouse cinema with a very varied programme  edit Easy Peasy Skate, (Battersea Pk), [5]. Sa 10:30. For absolute beginners.  edit Putney Walk. Starts at Putney Rail Station, passing historical houses, old pubs, a cemetery, the Embankment, etc.  edit Putney Arts Theatre, Ravenna Rd, SW15 6AW, ☎ +44 20 8788 6943, [6]. Comes recommended for anyone interested in anything to do with theatre. They run drama courses for adults and children and around eight shows a year are produced by adults and children alike. Putney Theatre 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.  edit Putney Leisure Centre, Dryburgh Rd, SW15 1BL, ☎ +44 20 8785 0388, [7]. All-year warm swimming pool and sauna session. £4.  edit Thames Path. Start from Embankment St. If you feel energetic, from Embankment street walk south to Lower Richmond Rd via Festing Rd (a road of cute little white houses). Continue walking to the west until you reach Barnes Village.  edit Tooting & Mitcham United Football Club, Imperial Fields, Bishopsford Rd, Mitcham (tube: Morden, buses 280, 118, 201, Mitcham tram stop), ☎ +44 20 8648 3248, [8]. The Stripes are a football club based at Imperial Fields. This recently built stadium got promoted into Ryman Premier, two seasons ago looking forward to go into higher divisions. The club has a café/bar with real ale and with big screen TV (sky sports) and has a gym.  edit Buy Clapham Junction, (An area near the busy Clapham Jct Railway Stn). Good selection of shops including high street chains, supermarkets and department stores, complimented by bars, cafes and restaurants.  edit Putney High Street. Shopping, also international and British dining experience.  edit Tooting and Broadway Markets, Tooting High St, SW17 0RJ (tube: Tooting Broadway). Provide a varied and interesting selection, including fruit and vegetables, clothes, furniture and household items.  edit Eat There are two eating 'hubs' in the Wandsworth borough. St Johns Hill and Battersea Rise near Clapham Junction have an excellent range of restaurants, with new ones opening all the time - very popular with the young professionals who flock here after work. For the tourist looking to escape the overpriced horrors of central London this is a good, easy-to-reach option. The second hub is Tooting, which has many excellent Indian restaurants, however the area doesn't really compare to Brick Lane. Budget Chanteroy Delicatessen, 233a Wimbledon Park Rd (Tube: Southfields), ☎ +44 20 8874 1446. 08:00-20:00. A small delicatessen offering primarily French breads, meats and cheeses. Fresh filled baguettes are made to order and there is often a queue out the door. The staff are all native French speakers. £1.50-3.  edit Independent Coffee Shop, 162 Balham High Rd (tube: Balham), ☎ +44 208 772 9987, [9]. Cheerful, quirky coffee shop serving freshly made sandwiches and cakes. Free wifi.  edit Sally at St. Mary’s, Putney High St, [10]. Seven days a week. A homemade food and coffee café at St. Mary’s church.  edit Mid-range Preto @ Putney, Brazilian steakhouse, with a great-value buffet (£17 with meat cooked to your liking). Dosa 'n' Chutney, (Near to Tooting Broadway underground on Upper Tooting Rd and close to the border with Collier's Wood). Large restaurant.  edit Gourmet Burger King, 333 Putney Bridge Rd, [11]. Gourmet burger, a favorite for many. Try the venison sausage, sweet potato and rocket leaves burger, an awesome mix of sweet and savory. Wagamama is a nearby if you fancy something Asian slightly cheaper. Meal for 2 £25.  edit The Indian Restaurant, 197-199 Replingham Rd (tube: Southfields), ☎ +44 20 8870 1483. 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 Ma Goa, 242-244 Upper Richmond Rd, [12]. Indian, has won various awards for its fine Indian cuisine.  edit La Mancha, [13]. Some of the best Tapas outside of Spain.  edit Lola Rojo, 78 Northcote Road, Battersea., ☎ +44 20 7350 2262, [14]. Tu-Sa 10:00-22:30, Su 10:00-16:00. Chef Antonio Belles' comfy, neighborhood restaurant and deli serves contemporary Spanish tapas.  edit Mirch Masala, 213 Upper Tooting Rd (tube: Tooting Broadway), ☎ +44 20 8672 7500, [15]. Noon-Midnight. BYO, Halal. This place would not 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 are doing to your food. The staff are numerous, fast and friendly, and you are 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.  edit Radha Krishna Bhavan, 86 Tooting High St (tube: Tooting Broadway), ☎ +44 20 8767 3462, [16]. noon-15:00, 18:00-23:00 daily. Fully licenced. The decor is charmingly eccentric, which just means it is a bit bonkers. Sunset palm trees on the walls and large masked figures glare back at you. The specialty here is South Indian (unlike Brick Lane which is mainly Bangladeshi), so you may discover plenty of dishes you have never heard of before. The poppodoms have some very tasty dips and every dish is very cheap for London, meaning you can try loads of different dishes between a large group. Highly recommended. Starters £2.50, mains £5-6.  edit Cafe Rouge, 200-204 Putney Bridge Rd, [17]. French chain restaurant. As the location is a bit hidden it is often quiet, ideal for a romantic dinner for couples.  edit Thai Girder, 36 Replingham Rd (tube: Southfields), ☎ +44 871 971 7344. A Thai restaurant with an iron girder running through the middle of the place.  edit Splurge Various restaurants and bars in Putney Wharf area. Just behind the St Mary's Church. Chez Bruce, 2 Bellevue Rd, SW17 7EG, ☎ +44 020 8672 0114 (fax: +44 020 8767 6648), [18]. Michelin star restaurant serving Modern European cuisine. Despite the award unpretentious, great food and service; situated across the road from Wandsworth Common. £52.  edit Thai Square, Putney Bridge, 2-4 Lower Richmond Rd, [19]. Award winning Thai bar/restaurant. Great food, impressive decor, great view of the Thames river.  edit Drink Balham The Bedford, 77 Bedford Hill, [20]. Famed for the comedy and live music in the large galleried back room  edit Clapham Clapham has many upmarket pubs and bars, particularly around the northeast area of the Common Tooting Tooting has many new wine bars, and renovated and traditional pubs. Lahore, Upper Tooting Rd. Favoured by the Good Food Guide and many other awarding bodies. Serving Pakistani cuisine.  edit The Selkirk (formerly The Frog Forget Me Not), Selkirk Road.  edit Yars Village, Mitcham Rd (Opposite Smith Brothers Dept Store). Cafe style Indian food, cooked fresh with an open kitchen. Great food served by attentive waiters, BYO alcohol.  edit Putney Putney is blessed with a fine selection of pubs. Among the most atmospheric are the ones on the river bank which include: Boathouse, 32 Brewhouse Ln (In Putney Wharf area), [21].  edit The Coat & Badge, 10 Lacy Rd, [22]. 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.  edit Duke's Head, 8 Lower Richmond Rd‎, [23]. A Lovely gastropub with great views on and along the river. A regular for locals.  edit Moomba Bar & Kitchen, 5 Lacy Rd, [24]. Moomba has been a long term fixture on the Putney food and drink scene. It enjoys rave reviews for its stylish decor, gorgeous menus and friendly service.  edit The Slug and Lettuse, 146-148 Putney High St, [25]. The pub has a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere with comfy chairs and pleasant surroundings. They also serve a variety of modern food. Catering for vegetarians is provided.  edit The Rocket fancy-dan Wetherspoons right on the waterfront next to Putney Bridge. The Spotted Horse, 122 Putney High St‎, [26]. 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.  edit Battersea Adventure bar, 91a Battersea Rise, ☎ +44 20 7223 1700, [27]. Cocktail bar with daily happy hour.  edit Sleep Brewers Inn Wandsworth, 147 East Hill, SW18 2QB, ☎ +44 20 8874 4128 (brewersinn@youngs.co.uk), [28]. A Youngs' pub with rooms. Full English breakfast included. £120.  edit Flexistay ApartHotel Tooting, Thirsk Rd, CR4 2BD (tube: Tooting Broadway), ☎ +44 20 7828 1526, [29]. Budget serviced apartments. Single and double studios available. nightly, weekly an monthly rentals. £350 per week.  edit Holiday Inn Express Wandsworth, Smuggler's Way SW18 1EG, ☎ +44 870 7201298, [30]. The usual Holiday Inn Express set up.  edit The Lodge Hotel London, 52-54 Upper Richmond Rd, Putney, ☎ +44 20 8874 1598, [31]. Situated in a great central London location, this three star Best Western hotel is both high quality and affordable.  edit Contact This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!